Стара планина (Balkan Mountains)

The Balkan Mountains (Стара планина in Bulgarian, which literally means Old Mountains) run from the Serbian border straight through the heart of Bulgaria all the way to the Black Sea. I contemplated hiking the Kom-Emine trail from beginning to end all the way across Bulgaria upon the completion of my service but decided against it after drowning my camera in the Grand Canal in Venice. I did, however, convince some friends to climb Връх Ботев (Botev Peak), the highest peak in the Balkan Mountains.

Пирин (Pirin Mountains)

Other than a couple trips to Банско (Bansko), I really hadn't seen much of the Пирин (Pirin Mountains) until this summer. And then foul weather prevented us from doing all of the hikes we wanted to do. I may return to do a few of them when I'm back in Bulgaria in a week or so. With scenery like this, it's hard to pass up that chance.

Родопи (Rhodope Mountains)

It's no mystery that the Родопи (Rhodope Mountains) are probably my favorite place in Bulgaria. The people are incredibly hospitable, the scenery is spectacular, the pace of life is slow, the food is fresh and delicious. There is little not to like. So when friends came to visit a few months ago, I was more than happy to show them a few of the places in the Rhodope Mountains I've grown to love: Горно Дряново (Gorno Dryanovo), Ковачевица (Kovachevitsa), Ягодина (Yagodina), Гьоврен (Gyovren), and Широка лъка (Shiroka Laka).