Biking in the Balkans

June 2018 - July 2019 Read more

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June 23, 2018
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Saturday, June 23, 2018
🌙 10 °C
Altitude: 417 m
Bulgaria Klimash 42.917713, 24.26431342°55’4” N 24°15’52” E
Home to Teteven
June 23, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
Early to rise at 3am then a kindly lift to Manchester Airport from Julia. Which was heaving. Luckily checking bikes in was given priority.

Smooth flight to Sofia, met by Steve and Brian. Undamaged bike was transported to hotel in Teteven by van - we went by coach.

First impressions- a bit poor and battered in places, hilly and green. Bikes assembled at Hotel Olimp which has a sports complex attached.

First meal together as a group.Read more
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Sunday, June 24, 2018 at 6:57 PM
⛅ 18 °C
Altitude: 411 m
Bulgaria Klimash 42.916313, 24.25867842°54’59” N 24°15’31” E
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Trogging round Teteven
June 24, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Morning walk to the Devils Tooth. Tricky in parts.

Big lunch - better than last nights meal.

Afternoon cycle to some dramatic waterfalls.

I led a trip to the local historical museum afterwards. Neolithic, Roman artefacts plus local craftwork and the history of some Bulgarian revolutionaries that I don’t yet understand.Read more
Julia Beaumont Boar hunt. Did you see any?
6/24/18Reply
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Monday, June 25, 2018 at 9:34 PM
⛅ 19 °C
Altitude: 130 m
Bulgaria Lukovit 43.205982, 24.16253743°12’22” N 24°9’45” E
Luxury in Lukovit
June 25, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
A decent ride, mostly on quiet mountain roads, arriving in Lukovit at 3:30pm.

A well earned lunch in Dobrevtsi, mostly delicious vegetarian. Lunches have so far been consistently more interesting than evening meals.

Lukovit is small - about a third the size of Keighley- approached via a fast downhill dash into poor housing. Then a corner is turned and the Diplomat Plaza hotel is straight ahead. 4 star here is same as home and they try hard.

Lukovit is a mixture of poor housing, former Soviet memorials and flats, traditional farming and crafts (hay cutting with scythes), two posh hotels and the occasional Bulgarian Orthodox Church full of icons.

Warm and dry.Read more
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Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at 4:38 PM
☁️ 22 °C
Altitude: 125 m
Bulgaria Lukovit 43.206196, 24.16228343°12’22” N 24°9’44” E
Latent rain in Lukovit
June 26, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
A short uphill ride to Peshteren Dom, locked bikes and descended on foot to the “Eyes of God” cave. Screeching of nesting swifts.

French climbers inside ascending a sheer limestone wall.

We then took a vertiginous track down a ravine and then round a tall rock face using narrow wooden platforms, stone ledges and a ladder while clinging to a thin metal cable until we reached a small monastery cut into the rock.

Lunch on top of the cliff. As usual ate too much so it was difficult to get going again for the short ride back to Lukovit.

Rain in the air all day which has just arrived at 4:30pm.Read more
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Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at 6:36 PM
🌧 16 °C
Altitude: 374 m
Bulgaria Vratsa 43.201782, 23.54848743°12’6” N 23°32’55” E
Vratsa variations
June 27, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
A challenging day.

Light rain in the morning. Heavy rain from lunchtime onwards.

6km of off-road cycling through puddles axle deep. Punctures, mosquito bites and tumbles by the end.

Lunch in bandit country. Leave your guns and knives outside.

Impromptu coffee stop in the afternoon to allow a regroup and to warm up.

Finally achieved Vratsa vie carrying bikes over two railway lines and dealing with a pack of stray dogs.Read more
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Thursday, June 28, 2018
🌧 17 °C
Altitude: 155 m
Bulgaria Montana 43.408974, 23.22412143°24’32” N 23°13’27” E
1
Mixed weather in Montana
June 28, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
We previously arranged a late start to avoid rain but timing was out and our carefully dried clothes were drenched in 10 mins of setting out.

Early lunch stop worked well - salad, lentil soup and garlic bread.

Some respite in the afternoon with occasional heavy showers but warm air in between.

Plenty of examples of Brutalist architecture all day. War memorials are for 1941 to 1945 - Bulgaria sided with Germany until 1943 when they became pro-Russian.

Left to fend for ourselves for the evening meal. Our syndicate of 7 managed to order a decent meal and beer in a Serbian restaurant.Read more
Julia Beaumont Pretty flowers
6/28/18Reply
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Friday, June 29, 2018 at 11:17 PM
☁️ 18 °C
Altitude: 44 m
Bulgaria Vidin 43.987014, 22.88073343°59’13” N 22°52’51” E
Revitalised in Vidin
June 29, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Weather slightly better than forecast. One shower and one thunderstorm.

