Six-day hut to hut hike at the central part of the Balkan Mountains;
To be leaded by experienced guide (if guided option is chosen);
Easy orienting (for the self-guided option);
To spend the nights at warm and cozy huts;
Breakfast and dinner provided by the hut-keepers;

Walk from the Karlovo town to the hut Levski though the Stara Reka Natural Reserve. The path is leading along the course of the river Stara Reka which gave the name of the Reserve. It starts steeply over rocks and enter the canyon of the river. It zigzags over the river by the help of at least twenty small bridges. The forest alters the stony terrain and the path continues gently up to the hut Vasil Levski, passing by another two huts. You can rely on them to support you with hot soup and beverages.

Distance - 11 km, Ascent - 1200 m, Descent - 320 m, Time - 6 h.

Levski hut,  Common room.

Walk from the hut Botev to the peak of Botev and back to the hut Pleven. In good weather it is impossible for someone to leave the area without a rise to the peak of Botev. It is one-hour demanding climb up by the western flank of the peak. With short serpents through the grass you reach the highest peak of the Stara Planina – 2376 m. After paying a visit to the peak, you should turn back to the shelter and head off the hut Pleven. This is an awesome touristic path cut through the inaccessible northern flank of the ridge. This beautiful and wild part of the Balkan is the area of its highest natural reserve- the Severen Dzhendem (Northern Hell) Reserve. The hut Pleven is arguably the hut with the best panorama in the whole mountains. It is worth a visit even only for those views. 

Pleven hut, private room/common room.

Walk from the hut Pleven to the hut Ambaritsa. This path is a pleasant walk through grassy pastures and forests. The main attraction is the view towards the vertical northern slopes below Botev Peak and the main spine of the Balkan.

Ambaritsa hut, common  room.

Walk from the hut Ambaritsa to the hut Dobrila. The path heads off to the main crest along a side ridge on which is located the hut Ambaritsa. In this part the path skirts the Steneto Natural Reserve. Going up to the crest, you will have the perfect opportunity to admire the rocky peak of Kupena. Once on the main ridge, you will follow briefly the course of the E3, the European long-distance walking route 3 that will bring you to the hut Dobrila, but before that you should climb up and down the peak of Levski (once with the name Ambaritsa). The hut is perfectly maintained and provides to the tourists comfort among the nature.

Dobrila hut, private room/common  room.

Walk from the hut Dobrila to the town of Karlovo. Many paths start from the hut Dobrila towards the plain, but the one that is along the course of the so called «Southern path» is extremely beautiful and pleasant. It traverses the southern flank of the central ridge and crosses many small springs. It is an open-air walk and provides splendid views. The descend to the town of Karlovo starts at the area of the Malak Kupen peak. It is along the river Malkata (Small) Reka, a tributary to the Stara Reka.

If you prefer to explore the mountain at your own pace, than chose the option “Self-guided trip”. In this case we will provide you a package of materials, including a written hike description together with a customized travel itinerary, GPS tracks of your trail and local information. In order to make your independent hiking tour a success we will do all of the necessary arrangements. That is why the accommodations in the package are prepaid.