Travel Mania

By Debbie Lockhart

At the end of the road, starts various hiking trails into the Rila Mountains; from the forestry building. One of them, a four-hour hike, leads to Belmeken; the sports complex.

To cool down, there is a fountain with two cold taps. It also has two warm taps that flow natural mineral water.

Along from here is the feature that makes the locals proud: the Kostenets waterfall. The sound of it flowing into the river is so peaceful and relaxing; the perfect place for a picnic.

Follow the river down a long and twisting road and you will be pleasantly surprised when you find the Lake restaurant, 'Ezeroto'. They serve great traditional Bulgarian cuisine such as the Shopska Salad.

After parking you immediately see a large, wood carved majestic bear towering above you. It is one of the many wooden sculptures hiding in the natural environment.

It is incredibly beautiful here and the wooden walkways allow you to explore and walk all the way around, to see the ducks swimming up and down on the lake.