Walks and day trips from Sofia

Boyana Waterfall starts from the Boyana district and makes a good first hike. The Golden Bridges are known for their stone river, a flow of huge rounded boulders you can walk on. Kopitoto rises above Knyazhevo and has one of the best views of the city. If you are fit, Cherni Vrah (2,290 m) is the classic, most often from Aleko.

Trails are marked, but download an offline map. Buses to the higher points run less often, so check the timetable on sofiatraffic.bg in advance.

Pancharevo Lake is about half an hour from the centre and has a path along the shore, good for walking or cycling without climbing. Above the German Monastery on Lozen Mountain there are quiet trails that are nearly empty on weekdays.

The train north from Sofia runs through the Iskar Gorge, past cliffs, tunnels and small stations. You can get off at Lakatnik for the Lakatnik Rocks or near Cherepish Monastery and return on a later train. The train is slow, but the view is part of the trip. