Vila Kordela (06905-228) is a former hunting lodge that is now open to all. It has 10 rooms, but doesn’t offer food unless ordered in advance.
From the final bus stop in the village of Divchovoto (650m), set off upstream along the asphalt lane signed ‘Kordela 5km’. The road runs gently up the valley, and after about 20mins reaches a drinking fountain and shelter. Continue upstream, after another 10mins passing an imposing white building tucked away on the left behind a high wall. Some 15mins further on you reach the entrance to the Central Balkan National Park and the boundary of the Boatin Reserve. The trail proper begins here, breaking off left from the road into the beech forest. However, if it is late in the day and you need accommodation, you could keep on up the road for 5mins to vila Kordela. If you do stay the night, it is well worth venturing out after dark to listen for owls. The tawny owl, Tengmalm’s owl and the Ural owl all inhabit the region. Leaving the road and entering the Boatin Reserve, follow the yellow-blazed trail across a couple of wooden footbridges before climbing up to join an old forest path marked ‘Putya naBenkovski’ (‘the track of Benkovski’).
Crossing the Cherni Vit to enter the Boatin Reserve
The old forest path takes you in the footsteps of Georgi Benkovski (1843–76), a famous revolutionary leader who fled this way into the mountains after the collapse of the 1876 April Rising. The surrounding forests are full of birds, particularly woodpeckers, including middle spotted woodpecker, lesser spotted woodpecker, black woodpecker and white-backed woodpecker. It is also worth keeping an eye out for red-breasted flycatcher and semi-collared flycatcher.
The path leads on upstream along the true right bank, but soon becomes overgrown with brambles. Thankfully, it’s easy to skirt the obstruction, after which the trail becomes clearer once again. One important thing to be aware of is that although the official colour of the trail markings is yellow, as shown on maps, the path has been recently re-marked with green blazes, and these are what you should follow.
The trail now starts to climb, and after about 25mins you emerge into a glade that you head straight across east. On re-entering the forest, the path leads on via thinned beech wood, with small open areas covered with spike-heath, whortleberry, juniper and some thicker patches of bracken. After 20mins you emerge at a second glade, where you need to keep slightly left, heading on east back into the beech forest. Finally, after another 15mins, you emerge at the large open saddle Klimashka Prevlaka (1070m).
From the saddle, resume straight on east into the forest. The trail immediately bends left and starts descending via more wonderful beech forest. After 5mins you cross the right edge of a large bracken-clad clearing before re-entering the forest, where the path once again becomes broad and clear. Having passed an old broken footbridge over a dry gully, the trail then becomes steeper and stonier, eventually dropping to join a track. Follow this straight on down east, passing a small wooden hunters’ refuge some 30mins from the saddle. Continue straight on downstream along the Svinska Reka for another 20mins to arrive at an important junction in the valley of the Kostina Reka.
The green blazes now continue left downstream, bound for the village of Ribaritsa, about a 1hr walk away. However, you turn right, following the track south upstream. After 10mins you pass a national park information board, then 5mins further on ignore the minor track that breaks off right. Keep on the main dirt road up the valley, here and there marked with some faint green blazes, and after 15mins pass a water fountain. Some 15mins beyond the water fountain there is a pretty cascade on the right.
A couple of minutes beyond that, the dirt road makes a sharp bend left, crossing a bridge at the confluence of the Dalboko Dere (Dyasna Reka) and Ravna Reka (Lyava Reka) to enter the national park. Although it is now possible to save 5mins by climbing straight up and cutting off a bend, the easiest thing with a large pack is simply to stay on the main track and follow it on as it hairpins up and round. The important junction comes about 15mins later, when the track bends sharp right over a second bridge. Here you finally leave the track behind for good by keeping straight on along the green-blazed trail into the forest on the true right bank of the Ravna Reka.
Walking through the ancient beech forests of the Boatin Reserve
The trail, overgrown in places with brambles and nettles, follows what resembles an old track, but after a little over 10mins the stony track bends right to ford the river, and you keep left, following a faintly marked green-blazed path. This makes a very steep and stony zigzag climb, before dropping back down towards the river near a pretty forest pool after about 10mins. Some 5mins later you will come to an old, rather incongruous, drag-lift sign on a tree within a deep forest gully. Here fork up left, climbing a stony path still on the true right bank of the stream.
After 10mins fork left again, climbing so steeply through the forest that you will be forced to find hand-holds on roots and rocks. To make matters even more awkward, large trees also lie strewn across the trail, so you will need to keep a careful eye on the blazes and what little there is in the way of a path. Eventually, after about 45mins, the trail levels off and becomes clearer. Contouring on, you now get a first glimpse right through the forest towards the high mountain pastures and sheepfolds on the flank of Gugla (1805m). Then finally, having crossed a forest brook and with a gentle climb, you emerge after 25mins at hizha Benkovski (1535m).
The hut stands at the upper edge of the treeline on the southern flank of the so-called Bratanishki Ushi, the two peaks of Golemi Ushi (1766m) and Malki Ushi (1726m). The latter can be climbed in less than 30mins from the hut, and offers a fine view towards the main ridge of the Stara Planina, on which the peaks Tetevenska Baba (2070m), Buluvanya (2043m) and Bratanitsa (1992m) stand out clearly.
Hizha Benkovski is permanently manned and it is usually possible to buy a bowl of hot soup from the kitchen.
DAY 2
Hizha Benkovski to Hizha Eho
| Time | 5hrs 15mins |
| Distance | 16km |
| Ascent | 750m |
| Descent | 650m |
| Highest point | 2198m (Vezhen) |
Today’s stage involves some fine open ridge-walking along the backbone of the Stara Planina, crossing extensive high mountain pastures at the southern edge of the Tsarichina Reserve. This reserve is renowned for its rich flora, with over 600 species having been recorded here, including some rare Bulgarian endemics such as Alchemilla catachnoa, Anthemis sancti-johannis and Viola balcanica. The reserve takes its name from the beautiful red-flowered Geum coccineum, which can be seen blooming in damp places. According to legend, this flower was the favourite of a princess (tsaritsa) who spent much time convalescing from a serious illness in the region. In good weather the gently undulating trail is easy to follow and a true delight to walk. However, in poor visibility navigation would become difficult.
