6 Day Village Trek and Progressive Horseback Riding Tour in Teteven Balkan, Bulgaria
Wonderful Bulgaria Horse Riding Tour
Many and varied are the mountains in Bulgaria, but Teteven Balkan combines the best of them all - picturesque valleys with sparkling rivers and ancient forests with hidden meadows, high ridges and tops, crowned with rocky peaks revealing spectacular views, and villages scattered at the foothills, where life is lived with an old rhythm.
Key information
- Rider weight limit: 100 kilograms / 221 pounds
- Horse height range: 15 hands
- Tack type: Western and English tack
- Horse breed: Local East Bulgarian and Karakachan crosses
- Daily rides: 4 to five hours
Highlights
- 6 days with horse riding
- The part of Stara Planina loved by tourists for the preserved nature
- The pleasure of touching the authentic life of the local people
- Tasting homemade rakiya with homemade appetizers
- English-speaking guide and local guide assistance
- Luggage transport and entrance fees to sites included
- 5 breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners included
- 5 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Intermediate
Types
6 days with instruction in English
Average daily hours of activity: 5
Accommodation
This tour includes two hotel overnights with breakfast in Teteven rooms with private facilities, as well as three nights in guest houses that include breakfast (two rooms sharing one toilet / bathroom).
Program
This horseback riding tour is diverse and combines horseback riding with seeing cultural sights as well as immersing in the atmosphere of a beautiful Bulgarian area. The trek runs in the relatively low part of Stara Planina, between 400 and 1,100 meters above sea level. You will ride along dirt roads and trails. The terrain is rugged and rocky in places, with an option to trot and canter.
Participants will spend between four and five hours in the saddle every day, and the duration of each ride on most of the days can be changed according to the abilities and will of the riders.
Luggage is transported by car, and the saddling is Western or English. Apart from the overnight at a hotel in Teteven, on all other nights, the group will stay at guesthouses, where the food is cooked by the hosts or in small rural restaurants. Thus, the contact with local culture will be closer and the impressions will be more vivid and immediate.
Good to know:
- Horses: Most of the horses are crossbreeds between the local East-Bulgarian and Karakachan, with a mid-height of 150 cm, they are well known as thoughtful and tough, and are thus extremely well-adapted to the mountainous region of the Stara Planina Mountains.
- Maximum weight limit of the riders: 100 kg
- Saddles: Western and English
- Riding helmet not mandatory
Itinerary:
Day 1: Sofia - Golyam Izvor - Glozene Monastery
Pick-up will be at 09:00 from your hotel in Sofia, and then you'll be driven (one hour) to Golyam Izvor. Have a short acquaintance with the horses before you start your ride. The road will pass through meadows and mixed forest. You will then ascend the heights above the village, where you will see the first beautiful view of the central ridge of Stara Planina and the town of Teteven, surrounded by rocky peaks.
Then, you will descend through an ancient beech forest, at the end of which Glozhene Monastery is located, perched on a high rock. It reveals an even more spacious view of the Danube plain. You will see the monastery and find out about its 800-year-old history. Then, have a soup for lunch, made by the local staff. Afterwards, take another route to go back to Goliam Izvor, where you will spend the night.
- Meals: -/L/D
- Duration of the ride: 4 to five hours
Day 2: Around the village of Golyam Izvor
After breakfast, you'll start a village trek around Goliam Izvor and the nearby rolling hills. See some pretty houses and how the locals live. Then, move on to some open plain areas, perfect for gallops with a nice view over the valley.
- Meals: B/L/D
- Duration of ride: 4 hours
Day 3: Golyam Izvor - Brusen - Golyam Izvor
The route will take you on the other side of Goliam Izvor and along a small river, supplying the fields, perfect for long gallops. Then, pass through the Brusen ridge, before ascending into a pine forest. There, you are going to have a nice packed lunch amongst nature. After the woodlands, you will trek through an open field again and finish at the outskirts of Brusen, where you'll leave the horse and go back to Goliam Izvor.
