Central Balkan - Steneto Reserve and Central Balkan - Boatin Reserve
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
263 km
Riding-time estimate
4 h 31
Journey
Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: planning record, not independently verified geometry.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distances and riding times are planning figures. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
From Karlovo it runs 263 km to Karlovo; allow about 4 h 31 of riding. On the way it passes Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve, Central Balkan - Boatin Reserve and back through Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 1,050 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Central Balkan - Steneto Reserve
Steneto is a deep, wild valley on the northern slopes of the Balkan range in central Bulgaria, enclosed by cliffs and covered in ancient beech forest, and it is one of the strict reserves of Central Balkan National Park, part of the Primeval Beech Forests World Heritage listing. Access is restricted, and nature is left to itself: old trees fall and rot, and the forest is home to bears, wolves, wild boar and a rich variety of birds, including several species of woodpecker and owl. The Cherni Osam river flows through the valley, and its clear waters are home to trout.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Central Balkan - Steneto Reserve is where the day begins. Next is Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve.
2. Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve
High on the main ridge of the Balkan range, the Stara Planina, that runs across Bulgaria from west to east, the Kozya Stena reserve protects a wild landscape of limestone cliffs, beech forests and alpine meadows. Its name means goat wall, after the chamois that live on its crags. The reserve is part of Central Balkan National Park, one of the largest protected areas in Europe, and since 2017 its oldest beech stands have been inscribed alongside the primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and the rest of Europe. Wolves, bears and wild boar roam the forests, golden eagles soar over the ridges, and the meadows burst with wildflowers in early summer.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve comes up about 58 km into the recorded legs. Next is Central Balkan - Boatin Reserve.
3. Central Balkan - Boatin Reserve
The Balkan range, the Stara Planina, runs across the middle of Bulgaria from the Serbian border to the Black Sea, and its central section is the wildest, highest and most heavily forested part. The Central Balkan National Park protects this area, and within it, the Boatin Reserve guards a stretch of ancient beech forest on the northern slopes, one of the components of the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe, a UNESCO site that stretches across many countries.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Central Balkan - Steneto Reserve. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Central Balkan - Steneto Reserve to Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve
Central Balkan - Steneto Reserve → Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve is 58 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve to Central Balkan - Boatin Reserve
Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve → Central Balkan - Boatin Reserve is 74 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Central Balkan - Boatin Reserve to back through Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve
Central Balkan - Boatin Reserve → back through Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve is 74 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve to Central Balkan - Steneto Reserve
back through Central Balkan - Kozya stena Reserve → Central Balkan - Steneto Reserve is 58 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.