Type of activity: Hiking
Difficulty: Medium (4 – 6 hours a day)
Duration: 4 days / 3 nights
Additional activities: Gastronomy & degustations
Are you fed up with hectic everyday life in big cities? Are you beginning to feel a primal urge to reconnect with nature, and prefer active type of vacation? If that’s the case, we have designed a hiking tour that will fulfill all your needs. On this tour we introduce you to the untouched nature of Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains), its enchanting beauty and splendor.
Balanced mixture of pure nature, interesting history and rich tradition make this mountain range a perfect holiday destination. Feel the adrenaline, imposing might of this wild mountain and unique feeling that vacation in this undiscovered area provides. The area is home to over 1000 different species of herbs and animals, but is also rich in flowing surface waters, which often form waterfalls and lakes, that entice special attention from adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Stara Planina is the part of Balkan Mountains mountain range, located partly in Eastern Serbia but for its most part in Bulgaria. The mountain range is 600km long and it varies in width from 30-50km. The Balkan Mountains are an extension of the Southern Carpathian mountain range. It is classified as Park of Nature by the Republic of Serbia.
Midzor is the highest peak of Stara Planina, located on Serbia’s eastern border with Bulgaria, and is at the same time the highest peak of Western Balkan mountains, at 2169m above sea level. In order to conquer it, automotive transportation is available up until a location around „Babin Zub“ peak (peak is high 1780m). In other hand, for unforgettable experience we suggest you to use your hiking skills and just walk there.
Day 1
On the first day of your journey, we organize pick-ups at the Nis Airport. Depending on the time of your arrival, we schedule the part of the day for visiting numerous historical monuments in the city of Nis and its surroundings. We plan to arrive at Nature Park Stara Planina before 19:00 where you will be accommodated in double rooms in a comfortable mountain hostel. Once you settle in the rooms, chefs will prepare dinner, delicious national dishes, additionally, optional vegetarian meals are included. We spend the night in cosy atmosphere of the hostel or shortly explore some places for a drink (beer).
Day 2
After a breakfast, we leave the accommodation and start our hike through this magnificent area. First destination we head for is the remarkable jewel of nature and a natural monument „Tri Kladenca“ (three springs). On the way we will be able to observe picturesque landscape of the Balkans. At „Tri Kladenca“ (three springs) we will make a break for taking the photos and possible bath in the springs! On the way back, we will stop by to have lunch in a local restaurant. Afterwards we continue our hike back to the accommodation where we will have some leisure time for ourselvs. We offer an optional 2 hour hike to Babin Zub peak (1780m) in case you feel like you want to explore some more unstained wilderness of the Nature Park. Once again, the chefs will prepare delightful dinner for us, but now we will have also degustation of local wines & cheese, after which we are set for an overnight.
Day 3
We start the day off once again with a tasty breakfast, after which we immediately start our hike towards the Midzor (2169m), highest peak of the Balkan Mountains in Central Serbia. Since Balkan Mountains are rich in surface water flows, on our path we may find many mountain lakes and waterfalls with crystal clear water. Also, biodiversity of Stara planina is truly astounding. The magnificence of surrounding landscapes and imposing vastness of the Balkan Mountains will stick in your memories even long after we’ve left Midzor. In the afternoon we will have a free time in the nature so you can absorb as much beauty as you can. Like on the previous day, we will have lunch in a local restaurant on our way up. To finish the day, we return to the accommodation for our evening routine, dinner and overnight.
Day 4
On the final day of our journey, we are obligated to transport you to the Nis Airport at least one hour before your plane departs. After breakfast we travel to Nis Airport, and if your plane leaves in afternoon/evening hours, we have envisaged additional activities, that mostly include visiting historical monuments and heritage sites (such as Timacum Minus archeo-ethno park and beautiful Knjazevac Municipality) with the lunch in local restaurant.
Included:
Not included:
Vrtop or “Three springs” (Serbian: “Tri kladenca”) is a place located on Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains) at an altitude of 1600m.
