Attractions Near Borovets

If you are looking for ideas for an active holiday in nature, the Rila Mountains offer impressive opportunities. Here you will discover some of the most beautiful places in Bulgaria. The attractions near Borovets are suitable for casual walkers and experienced hikers alike. Many routes are easily accessible from Yastrebets hotel Wellness & SPA.

Below you will find selected suggestions for mountain hikes, cultural landmarks, and natural phenomena. Each route includes an approximate difficulty level and duration to help you choose the best experience for your stay.

THE SEVEN RILA LAKES TOUR

The Seven Rila Lakes are one of the most beautiful see sights in the country. They are of glacial origin, located stepwise between 2095 and 2535 meters above sea level where the air is crystal clear.

Spiritual teachers believe that our planet has seven energy centers, as the seven chakras of the human body. One of these energy centers is the Seven Rila Lakes. In such a place you can get answers to long-standing questions and feel the concentrated energy at a more spiritual level. This is why in the XX century the place is chosen for spiritual practices of the greatest spiritual master Peter Deunov.

Difficulty level: Medium
Duration: 6-8 hours

RILA MONASTERY TOUR

Rila Мonastery St. Ivan Rilski is built on top of an old anchoress during the period of 927 – 941 by Ivan Rilski. It is regarded as one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is a key tourist attraction for both Bulgaria and Southern Europe, also one of the symbols of Bulgaria and part of UNESCO’s world heritage list.

Its exterior resembles a fortress, with a 24-meter stone wall, which forms an irregular pentagon. In 1335, in today’s gardens of the monastery, were build a defensive tower and a small one-nave church. At the top of the tower is the chapel Holy Transfiguration, all covert with valuable frescoes from the 14th century.

The monastery also has its own library of manuscripts, old printed books, and documents from the 14th to 19th century, extremely rich in literary material. In the monastery’s museum are located a historical collection of 35 000 exhibits, rich collections of icons, works of applied art, carvings, religious and ethnographic items.

The Rila Monastery is considered as a separated village, with 58 residents today.

Duration: 6-8 hours

MUSALA PEAK HIKE

Musala peak is the highest peak in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula with a height of 2925.40 meters. On top of the peak is the meteorological station of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, part of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The name of the peak comes from Arabic “Mus Allah” which is translated to “a place close to God”. Its name was given during the time of the Ottoman Empire.

Difficulty level: High

Duration: 6-8 hours

MUSALA TRAIL TO MUSALA HUT HIKE

The hike starts from the last lift station of the cabin lift. It’s an hour hike to the hut.
If the group decides, it is possible to have lunch at the hut and relax in front of the scenic lake next to the hut and underneath the peak. The lake is the lowest of the Seven Musala lakes with an altitude of 2389 m.

Difficulty level: Low
Duration: 2-3 hours

MALYOVITSA HUT AND THE SCARY LAKE HIKE

The hike includes a stop at the Malyovitsa Hut (1960 m), where you can have mountain herbs tea and lunch. After that, you can continue to The Scary Lake (2465 m).
Legend has it that years ago, while an artist had been painting the lake, a storm came out. Big waves came out of the deep lake. Flashes of lightning were falling and tearing the black sky. The artist ran down shouting “Up there is scary! It’s scary!”

Difficulty level: Medium
Duration: 2 hours

MALYOVITSA PEAK HIKE

Malyovitsa peak is on the Northwestern side of Rila, with a height of 2729 meters. The almost inaccessible Northern and Eastern slopes of Malyovitsa peak, are one of the most visited rock walls by climbers in Bulgaria. The slopes are also great for freestyle skiing and snowboarding with different levels of difficulty.

Difficulty level: High
Duration: 2 hours

BELI ISKAR ECO ROUTE TOUR

Beli Iskar Park is a unique area covered with ancient coniferous forests, located 6 km away from Yastrebets Hotel Wellness SPA. The eco paths provide full access to the park’s wealth and beauty. Passing through it, you may observe many rare plants and animals, natural landmarks and beautiful landscapes.

Beli Iskar eco route goes along the Beli Iskar River, passing over it through many wooden bridges. During the walking, you can enjoy the breathtaking sights, and all the shades of green and see the various relief of Rila Mountain.
The path is circular, allowing you to go back and see the different sides of the mountain. In the highest spot (1528 m) is build panorama terrace.

