Bulgarian Mountains :: Stara Planina
The Iskar Gorge - as it is commonly known - is a true pearl in the tourist necklace of Bulgaria. It is a natural miracle carved out of the stone breasts of the Stara Planina. For thousands of years the waters of the Iskar River have dug their way into the rock, carving out forms of incredible shape, which have impressed every visitor.
Information
The gorge of the river Iskar starts from the Sofia Plain (550 metres above sea level), crosses the Pre-Balkan area and ends around the town of Cherven Bryag (95 m above sea level). The total length of the gorge is 156 km. The central - most beautiful and distinct - part of the gorge is actually located between the town of Novi Iskar and Lyutibrod Village and is 67 kilometres long. It is this most impressive and picturesque part which is better known as the Iskar Gorge. From the very start of the gorge the valley narrows sharply to outline the well-visible meanders. The slopes of the valley are sometimes flatter, then steep and in the end - forbidding! Then come the fairytale sights of Tserovo and Lakatnik railway stations, where the beauty of the scenery is increased further by an amphitheatre of stone. At Cherepish the river struggles to find its way through a canyon-type valley between vertical walls of snow-white lime. Several kilometres later one is struck by the awesome sight of the Ritlite, which serve to outline the border between the main Stara Planina chain and the rather modest forms of the Pre-Balkan.For centuries, the heart of the Iskar Gorge has been difficult to access. The roads and tracks connecting both sides of the mountain were located high on the top of the mountain and ran parallel to its ridge. The railway line of today was built in 1889 (the double track line came some time later) and when this was completed life along the river started to change. New settlements appeared, new people came in, new industries developed. Later came the road.
In most recent times, the best and most picturesque locations on both sides of the Iskar River, near the railway stations and bus stops, close to the villages and quarters host villa settlements (predominantly of citizens of the capital city), which only add additional colour to the gorge.
As early as the “gate to the Gorge” - the town of Novi Iskar - one can see the famous Katina Pyramids (one-hour walk from Kurilo quarter but also accessible by car - about 15-20 minutes drive). The first 15 kilometres inside the gorge are hosting the houses and villas of Vlado Trichkov, Rebrovo, Lukovo, Thompson settlements. Among them the village of Rebrovo is well developed in economic sense. It is the initial point of several marked tourist tracks: the Bukovets Chalet (4 km from Batuliya village, accessible by regular bus plus a three-hour walk), Leskova Chalet (20 km., by regular bus to the Ogoya village and 2.5 hours of walking after that) as well as tracks leading into the Sofiiska mountain.
The only town in the gorge is Svoge (8351 citizens, 520 metres above sea level). Svoge is situated in the widest possible part of the gorge - it is where the Iskar River flows into its big left feeder, the Iskretska River. The town is 40 kilometres to the north of Sofia and 60 to the south-west of Mezdra. It is a resort with clean and fresh air, located among the most breath-taking of natural surroundings. Some 10 kilometres to the west, in the valley of the Iskretska River, one can visit the village of Iskrets, which hosts one of the biggest sanatoriums in the country for people suffering from lung diseases.
The past of the town of Svoge and the surrounding villages is reflected in the Archaeological Museum (Tsar Simeon Str., working hours 3 - 6 p.m.). The St. Paraskeva Church has preserved interesting frescoes from the 16th and 17th centuries. There is a monument in honour of the sacrifices in the war of 1912-1918. The town hosts the Kraft Jacob’s Suchard Co. – a chocolate producing company. The town has a hotel – AIPI Hotel (12, Sofronii Vrachanski Str.).
Tourist information can be obtained in this hotel or from the Iskarski Prolom Tourist Association (15, Tsar Simeon Str., tel: 0726 2593). Svoge is a railway station along the Sofia - Mezdra - Russe (extending to Varna) line. Bus lines connect it to all neighbouring settlements. The central bus-station (tel: 0726 3194) and the railway station (tel: 0726 2310 and 2223) are close by in the centre of the town. Svoge is a starting point for hiking tours to the picturesque areas in all directions but there are no marked tracks.
After Svoge, along the gorge the train stops at Tserovo, Bov, and Lakatnik. These places are an entry to a miraculous, fantastic world. The rock walls and particularly those on the left bank of the river become more and more impressive, reaching a climax at the Lakatnik Rocks - a unique piece of nature’s art! It is here that Bulgarian mountaineering made its first steps. These stone walls are the perfect challenge for any climber. The Alpine shelter Orlovo Gnezdo (Eagke’s nest) has nestled among the rocks. It was built in 1938 by the members of Bulgarian Alpine Club and can host 4 mountaineers. Nearby is located the famous Temnata Dupka Cave and the Zhitolub Karst Spring, close to which there is a restaurant. A 1 hour-walk from Bov railway station takes the visitors (along a marked route) to one of the highest Bulgarian waterfalls, the Skaklya Waterfall (85 metres). From there along a marked track by the Zessele and Zimevitsa villages the Proboinitsa Chalet can be reached (3-3.30 hours).Another marked track in the opposite, eastern direction, starts from Bov in the direction of the Trastenaya Chalet (4 hours). On the way to the chalet one can choose a marked hiking track to a small quarter where the national poet Ivan Vazov had stayed (the house is still preserved, 1.30 hours from the railway station). There are marked hiking tracks from the Lakatnik railway station to: Trastenaya Chalet (3.30-4 hours) from where one can reach the spectacular Stara Planina peaks Mt. Izdrimets (1493 m), Mt. Yavorets (1348 m), Mt. Garvana, etc. as well as Proboinitsa Chalet (4 h), Parshevitsa Chalet (4-5 hours) and Byalata Voda Chalet (7-8 hours) and others.
