Crossing the Rila Mountains

Join us on a multi-day trek – ranging from easy to challenging – that will take you on a beautiful journey through the Bulgarian Rila Mountains. In our case, this isn’t a classic ridge walk from point A to point B, as Rila is vast and technically demanding, but we have a series of hikes that build on one another. We’ll leave it up to you to choose which part you’d like to do. Beskydy has been delighted to put this challenge together for you.

Do you know Rila?

The Rila Mountains are located in the south-western part of Bulgaria and are the highest mountain range not only in this country but in the entire Balkan Peninsula. They are characterised by rugged high-mountain terrain, deep valleys and distinctive glacial landforms. The highest peak in Rila is Musala, which reaches an altitude of 2,925 m and is also the highest point in the Balkans. The summit of Musala is a popular destination for hikers and offers sweeping views of the surrounding mountains. Rila is also known for its large number of mountain lakes, of which there are more than two hundred. The best-known group is the Seven Rila Lakes, situated in glacial cirques at various altitudes. The lakes are a major natural attraction and are among the most visited places in Bulgaria. A large part of the mountain range is protected within the Rila National Park. The area has a rich variety of flora and fauna and is an important source of water for many Bulgarian rivers. Rila thus represents a significant natural, tourist and cultural area of Bulgaria.

We undertook the
crossing in 2025 and spread it over 8 days as follows (this was our second time; on the first occasion, we spread it over 10 days and it was more of a leisurely trip):
17 July – Rila Lakes – Charamijata – Otovica – Kabul – Rila Lakes. 15.5 km, ↑1000 m ↓ 1000 m, 6.5 hours (light pack)
18 July – Rila Lakes – Ezeren Peak – Ivan Vazov – 7.7 km, ↑500 m ↓ 300 m, 3 hours (difficult hike)
19 July – Ivan Vazov – Damga – Dodov Peak – Malyovica – Malyovica. 13.3 km, ↑700 m ↓ 1,000 m, 6 hours (difficult hike)
20 July – Malyovica – Orlovec – Lovnica – Goljam Kupien – Popova Kapa – Malyovica. 10.3 km, ↑1,000 m ↓ 1,000 m, 6 hrs (easy hike)
21 July – Malyovica – Kobylino Braniště – Ribni Lakes. 18.3 km, ↑1,200 m ↓ 1,000 m, 8 hrs (difficult hike)
22 July – Ribni Lakes – Vapa – Kováč – Grančar. 16.5 km, ↑771 m ↓ 825 m, 5.25 hrs (difficult hike)
23 July – Grančar – Ovčarec – Musala – Jastrabec – 17 km, ↑1,100 m ↓ 900 m, 5.25 hours (difficult hike and cable car down to Borovec)
24 July – Jastrabec – Aleko – Musala – Malá Musala – Ireček – Jastrabec. 17.8 km, ↑999 m ↓ 1,003 m, 6 hours 45 mins (easy hike, cable car up and down)

I’ve written a detailed description of our trip in a blog post, which is definitely worth reading if you’re planning to go there: https://cs.hory.app/p/5681-beskydy/story/trojkoruna-rily

Transport
I recommend flying to Bulgaria, as flight prices from either Prague or Vienna work out at a reasonable approx. 5,500 CZK, including 23 kg of checked luggage with Austrian Airlines. If you want to get to the mountains as quickly as possible, I recommend booking a taxi via booking.com from the airport to the start of the trek in Panichishte (Паничище), a short distance from the lower station of the Pionerska cable car, which will take you up to an altitude of almost 2,100 metres, from where it is just a short walk to the Rilská jezera mountain hut. The second option is to use the local bus service, which will take you to the town of Samokov and from there by taxi again to the start of the trek in Panichishte (Паничище).
From the end of the trek, the town of Borovets, there are again two transport options to Sofia – a taxi or a bus with a change in Samokov. The cable car to Rilskata Ezera costs around €10, and the cable car to Yastrebets around €20.

Accommodation along the route
In the Rila Mountains, there are over 30 mountain huts, known as ‘chiža’, offering a relatively wide range of accommodation options. However, you must bear in mind that the standard of the huts is somewhat lower than what you might be used to in the Alps or the Czech Republic. Two huts stand out from this standard: the Rilski Ezera hut and the Malyovitza hut, where accommodation is of a higher standard. I recommend bringing a small, lightweight sleeping bag, which will certainly come in handy at the huts.

Where can you stay overnight along the route?
Rilski Ezera
Hut Ivan Vazov
Hut Malyovitsa
Hut Ribni Ezera
Hut Granchar
Hut Hotels in the mountain town of Borovets
You cannot book huts far in advance; I recommend booking no more than 14 days ahead and communicating mainly via Facebook Messenger. You can usually communicate in English, but in some places only Bulgarian is spoken, so an online translator will come in handy. The average price for accommodation is around 25 EUR per night, even in a hotel in the town of Borovets.

Where can you get something to eat along the route?
You can order food at all the huts. Nowhere else apart from the huts is it possible to get something to eat or buy anything. Meals at the huts, i.e. breakfast and dinner, cost around 20 EUR.

Accommodation before/after the trek
I recommend accommodation in Sofia right in the centre, ideally near Serdika metro station, from where you can walk to all the capital’s major sights. The price for a hotel with breakfast is around 1,000 CZK.