Beli Iskar eco route is the perfect place to spend the day out with many sunny meadows, special places for barbeque and picnic spots near to the Beli Iskar River.

Difficulty level: Low
Duration: Optional

TSARSKA BISTRITSA

Tsarska Bistritsa (“Tsar’s Bistritsa”) is a former royal palace of the rulers of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom. Built between 1898 and 1914, it was the hunting lodge of Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria and his son Boris III. The architecture is traditional Bulgarian revival style, but it also shows European architectural influences.

Gradually, it has grown into a whole complex of palaces, buildings and a beautiful park through which the Bistritsa Mussalenska River passes. The small bridge, gardens, and alleys around the river predispose to romantic and relaxing walk in a past era. A real landmark is an electricity-supplying generator that dates back to 1912 and still functions in its original form.
Walking in Tsarska Bistrita is an unforgettable experience in the spirit of post-liberation Bulgaria.

Duration: 2 hours

OLD TOWN OF PLOVDIV TOUR

The architectural and historical reservation Ancient Plovdiv, also known as the Old Town, originated in the 4th century BC, on three hills. The old city combines the spirit and architecture of the Antiquity, The Middle Ages and the Bulgarian revival period, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bulgaria.

Archaeological research has revealed the remains of the once brilliant public buildings: a beautiful amphitheater built during the 90s of the I century, during the Roman Emperor Domitian; impressive fortress walls, pagan temples, aqueducts, aristocratic homes.

In the Old Town, you can see Renaissance houses, among which the most popular are Balabanov’s House, Danova House, Kuyumdzhieva House, Lamartine’s House, The Yellow School, which was the first Bulgarian high school, founded in Plovdiv in 1868.

Nowadays, the city hosts many international music festivals, international painting events, photography meetings, national exhibitions, museum nights and galleries, and many other cultural events.

Duration: 6-8 hours

KOPRIVSHTITSA TOWN TOUR

A walk to one of the Old Bulgarian revival towns, which preserved its traditional architecture and spirit, which may be seen even today. In 1952 Koprivshtitsa was declared as a town-museum. In 1971 it was granted the status of a national architectural and historical site of international importance and a settlement for international tourism.

In Koprivshtitsa you can see the revival architecture of some of the most preserved and beautifully decorated houses from that era, some of each are museum houses of the writer Lyuben Karavelov, the poet Dimcho Debelyanov, the revolutionaries Todor Kableshkov and Georgi Benkovski, the trader Petko Lyutov and the Oslekova house museum.

You can see architectural and historical landmarks such as the church of Assumption of the Virgin Mary from 1817, the city hall Hadji Nencho Palaveev, the church St. Nikolay from 1839, the craftsmanship bazaar, the ossuary with the remains of the ones who died in the April Uprising, and others.

Duration: 6-8 hours

BLACK ROCK HIKE

The hike is relatively easy, appropriate for inexperienced mountaineers and families with children. Starts from Borovets, passing through a pine forest in about 90 minutes we get to the Black Rock which is found above Maritsa River, close to its spring. From the Black Rock, you can see breathtaking views of the lowlands of Rila Mountain and the valley of the Maritsa River. The rock is secured with metal railings.

Difficulty level: Low
Duration: 4 hours

CHAKAR VOIVODA HUT HIKE

The start off is from the Sitnyakovo Express chairlift up on the mountain path and we get to the Chakar Voivoda Hut in an hour.
We can arrange a longer hike that starts from Borovets, which takes three hours walking.

Difficulty level: Low
Duration: 2 hours

STOBSKI PYRAMIDS TOUR

The Stob Rock Pyramids are a natural phenomenon located above the village of Stob. The formations reach heights of 7–12 meters and often resemble mushrooms.

Duration: 2–4 hours

TSARI MALI GRAD FORTRESS IN BELCHIN BANYA

The fortress Tsari Mali Grad exhibits the remains of a Thracian sanctuary, an ancient Roman fortress, and a medieval church, which shows how our lands looked like centuries ago. The earliest traces of the humankind on the St. Spas hill trace back to VIII-VI century B.C. Many pits were found there, which shows that the area was used by the Thracian population as a sanctuary.
Next to the fortress walls, there is an adventure park made by ropes and wood for kids between the ages of 3-12.
The fortress is located in the Village of Belchin, only 15 km away from Samokov.

Duration: 2 hours

Explore our tourist packages in the “Offers” section or inquire at reception for more information.