I
Ivan Vasilev
★★★★★
A great experience provided by kind and responsive professionals! The adventure itself is to be experienced, not described, so if you are reading this, don't hesitate!
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The place
The Vratsa Balkan — what is up there and how to reach it
A rock gate above the town, a 141-metre waterfall, a cave and the peak with Botev’s memorial cross — all in one massif, ninety minutes from Sofia. Here is what each place is, and how each one is reached.
from €51 per person · everything included
Only 4 bikes · earliest free slot: tomorrow at 09:00 · 4 spots left
See the tours Book onlineFree cancellation 48h+ · Bad weather? We reschedule free of charge · Card payment
What the Vratsa Balkan is
The Vratsa Balkan is the western end of the Balkan Range, rising directly above the town of Vratsa. Sheer limestone walls, deep gullies and forests crossed by old logging tracks. Some of it you can see from the town itself. The rest is reached on foot or on two wheels — there simply is no asphalt.
That is also why it stays quieter than Rila or Pirin. No lift, no resort, no queues. Just roads you have to know.
The six places worth the trip
Ordered by how easily you get there — the first ones take an hour, the last ones take real effort.
Vratsata
The rock gorge at the entrance of Vratsa — two vertical walls closing like a gate above the town. These are the highest vertical cliffs on the Balkan Peninsula, which is why climbers know the place. You can see it from the town centre, but the real view is from the ridge above.
Crossed by several of our routes →
Okolchitsa
The peak with the large cross raised in memory of the poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev. The cross does not mark the spot where he was killed — in 1901 a commission that included his own men chose Okolchitsa precisely because it is a visible, reachable summit close to the last battle. The place named as the one where he fell is on the slope of Kamarata, a few kilometres from here. Every 2 June people come from across the country, and the view takes in the whole Vratsa valley.
“In Botev’s Footsteps” tour — 25 km →
Vratsa Skaklya waterfall
The highest intermittent waterfall in Bulgaria — 141 metres. “Intermittent” means exactly that: it is full after rain and during snowmelt, and in a dry summer it can be a thin trickle or nothing at all. Check the forecast if it is the reason you are coming.
“Skaklya” tour — about an hour, for beginners →Ledenika cave
The one developed show cave in the massif, some 16 kilometres from Vratsa. It is known for its chambers and for the ice formations that give it its name. The road there is paved, but the landscape around the car park is already mountain.
“Ledenika” tour — 27 km, starts at the car park →
Zgorigrad
The village is the doorway to the wilder half of the massif. From here the tracks narrow, the gradients get serious and the people thin out. If you are after the feeling of being far from everything, it is here.
The more technical part of the routes →
The hang-glider ramps
The hang-gliders’ launch site — an open slope with a wide view over the mountain and the Danube plain on the horizon. The town itself is not in sight from here. Best in the late afternoon.
A stop on the longer tours →When to come
April to June and September to October are the best months: bearable temperatures and long afternoons. Skaklya is at its most impressive in spring, after the melt. July and August are hot at midday, which is why the morning and evening slots fill first. Winter is beautiful, but the tracks up there are another matter.
Getting there
1
From Sofia
About an hour and a half by car, on the Hemus motorway and then the road to Vratsa. You do not need a 4×4 to reach the town or the car parks.
2
From Vratsa
Vratsata and Ledenika are on asphalt. Skaklya, Okolchitsa and everything above Zgorigrad are on forest track, which is not for every car in the wet.
3
And beyond that
The rest is on foot or on two wheels. We ride the forest tracks — so places that would cost you half a day of walking fit into one afternoon.
What the price includes
Included
- A Sur-Ron electric motorbike
- Helmet and body protectors
- Briefing and time on the practice ground
- A guide for the whole route
- 9 photos from the route, no watermark
Not included
- Transport to Vratsa
- Accident insurance — we recommend having your own
- A helmet GoPro and the full photo album — add-ons at checkout
- Food and drinks
Through the Balkan on an electric bike
Each tour passes through some of the places above. The bikes are electric — quiet, with no gears and no clutch, and they startle neither the wildlife nor the people on the trails. No licence needed, no previous experience needed.
Skaklya
51 €
per person
43,35 €
for 4 people on a weekday
See the tour →
In the Footsteps of Botev
76 €
per person
64,60 €
for 4 people on a weekday
See the tour →
Ledenika
89 €
per person
75,65 €
for 4 people on a weekday
See the tour →
Prices are per person and include the bike, the gear, the briefing and the guide.
What people who already did it say
★★★★★
5.0
·
77 reviews
G
Georgi Kostadinov
★★★★★
A very well balanced combination of adrenaline and nature. There were a few challenging sections, but even teenagers managed them with ease.
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Мирослав Димитров
★★★★★
An unforgettable experience! A unique route with breathtaking views!
GoogleIt is a surprise
Voucher by email within minutes. The date is picked later, valid 12 months.
Give a voucherCommon questions about the area
Can you see it all in one day?
Not on foot. On a bike you can combine two or three — Skaklya and the ramps, say, or Okolchitsa and Vratsata. All six in a day is not possible by any means.
Does Skaklya always flow?
No. That is why it is called an intermittent waterfall. It is fullest in spring and after rain. In a dry summer you may find it nearly gone — that is normal, not the exception.
Do I need a 4×4?
Not for the town, Vratsata or the Ledenika car park. The rest is forest track and becomes a problem for a low car after rain. Most people leave the car below.
What works with children?
The cave and Vratsata suit any age. For the bikes it is 12 years and 150 cm; under 18 needs a signed parental declaration, and 12–15 ride accompanied.
Want to see more than one place in an afternoon?
Tell us what draws you and we will pick the route. If you are not sure — call, it takes two minutes.
See the tours