Start early, use a current hiking map and avoid avalanche or storm conditions.
Stays 
Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Places · Panichishte
Skakavitsa waterfall
Скакавишки водопад
Rila's high waterfall drops beneath alpine meadows on a rewarding hut-and-trail route.
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Visiting advice
Photos & short video
Bulgarian food
Local food →Local food
Kyustendil cherries · fruit rakia · zelnik · mountain trout
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Matti Blume / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Fruit spirit · aperitif
Rakia
Bulgaria's strong fruit spirit appears in grape, plum, apricot, quince and other regional forms.
What's in it Fermented fruit distilled into a clear or barrel-aged spirit; strength can be high.
Viktorija N. Ivanov / Wikimedia CommonsSalad · vegetarian
Shopska 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.
Biso / Wikimedia CommonsBreakfast · pastry
Banitsa
Crisp filo layers wrapped around eggs, yogurt and white cheese—a warm Bulgarian breakfast staple.
What's in it Filo pastry, eggs, yogurt, sirene cheese and butter or oil.
Sumit Surai / Wikimedia CommonsCold soup · vegetarian
Tarator
A cooling yogurt and cucumber soup served cold—simple, fresh and especially popular in summer.
What's in it Yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, walnuts, water and a little oil.
Jeroen Kransen / Wikimedia CommonsSlow-cooked main
Kavarma
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.
Biso / Wikimedia CommonsGrill · street favorite
Kebapche
Seasoned minced meat shaped into long rolls and grilled over high heat for a smoky crust.
What's in it Minced pork or mixed meat, cumin, black pepper and salt.NEARBY
Public transport
Паничище
© OpenStreetMap contributors · Open Database License · availability depends on local mapping
Map
Directions
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Directions
Buses and trains
Reach Sapareva Banya by bus from Dupnitsa, then take a taxi to the trailhead.
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Nearby places
Vassia Atanassova - Spiritia · CC BY-SA 3.0KyustendilKyustendil baths & Hisarlaka
Кюстендилските бани и Хисарлъка
Roman baths, an Ottoman bath, art galleries and a forested hill reveal an old thermal city.
Read the guide
Bollweevil · CC0ZemenZemen Monastery
Земенски манастир
A compact medieval church with rare frescoes stands in a green gorge beside the Struma.
Read the guide
Deyan Vasilev ( Dido3 ) · CC BY-SA 3.0OsogovoOsogovo & Ruen peak
Осогово и връх Руен
Rounded high ridges and beech forest rise above Kyustendil toward the North Macedonian border.
Read the guide