Again, the first difference when crossing the border from North Macedonia to Bulgaria was not so big. My first impression of rural Bulgaria was greenhouses, fields and poppies. Also, there wasn't much in the towns next to the border, from time to time a small supermarket.
My first stop was a campsite near Marikostinovo, but €22.50 was too expensive for me. Since I had to get some money anyway and needed a few things, I drove to Petrich. Petrich was my first small town, but this is where I noticed the difference. I did not find the liveliness of Macedonia here.
On the way to Petrich I had already noticed a parking space at the Struma river, so I decided to spend the rest of the day there. Now you can also find the place at P4N.
The next day I headed into the hills and with a few stops to Pirin National Park. In the south of Bulgaria I drove through larger vineyards, which then turned into fields and finally into forest.
Apparently not many vanlifers spend their time here as there were only 2 spots on P4N but I saw a few along the road and off to the side as well. For example, the pass near Mt Orelyak and Popov Meadows would be perfect starting points for hiking. The houses at the pass were definitely built during the communist era and have a certain charm.
Along the Mesa river I went to Bansko. The street was framed by blossoming acacias. Bansko is a typical ski resort. Could easily be in the Alps. This was now the 3rd time that I have stayed at a ski resort. Before my tour, I would never have thought of looking for ski resorts in the Balkans.
My goal was to stay at 1'800 m, the Banderitsa Camping. Simple camping at a mountain hut <good hearty food> and starting point for my first alpine hike next to Mt Vihren. Mt Vihren is 2'914 m high and definitely a size too big for me <in the best case I would have had to do 1200 m altitude for about 5-6 km>
Oh yes, at 1,800 m it is fresh at 6:00 p.m. and my fingers got clammy by 8:00 p.m. at the latest. That was also the point where the mountain hut closed and the last cars disappeared
You can find the Pirin National Park Hike
Two things drove me out of Pirin National Park. It was supposed to rain <also the next 5 days> and I had to do laundry. After some back and forth I had chosen a small campsite at Vetren dol. But it was closed and so I drove to Plovdiv to the only campsite with a washing machine, Glamping Alliance. An e-camp, without staff, with online registration, QR code to get in and even the washing machine was activated with QR. Super clean, super new, but without any atmosphere. But I had the chance to talk to nice campers over a drink in the evening.
Plovdiv the next day was great. A great city. A mix of Old Town, New Town and archaeological sites in the pedestrian zone. And all this in a city with over 350,000 inhabitants.
The oldest Bulgarian orthodox church is a stone's throw away from a mosque. Hip pubs and restaurants in the Kapana district and McDoof on the pedestrian zone. An insane mix and then there are parks and hills in Plovdiv. The city was lively but nowhere near as hectic as in Macedonia.
Night life alone is not really fun, but Plovdiv is known for it. You can get in on the bus for 1 BGN late into the night and don't have to worry about where to park or how much to drink. Plovdiv is worth visiting for 2 or even 3 days.
But I wanted to go hiking in the Rila National Park. And so I drove along the 375 to Peshtera. From Plovdiv to Peshtera you are in a lowland. Strawberries, cherries, cereals and vegetables are grown here. And again in between fields red blooming poppies. The closer you get to Peshtera, the more you can smells the roses. And fields of roses replace fields of grain.
I followed the Stara river on the 37 into the mountains to Batak. The Strava is embedded in a valley that is densely overgrown with trees and there are a few fish farms including restaurants
Batak itself isn't worth stopping, so instead I drove to Batak Reservoir. Just a dream to stand there, have lunch and throw your whole plan upside down. Even thunder and black clouds couldn't drive me away. Look at the pictures and you will understand.
And the best thing is, apart from an eco-campsite, there is no indication of this great location.
But I wanted to go to the mountains and so I drove via Velingrad and Yundola to the foot of Belmeken. But the bad weather got there before me. So I continued to Rila <Rilski> Monastery. It was founded in the 10th century and is the most important monastery in Bulgaria, as usual you can find more about it on Wikipedia
