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| Picnics in the ecozone near Veliko Tarnovo |
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In 2006, the EU and the Bulgarian government co-funded the development of the Middle Yantra Ecozone, comprising three "geocomplexes", three "ecotrails" and one roadside park, beside the Sofia-Varna road. They all provide perfect picnic sites near Veliko Turnovo. A helpful leaflet containing a sketch map and details of each site is available from tourist information centres.
The "Geocomplexes" are within easy reach of Veliko Turnovo. Propastite is only 400 metres from the village of Musina and just off the Pavlikeni–Veliko Turnovo road. Sarapovo is near the village of Vishovgrad, only a few metres from the Pavlikeni-Balvan-Veliko Turnovo road. Garbava Cheshma is beside the Karadere river and can be reached via road which connects Cheshma and Stara Rechka.
The "Ecotrails" are also easily accessible from Veliko Turnovo. The Stara Reka trail is 11 kilometres long, between the villages of Stevrek and Bogomolsko. The Hotnitza ecotrail is just outside the village of the same name and is approximately one-and-a-half kilometres in length. The Negovanska trail is on the outskirts of Emen village and is just under two kilometres long. This was the venue of our first picnic, which we visited in February this year. Given the severity of the winter, this may not have been the ideal time to see the trail, although it was a fine, clear day with bright sunshine illuminating the lingering snow.
The Negovanska trail runs through the Emen Gorge (or Canyon) so many people will probably know it by that name. To get there, take the Sofia road out of Veliko Turnovo and travel for about 15 kilometres until you see some large grain silos on your right. Immediately after these silos, take the turning which is signposted Balvan. Continue along this road for a further five kilometres until you reach the centre of Balvan. Turn right at the church. Follow this road downhill, through the outskirts of Balvan until you reach the village of Emen. Once there, you’ll see two large signposts for the Imenieto and Negovanka holiday complexes and a small sign pointing right, towards the eco way. Follow this road up the hill for a kilometre when you’ll find that the road has collapsed, making it difficult to continue. We parked and picnicked here and then walked up the rest of the hill but noticed that some cars did manage to drive up, despite the large potholes.
There are two levels at which the ecotrail can be followed: river or gorge level. By following the sign for the cave you drop down to river level. If you continue further up the hill then you can enter at gorge level. There used to be a sign for this but when we were there all that remains is the kind of outline you might remember from the game of hangman.
The route we took was to follow the sign to the cave and then climb up to the path running along the gorge. However, this is quite difficult terrain and you’ll need to be reasonably fit. By following the "hangman" sign at gorge level you can avoid some climbing but, even here, the path is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties. The trail is less than two kilometres long but is rocky and difficult underfoot at times, although it’s much easier when the conditions are dry. You’ll definitely need good walking boots if you go, especially in wet weather.
Source: sofiaecho.com
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| Saturday, May 22, 2010 |
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| » RENTALS |
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| Commercial |
€ 255 |
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| Location: |
Veliko Tarnovo |
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