Bulgaria, Rila Lakes
На русском. 🇷🇺
Sometimes I’m too lazy to plan trips, so I join organized groups as a passenger with a camera.
This time, I decided to hike around the Rila Lakes with people from the internet.
It was my first visit to Bulgaria - a quick and affordable trip from Berlin.
Everyone in the group except one person was flying from Berlin, so we met at the airport. We arrived in the evening, walked to the hostel, and then explored Sofia a little more at night.
The next morning, we went to the Central Mineral Baths, where warm water flows from little fountains and many people come with large bottles to fill up.
Then our minibuses arrived at the park, and we headed to the Rila Monastery.
The monastery complex includes several elegantly designed buildings, richly decorated with arches and contrasting stripes.
Nearby, there is also a small grove with a stream running among the rocks toward the monastery cemetery.
From the monastery, we drove to the start of the trail. We were planning to spend the night in a nearby mountain hut, which looked wonderfully rustic both outside and inside. The locals were very friendly and welcoming.
We had dinner featuring local cuisine. Ravi - one of the participants - and I each had 50 ml of rakia, a kind of plum-flavored homemade spirit, served in paper coffee cups.
The evening was pleasant and relaxed. We discussed the next day’s route, while the forecast warned that rain was possible.
In the morning, we set off on our hike. The rain never came, but the morning was very foggy. Near the summit, at an altitude of around 2500 meters, it was cold and there was snow on the ground.
In clear weather, the summit offers a view of all the lakes, but this time we could see nothing but a white veil of fog.
On the way back, the fog kept clearing and returning, until it eventually disappeared completely. But by then, we had neither the time nor much desire to climb the mountain again.
There were great views of the lakes - though not all of them - from the lower levels as well.
The weather improved, so we spent some time on the shore of one of the lakes before heading back to the hut.
Along the way, one of the participants stumbled and twisted her ankle. Fortunately, it was only a sprain. We made it to the cable car, where a staff member from the hut met her by car.
The rest of the group made it back without incident.
The next morning, we planned to leave early. It was about a 40-minute walk to the road, so we set off around 7 a.m. while it was still dark and arrived at sunrise. A minibus to the airport was already waiting for us there.
The hike left me with a warm feeling: great company and wonderfully varied weather. It was a little disappointing that we did not get to see the view from the summit.
