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When to go

Best time to hikeWhich mountains are at their best, month by month

Before you go

Things to know before you goEmergency numbers, huts, camping and park rulesWhat to bringWater, food and keeping your phone aliveAm I ready for this?Five questions and an honest assessmentHiking time calculatorWhen to start and when to turn backIf you get lostWhat to do and who to call

Strandzha

Highest point
Golyamo Gradishte
Elevation
710 m

Not alpine at all. Some of the oldest surviving forest in Europe, running down to the Black Sea, walkable all winter.

Show this range on the map
History and background

Strandzha Nature Park is the largest protected area in Bulgaria. Its forests contain relict Tertiary vegetation that survived the ice ages, which exists in almost no other part of Europe. The villages here still practise nestinarstvo, the fire-dancing ritual on glowing embers, recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

Getting there

Malko Tarnovo is the interior base; Ahtopol and Sinemorets sit where the forest meets the sea. About four hours from Sofia, or an hour and a half south of Burgas.

When to go

The winter range. Mild coastal climate keeps it open when everything else is under snow, and spring here is exceptional for flowers. Summer is hot and better spent near the coast.

Water

Good. The Veleka and Rezovska rivers and their tributaries run through the whole park.

What to be careful of here
  • Ticks. The forest here has one of the higher densities in the country — cover your legs, use repellent, and check yourself thoroughly afterwards.
  • You are close to the Turkish border. Some zones are restricted and border police patrol; carry identification at all times.
Routes worth the journey

  • The Veleka river mouth at Sinemorets

    Easy2-3 hours

    Where an ancient forest river meets the Black Sea. Flat, easy, and unlike anywhere else in the country.