Check bridge and trail condition at the park office and never enter during high water or storms.
Stays
Phoenixfund-bg · CC BY-SA 4.0Byala Reka eco-trail
Екопътека Бяла река
Wooden bridges cross a clear Balkan river through forest beneath the high slopes of the Central Balkan National Park.
Visiting advice
Photos & short video
Local food
Thracian wine · kavarma · Brestovitsa grapes · rose products
Марина1972 · CC BY-SA 3.0Gyuvech
A slow clay-pot bake in which meat, seasonal vegetables and rice exchange flavours for hours.
What's in it Pork, lamb or beef, peppers, aubergine, okra, tomato, potato or rice, depending on season.
Mpb eu / Wikimedia Commons · public domainTutmanik
A soft, pull-apart yeast bread layered or rolled with white brined cheese and butter.
What's in it Flour, yeast, milk or yogurt, eggs, butter and sirene cheese.
Wikimedia Commons contributorsRose petal jam
A fragrant preserve that captures the Damask rose harvest in translucent syrup.
What's in it Edible rose petals, sugar, water and citric acid or lemon juice.
Wikimedia Commons contributorsLukanka
A flattened, air-dried sausage with a dense texture and warm spice, sliced thin as a meze.
What's in it Pork and beef, salt, black pepper, cumin and curing cultures in a natural casing.
Jeroen Kransen / Wikimedia CommonsKavarma
Rich meat and vegetables slowly cooked with paprika and savory, often arriving sizzling in a clay pot.
What's in it Pork or chicken, onion, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and spices.
Viktorija N. Ivanov / Wikimedia CommonsShopska salad
The classic first order: tomatoes, cucumber and peppers under a generous snowy layer of white brined cheese.
What's in it Tomatoes, cucumber, roasted or fresh pepper, onion, parsley and sirene cheese.Public transport
Калофер и Централен Балкан
© OpenStreetMap contributors · Open Database License · availability depends on local mapping
Directions
Directions
Buses and trains
First reach Kalofer railway station or Karlovo by train or intercity bus. Confirm the local bus in advance; when it does not match your return time, pre-book a licensed taxi for the last kilometres.
Nearby places
Община Пловдив · CC BY-SA 4.0PlovdivPlovdiv Old Town & Kapana
Старият Пловдив и Капана
Roman monuments, painted Revival houses and creative Kapana unfold across one of Europe's oldest living cities.
Read the guide
Kritzolina · CC BY-SA 4.0BachkovoBachkovo Monastery
Бачковски манастир
A major Orthodox monastery lies in a wooded Rhodope valley with frescoes, courtyards and nearby trails.
Read the guide
Спасимир · CC BY-SA 3.0AsenovgradAsen's Fortress
Асенова крепост
A medieval church and fortress walls occupy a narrow rock spur above the Asenitsa valley.
Read the guide