Bulgaria's Balkan range gave the whole peninsula its name, and the central stretch is where it looks most like a proper mountain wall. The Severen Dzhendem reserve lies in the Central Balkan National Park, the high ridge that runs east to west above the Rose Valley. To the south the land drops towards Kalofer and Karlovo, and to the north it falls away into the foothills and the towns around Apriltsi and Troyan. The tallest peak in the range, Botev, rises to a little over 2,300 metres not far from here, and the high ground is grassy ridge, cliff and old beech and fir forest.
A strict nature reserve is a place to look at from outside, and the reserve itself is closed to casual visitors. What you can enjoy are the roads around it. Karlovo, with about 20,000 people some 17 km away, is the larger town for fuel, food and a bed. Kalofer, the small town on the Tundzha river, is the birthplace of Hristo Botev, the poet and revolutionary who died fighting the Ottomans in 1876 and whose name the peak now carries. The town has a quiet museum dedicated to him, and the old stone houses on its streets are worth a short stroll.
The riding in this part of Bulgaria is rewarding. Roads climb out of the valleys in long, rhythmic bends, sometimes with patched asphalt and the odd pothole, then cross passes in the range at around 1,500 metres or so. Snow can linger late into spring, and fog pours over the crest in the afternoon, so ride early in the day if you want clear views. Summer is lovely, with the hay meadows in flower and shepherd dogs patrolling the hillsides, so slow down for flocks on the road.
Wildlife in the reserve is the sort that thrives where people stay out: brown bear, wolf, chamois and eagles over the ridges. You are very unlikely to see any of them, but you may well see a lot of butterflies in summer. This is also the edge of the Valley of the Roses, and if you come in late May or early June the rose-picking harvest is on and the air near Kazanlak smells of attar. Try the local banitsa, a flaky cheese pastry, with a glass of yoghurt drink called ayran, and you will be properly fed.