Why this ride
312 km from Kaspichan to Kaspichan, about 5 h of riding. It goes by way of Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari, Srebarna Nature Reserve and back through Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Madara Rider and Srebarna Nature Reserve
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 312 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 6 h 19
- 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: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Madara Rider
Above the village of Madara, on a vertical cliff about a hundred metres up, a horseman is carved into the rock, thrusting a spear at a lion that lies under his horse, while a dog runs behind. The Madara Rider is the only relief of its kind in Europe, made in the early eighth century by the first Bulgarian state, probably to celebrate a victory by Khan Tervel, and it is a rare relic of the pre-Christian era of the country. UNESCO listed it in 1979. Beside it are Greek inscriptions recording the deeds of Bulgarian khans, among the oldest written documents in the country.
Read the complete Madara Rider write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Madara Rider is where the day begins. Next is Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari.
2. Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari
In a quiet corner of the Ludogorie, the wooded plateau of north-eastern Bulgaria, a grassy mound hides one of the most remarkable tombs in the Balkans. Sveshtari is a Thracian tomb of the Getae, a tribe that lived on both sides of the lower Danube, and it dates from the third century BC. Over the burial chamber, the builders raised a mound, and inside they built a stone vestibule, a corridor and three chambers, decorated with carved and painted figures, the likes of which are not found anywhere else in the Thracian world. UNESCO listed it in 1985.
Read the complete Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari comes up about 86 km into the recorded legs. Next is Srebarna Nature Reserve.
3. Srebarna Nature Reserve
Srebarna is a freshwater lake beside the Danube in the far northeast of Bulgaria, a few kilometres from the Romanian border, and it is one of the most important wetlands in Europe. The lake and its reed beds are separated from the river by a dyke, and in spring the water level is topped up by the Danube floods. UNESCO listed the reserve in 1983, and it is also a Ramsar wetland and a biosphere reserve.
Read the complete Srebarna Nature Reserve write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 156 km into the recorded legs you reach Srebarna Nature Reserve. Next is back through Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari.
4. back through Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari, late in the day. Next is Madara Rider.
5. Madara Rider
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Madara Rider write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Madara Rider. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Madara Rider to Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari
Madara Rider → Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari is 86 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari to Srebarna Nature Reserve
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari → Srebarna Nature Reserve is 70 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Srebarna Nature Reserve to back through Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari
Srebarna Nature Reserve → back through Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari is 71 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari to Madara Rider
back through Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari → Madara Rider is 85 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.