88 km down to the Danube.

Our morning coffee stop allowed tv viewing of flooded villages we had visited two days before - a narrow escape.

Some road sections full of pot holes requiring great concentration to avoid damage to bike or self. Cobbled sections.

More brutalist architecture - bus shelters.

Anna Christina hotel in Vidin quite well appointed. The building originally was a turkish baths.Read more
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Saturday, June 30, 2018 at 10:27 PM
🌙 21 °C
Altitude: 43 m
Bulgaria Vidin 43.987091, 22.88091343°59’14” N 22°52’51” E
Chillin' in Vidin
June 30, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌙 21 °C
A day off from compulsory anything. I have a head cold so was happy to mainly rest and try not to infect others. Very hot and dry so got up to date with hand washing which quickly dried in my room.

Visited the history museum which has a remarkable collection of roman finds from this area. Good explanations on the archaeology process.

Some memorials that are difficult to understand: Bulgarians fighting alongside Germans in WWII. A monument to victims of communist oppression.

Heard the sad news today that Bob Woffenden has died.Read more
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Sunday, July 1, 2018
☀️ 18 °C
Altitude: 528 m
Bulgaria Belogradchik Rocks 43.625074, 22.68666243°37’30” N 22°41’12” E
Белоградчик (Belogradchik) day 1
July 1, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Best day for cycle touring so far. Warm and dry, mostly decent roads and views over the Danube plain and western Balkans.

Slow start carrying bikes over the railway. Then the road was blocked - bridge down so we detoured.

Lunch in bandit country. Reached our destination at 5pm - comfortable Hotel Skilite in Belogradchik. Photo is the view from my room.Read more
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Monday, July 2, 2018 at 6:42 PM
☀️ 22 °C
Altitude: 527 m
Bulgaria Belogradchik Rocks 43.624974, 22.68703443°37’30” N 22°41’13” E
Belogradchik - day 2
July 2, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Pre-breakfast view from my room.

Itso (our Bulgarian helper) and his son Nikolai who is stopping with us plus Itso’s wife for two days. They provide interpreting services today in addition to ferrying all our luggage around.

Inside the Magura caves to see evidence of their ancient formation, bats, huge rockfalls, growing stalagmites and prehistoric paintings which we are assured are genuine.

Our guide tells us many theories about their meanings and of the great intelligence of ancient man. They are impressive whether the theories are correct or not.

Riding on minor roads there are swarms of butterflies including swallowtails.Read more
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Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at 5:05 PM
⛅ 26 °C
Altitude: 527 m
Bulgaria Belogradchik Rocks 43.624951, 22.68700443°37’30” N 22°41’13” E
Belogradchik - day 3
July 3, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Morning walk for most but three intrepid seniors set off for Serbia.

Walk up to Kaleto fortress originally built by the Romans in a natural vantage point in the Belogradchik rocks. Very humid.

Views from the fortress. A mosque in town.Read more
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Wednesday, July 4, 2018 at 10:31 PM
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 405 m
Bulgaria Varshets 43.191921, 23.28554243°11’31” N 23°17’8” E
Stopover in Varshets (Вършец)
July 4, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
100km today.

Tipping up drinks bottles and getting shade at one of many “chesmi” (springs).

Abandoned / neglected monument complex to Communism.

Section of collapsed road.

Bonus pic of meal-with-a-view from the previous night.Read more
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Thursday, July 5, 2018 at 7:29 PM
☀️ 24 °C
Altitude: 374 m
Bulgaria Vratsa 43.201778, 23.54865643°12’6” N 23°32’55” E
Vratsa - again
July 5, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
We return to Hotel Hemus for a second time though the town has been transformed in our absence. Gone are the huge puddles and mist obscuring the mountain backdrop. Out has come the sunshine, the views and the young population.

Two big climbs today which was draining in the heat and humidity. Long descent following the Iskar river.

Scenic break for lunch and a diversion after that at Cherepish Monastery. There are on display the bones of revolutionary followers of Hristo Botev (died 1876).Read more
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Friday, July 6, 2018 at 7:39 PM
☀️ 25 °C
Altitude: 380 m
Bulgaria Vratsa 43.201866, 23.548443°12’7” N 23°32’54” E
Last day Vratsa & Bulgaria
July 6, 2018 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Did not take the planned ride and lunch, preferring to visit museums and shops and generally mooch around.

Regional history museum excellent. So many treasures from Palaeolithic to Present.

Interesting railway station and travelling procedure. Huge climb into train. Train sets off with doors open (for draught?). Can enter train on both sides.

Bike packed ready for early departure tomorrow.Read more
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Trip end
July 6, 2018