Bulgaria is a small country with a remarkable range of terrain. In a single trip you can walk along sea cliffs, climb a summit above 2,900 metres and finish the day beside a waterfall. These are the ten routes from the video, with more detail on each. For a more historical itinerary, our historical sites guide is a good companion.
Several of these are suitable for children and for people with no hiking experience. Others need preparation, an early start and a little respect for the mountain. The best route is the one that leaves you tired in a satisfying way.
Before the list, watch the video:
#10 — Kaliakra Cape
📍 Dobrich Province · ⏱ 1–1.5 hrs · 🥾 easy · 📅 year-round · ▶ 0:36
The cape juts out into the sea, with reddish cliffs dropping around 70 metres straight down. The path passes the ruins of the medieval fortress and continues to the very tip.
Much of the edge has no railing — with small children, stay near the road rather than the rim. In spring and autumn migrating birds pass overhead; Kaliakra sits on the Via Pontica flyway.
#9 — The Varna Archaeological Museum and the Stone Forest
📍 Varna Province · ⏱ half a day · 🥾 very easy · 📅 year-round · ▶ 1:01
A museum and a walk in one day. The Varna Archaeological Museum holds the Varna Gold Treasure — the oldest processed gold in the world, roughly 6,500 years old.
West of the city, directly on the road towards Sofia, lies Pobiti Kamani, the Stone Forest. It is the only place in Bulgaria that looks like a desert: stone columns between five and seven metres tall standing in loose sand, with no cliff they could have broken off from and no quarry nearby. The paths are flat and the full loop takes about an hour. Come early morning or late afternoon — at midday the shadows are short and the columns look like stumps, while low sun throws long shadows and reveals their true scale.
#8 — The Madara Rider and the Pliska Archaeological Reserve
📍 Shumen Province · ⏱ 2–3 hrs · 🥾 easy to moderate · 📅 year-round · ▶ 1:30
The Madara Rider was carved into a vertical limestone cliff in the early 8th century and is the only relief of its kind in Europe. Stairs lead from the car park to the viewing platform below it, and more steps continue up to the plateau and the fortress ruins.
Go early in the morning. The relief is shallow and sits under a rock overhang — in side light the carved lines read clearly, while at midday the wall is evenly lit and the rider almost disappears. Pliska, the first Bulgarian capital, is close enough to fit into the same day.
🎥 See both the Madara Rider and the Stone Forest from above in our one-hour 4K film, Stone Wonders →
#7 — Peak Musala
📍 Rila Mountains · ⏱ 6–8 hrs · 🥾 hard · 📅 July–September · ▶ 1:56
At 2,925 metres, Musala is the highest peak in the Balkan Peninsula. The standard route starts from the Yastrebets lift, passes the Musala lakes and the mountain hut, and finishes with a rocky final stretch to the summit.
This is a serious full-day hike. Set off by eight in the morning at the latest, so you are on the summit before the afternoon storms, which build quickly in Rila. Even in August the temperature at the top can sit near freezing in wind.
#6 — The Devil’s Bridge
📍 Kardzhali Province · ⏱ 2–3 hrs · 🥾 moderate · 📅 April–November · ▶ 2:24
The stone bridge over the Arda was built in the early 16th century, on the line of an older Roman route running inland from the Aegean. The name comes from a legend that the builder saw the devil’s face reflected in the water below.
A dirt track leads to the bridge and becomes a problem for a low car after rain. On foot from the nearest village it takes about an hour. Mist often sits over the river in the morning, and that is when the bridge looks its best.
#5 — The Krushuna Waterfalls
📍 Lovech Province · ⏱ 1.5–2 hrs · 🥾 easy · 📅 April–October · ▶ 2:45
The eco-trail near Krushuna village runs along wooden stairs and walkways beside a cascade of waterfalls. The water is travertine — it passes through limestone and leaves deposits that, over centuries, build the very terraces it then flows across.
The route suits families with children, but there are a lot of steps and they turn slippery in rain. Water levels peak in April and May; by August some of the cascades run dry.
#4 — The Vacha Dam and the Vacha Waterfalls
📍 Smolyan Province · ⏱ 3–4 hrs · 🥾 moderate · 📅 May–October · ▶ 3:04
The reservoir is long and narrow, squeezed between steep forested slopes — from the air it looks more like a fjord than a dam. Routes start from the surrounding villages and lead to waterfalls in the side valleys, so the distance depends entirely on where you begin.
It pairs well with Devin and the mineral baths there. With two days in the area, this and Waterfalls Canyon make a good weekend.
#3 — Melnik Pyramids
📍 Blagoevgrad Province · ⏱ about 2 hrs · 🥾 easy · 📅 year-round, avoid July–August · ▶ 3:21
The sandstone pyramids around Melnik change constantly — rain erodes them every year, so the shapes are not what they were a decade ago. The classic route starts in town and leads to the St Nicholas chapel through the formations themselves.
The climb is short but entirely exposed, with no shade. In summer, set off before nine in the morning. Melnik is also Bulgaria’s smallest town, so lunch afterwards is part of the plan.
#2 — The Waterfalls Canyon
📍 Rhodope Mountains, Smolyan Province · ⏱ 3–4 hrs · 🥾 moderate · 📅 May–October · ▶ 3:44
A circular eco-trail following a river through dense forest and past dozens of waterfalls, crossing wooden stairs and rope bridges along the way.
The ground is wet almost throughout — boots with grip are essential. In spring the water runs high and some sections turn slippery. This is one of the most underrated routes in the Rhodopes.
#1 — Seven Rila Lakes
📍 Kyustendil Province · ⏱ 5–6 hrs · 🥾 hard · 📅 July–September · ▶ 4:08
Seven glacial lakes arranged in steps one above the other. The circular route passes all of them and climbs to the Haramiya peak, from where they are visible at once.
The chairlift saves roughly two hours of ascent, but runs seasonally and has queues at weekends. The weather up there changes within minutes even in August — bring a rain shell regardless of the forecast. This is the most visited high-mountain route in Bulgaria, so for any quiet, start early.
For another way to explore the outdoors, our adrenaline activities guide takes the landscape in a faster direction.
