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Hard Hiking Trails in Bulgaria

87 routes in Bulgaria qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 43.3 km and 1,267 m (4,157 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 559 km.

That is 49 percent of the 177 routes we map in Bulgaria. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 43.3 km against 24.8 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,267 m (4,157 ft) on average versus 738 m (2,421 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

връх Зъбът от Кукленското езеро
Expert

Dobrinishte - Melnik

Pirin National Park · Blagoevgrad

Distance
46.7 km
/ 29.0 mi
Elevation gain
2,111 m
Typical duration
13 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Primary school in the village of Budinarci, Maleševija, Macedonia
Expert

Sammiana I4

Blagoevgrad · Bulgaria

Distance
204 km
/ 127 mi
Elevation gain
6,056 m
Typical duration
57 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
The mosque in the Village of Cherna Mesta, Bulgaria.
Hard

ST510 Yakoruda - Yundola

Blagoevgrad · Bulgaria

Distance
23.4 km
/ 14.6 mi
Elevation gain
891 m
Typical duration
6 hr 28 min
  • Mountain
Hard

Предел - в. Пирин

Pirin National Park · Blagoevgrad

Distance
5.6 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,436 m
Typical duration
3 hr 19 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Dupnitsa - Ivan Vazov hut

National Park Rila · Kyustendil

Distance
23.4 km
/ 14.5 mi
Elevation gain
515 m
Typical duration
5 hr 54 min
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Camino Bulgaria

Burgas · Bulgaria

Distance
80.8 km
/ 50.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,778 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST426 Slivnitsa - Bankya

Sofia-City · Bulgaria

Distance
26.1 km
/ 16.2 mi
Elevation gain
573 m
Typical duration
6 hr 37 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST427 Bankya - Sofia

Sofia-City · Bulgaria

Distance
17.9 km
/ 11.1 mi
Elevation gain
393 m
Typical duration
4 hr 24 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST501 Sofia - Aleko

Sofia-City · Bulgaria

Distance
16.4 km
/ 10.2 mi
Elevation gain
360 m
Typical duration
3 hr 59 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST502 Aleko - Yarlovo

Pernik · Bulgaria

Distance
17.2 km
/ 10.7 mi
Elevation gain
378 m
Typical duration
4 hr 13 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST503 Yarlovo - Belchin

Sofia · Bulgaria

Distance
17.4 km
/ 10.8 mi
Elevation gain
383 m
Typical duration
4 hr 16 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST503a Yarlovo - Belchin

Kyustendil · Bulgaria

Distance
29.1 km
/ 18.1 mi
Elevation gain
639 m
Typical duration
7 hr 26 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST504 Belchin - Samokov

Sofia · Bulgaria

Distance
18.6 km
/ 11.5 mi
Elevation gain
408 m
Typical duration
4 hr 35 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST505 Samokov - Mechit hut

Sofia · Bulgaria

Distance
20.3 km
/ 12.6 mi
Elevation gain
447 m
Typical duration
5 hr 4 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST512 Velingrad - Batak

Pazardzhik · Bulgaria

Distance
27.1 km
/ 16.9 mi
Elevation gain
597 m
Typical duration
6 hr 55 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST517 Yagodina - Mugla

Smolyan · Bulgaria

Distance
21.7 km
/ 13.5 mi
Elevation gain
478 m
Typical duration
5 hr 27 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST518a Mugla - Smolyan

Smolyan · Bulgaria

Distance
25.3 km
/ 15.7 mi
Elevation gain
557 m
Typical duration
6 hr 25 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST519 Perelik-Smolyan

Smolyan · Bulgaria

Distance
16.3 km
/ 10.1 mi
Elevation gain
358 m
Typical duration
3 hr 58 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST523 Shadeetsa - Ardino

Kardzhali · Bulgaria

Distance
24.6 km
/ 15.3 mi
Elevation gain
542 m
Typical duration
6 hr 14 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST524 Ardino - Kitnitsa

Kardzhali · Bulgaria

Distance
29.3 km
/ 18.2 mi
Elevation gain
645 m
Typical duration
7 hr 30 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST525 Kitnitsa - Kardzhali

Kardzhali · Bulgaria

Distance
25.0 km
/ 15.5 mi
Elevation gain
550 m
Typical duration
6 hr 20 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST526 Kardzhali - Madrets

Kardzhali · Bulgaria

Distance
22.3 km
/ 13.9 mi
Elevation gain
491 m
Typical duration
5 hr 36 min
  • Long-distance path
Hard

ST527 Madrets - Rabovo

Haskovo · Bulgaria

Distance
21.8 km
/ 13.5 mi
Elevation gain
479 m
Typical duration
5 hr 28 min
  • Long-distance path

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
European long distance path E4 - part BulgariaBlagoevgrad236 km8,958 m69 hrExpertJuly to September
European long distance path E8 - part BulgariaBlagoevgrad426 km5,982 m110 hrExpertJuly to September
Dobrinishte - MelnikPirin National Park46.7 km2,111 m13 hrExpertJuly to September
Разлог - х. Яворов - х. ЛагераPirin National Park27.9 km1,877 m9 hrExpertJuly to September
Банско - х. Яне СанданскиPirin National Park23.7 km1,613 m7 hr 38 minHardJuly to September
x. Синаница - х. ПиринPirin National Park24.8 km1,551 m7 hr 47 minExpertJuly to September
х. Беговица - х. ПиринPirin National Park10.1 km976 m3 hr 34 minHardJuly to September
Sammiana I4Blagoevgrad204 km6,056 m57 hrExpertJune to October
x. Демяница - x. Яне СанданскиPirin National Park16.4 km1,550 m5 hr 47 minHardJuly to September
ST507 Rila Monastery - Makadoniya hutBlagoevgrad22.9 km382 m5 hr 36 minHardJune to October

If you only have time for one, start with European long distance path E8 - part Bulgaria, European long distance path E4 - part Bulgaria, Банско - х. Яне Сандански. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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