If not too tired, you can take a car trip to Etropole Monastery and the waterfall nearby (30-minute drive).
- Meals: B/L/D
- Duration of ride: 4 to five hours
Day 4: Brusen - Cherni Vit
The start of the trail passes through mixed forests. Then, get on top of the unwooded ridge with a beautiful 360-degree view of the nearby mountains. Continue along the ridge, really soaking in the scenery on the beautiful trek. Afterwards, you will finally descend to the village of Cherni Vit. In the afternoon, you will have a trip by car to the Saeva Dupka Cave, known for its beautiful formations. Overnight stay will be at a hotel in Teteven.
- Meals: B/-/-
- Duration of ride: 5 hours
Day 5: Cherni Vit - Teteven
The ride on this day will start from Cherni Vit, leading you close to the Boatin Reserve, which is part of the Central Balkan National Park, which protects the nature in the central part of Stara Planina. Overnight stay will be in Teteven.
- Meals: B/-/-
- Duration of ride: 5 hours
Day 6: Teteven - Golyam Izvor. Back to Sofia
Start with a morning transfer to Cherni Vit village, where you would have left the horses the previous day. On this last day, you will have a little bit of forest, some hills, slopes, and a beautiful ridge to go through. Then, after a last scenery of Goliam Izvor, you'll have lunch and be transferred back to Sofia.
- Meals: B/-/-
- Duration of ride: 4 to five hours
Location
This part of Stara Planina is loved by tourists both for the preserved nature and for the pleasure of touching the authentic life of the local people; tasting homemade rakiya with homemade appetizers is an integral part of the experience.
Tour highlights
Stara Planina
Stara Planina is the longest Bulgarian mountain, stretching from Bulgaria's western border all the way to the Black Sea, dividing the country into two. Its old name is "The Balkans," from where the name of the Balkan Peninsula originates. The great part of Bulgaria's history is related to it. Fighters against the Ottoman rule hid in its forests. The Bulgarian spirit revived in its towns in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Central Balkan National Park
Central Balkan National Park covers the high central part of Stara Planina. In an area of 70,000 hectares, ancient forests and many animals, including representatives of endangered species, find tranquility from the aggressive human impact. The best-preserved beech forest on the Balkan Peninsula is in the Boatin Reserve. The average age of the trees is 130 years. The reserve is protected under the UNESCO "Man and Biosphere" program.
The Glozhene Monastery
The Glozhene Monastery "Saint George" was founded in the 13th century. It is situated in an extremely scenic place, perched on high cliffs from where a spectacular view is revealed. Vasil Levski - the apostle of freedom - found refuge in it in Turkish times.
Etropole Monastery
Etropole Monastery was founded in the 12th century. It declined after the conquer by the Turks, but at the end of the 16th century, it was restored and became one of the most important spiritual centers in the Bulgarian lands. The surrounding area of the monastery offers pleasant pastoral scenery, and in immediate proximity to the monastery, the Varovitets Waterfall is located.
Saeva Dupka Cave
Saeva Dupka cave is one of the most beautiful Bulgarian caves. It is 205 meters long and over one million years old. Its five halls and numerous galleries are full of bizarre cave formations. It is illuminated and urbanized.
Food
The tour includes meals as outlined in the itinerary (six breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners).
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
Things to do (optional)
- Additional airport transfers (in connection with pre- and post-tour accommodation in Sofia) - 20 EUR per person
What's included
- Saddled horses
- English-speaking guide and local guide
- Luggage transport
- Entrance fees to sites (if any)
- Transfers as per itinerary from Day 1 to Day 6
- Transfer from a hotel / apartment booked by the clients in the city center of Sofia
- 2 hotel overnight accommodation with breakfast in Teteven rooms with private facilities and three guesthouse overnight accommodation, including breakfast (two rooms sharing one toilet / bathroom)
- All meals according to the itinerary
What's not included
- International flights
- Drinks and meals not mentioned in the program
- Tips (5 EUR per person / per day)
- Personal expenses
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Transfer not provided
Sofia Airport
7 km away from your destination
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
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