Arrival in Sofia of the participants, meeting with the Guide and visit of the main sites of the Bulgarian capital – the Cathedral of Aleksandar Nevski, the Basilica of St. Sofia, the square of religions, a symbol of tolerance of Bulgarians towards the main religions. Transfer by private minibus to the small town of Madjare where the Happydonkeys donkey is located, dinner and overnight.

After breakfast we will meet the donkeys, prepare the luggage and start the tour. After crossing the Iskar river (the longest river in Bulgaria) a climb will take us to the small church of St. Elias where a fabulous panorama of the Rila mountains it will be the background during our lunch stop. After a few km we will arrive at another small church “Sveti Minà” from here after a few ups and downs we will arrive on the Zekiritza plateau at 1730 m where we can admire the beautiful panorama of the Malyovitza valley. A descent will take us to the Vada refuge where we will stay.

Notes : 20 km 

Difference in height : + 700 m / – 430 m 

A very busy day, almost always uphill but which will give us unforgettable emotions. From the Vada refuge we will begin to climb up to 2592 meters above sea level of the Zeleni kamak plateau (green rocks) so called for the presence of particular rock formations, this is perhaps one of the most beautiful viewpoints of all the Rila mountains, in fact you can see and count 15 lakes of glacial origin. On our left the Urdini lakes while on our right the very famous 7 Rila lakes, this is one of the few places where it is possible to admire them all together. We will go up again towards the Otovishki peak at 2696 m from here all downhill to the Ivan Vasov refuge located at 2300 m in a beautiful valley, dinner and overnight stay.

Notes : 16 km 

Difference in height : + 1150 m / – 300 m 

Practically a whole day in “descent” apart from the first stretch up to a plateau, from here we will begin to descend entering the “Forest Reserve of the Rila Monastery” we will walk in paths that cross beautiful forests of fir and beech trees up to the Monastery, really a strong emotion to get there together with the donkeys. Hotel accommodation, dinner and overnight stay

Notes : 15 km 

Difference in height : + 200 m / – 1350 m 

After breakfast we will have time to visit the monastery famous for its beautiful frescoes and the various icons present inside. A truly impressive building, recently restored, with the possibility of visiting the museum inside.
After lunch we will leave with the donkeys to visit the tomb and the place where the Saint Sveti Ivan Rilski (Founder of the Monastery) lived, from here we will continue towards Kirilova Poliana where we will have dinner and stay in a refuge run by a very nice couple.

Notes : 8 km 

Difference in height : + 320 m 

A beautiful path, in constant but not demanding climb along the Vira river valley will take us to the Ribnite Esera refuge which takes its name from two beautiful glacial lakes in its vicinity. Dinner and overnight

Notes : 14 km 

Difference in height : + 760 m 

The day begins with a climb up to 2450 m which will take us to a Nature Reserve that of the Central Rila Mountains. Here the “Bianco Iskar” river is born, which feeds the dam of the same name, a very important reservoir that feeds most of the homes in Sofia, and is a military zone with no entry. We will continue towards Mount Vapa 2528 m where from its summit on a clear day the view is beautiful: to the south the chain of the Pirin Mountains and the Rhodope Mountains, to the east Mount Mussala as mentioned, the highest mountain in all the Balkans. Descent to the beautiful Semkovo Refuge built near a beautiful artificial lake, a relaxing place to spend the night.

Notes : 15 km 

Difference in height : + 450 m / – 950 m 

Final day of our tour with our friends and fellow donkeys.
We will go down to the “Dancing Bears” park created by the Brigitte Bardot foundation to give a worthy refuge to bears exploited for sad dance shows, especially in the center of Sofia mainly in the 90’s. Fortunately, this practice became illegal in 1998
It is possible to visit the park, which is important to keep in mind that it is not a zoo. It is a refuge and retirement home for former dancing bears. The park covers 120,000 square meters of forest in the Rila Mountains, at a height of 1345 meters. There is an information and medical center on site. The area is protected by a fence and in particular, the one surrounded with a 3 km long one, is the natural environment of the bear. Feeding is set up to mimic a natural habitat as well, so staff hide food around on site for bears to train their natural instincts. There are currently 20 brown bears.
In the past, they were usually kept in chains 24 hours a day in small spaces, fed with sugar and alcohol to improve their “performance”. They have been physically damaged in extreme ways, so this place is considered a bear paradise. Many of them have visual impairment due to sugar intake, and all have been kept awake during the winters, thus losing their hibernation cycle. Fortunately, bears are now able to follow their biological clock and are slowly returning to their peaceful winter dreams.
After the visit to the park, transfer by minibus to the characteristic town of Bansko where together with the donkeys we will parade through the streets of the old city to our accommodation in a comfortable hotel in the center.

Notes : 10 km 

Difference in height : + 140 m / – 540 m 

A characteristic narrow-gauge train with its slow running will take us through small villages and valleys inhabited by the Pomacs, Christian Bulgarians converted to the Muslim religion in the centuries of Ottoman rule in the Balkans, here the minarets of the Mosques stand undisturbed alongside the firs. From the village of Yakoruda, the railway begins its real climb towards the Avramovo pass, the highest station in all the Balkans with its 1,267 meters above sea level. After the pass, the tracks explore ravines far from everything, from roads, from villages. They touch unspoiled places, stop in small stations reachable only by dirt roads, kilometers away from the first houses. In Velingrad the train stops a few more minutes: the city is the capital of the valley, as well as one of the most famous spas in Bulgaria. Velingrad the line continues its gentle descent, the landscape changes slowly: the dense pine forests are colored with warmer tones, deciduous forests and shrubs dot the landscape that flows behind the window. At Septemviri, the terminus, the train meets its brother greater, the Sofia – Plovdiv ordinary gauge railway line. It is the historic route where the Orient Express once passed from Calais to Istanbul.
From here the city of Plovdiv, capital of European Culture in 2019, is only 45 minutes away. The city is the second largest in Bulgaria and one of the oldest in Europe, hotel accommodation. We will walk the characteristic streets of the old part, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Dinner in a characteristic Bulgarian restaurant, final greetings

End of the Tour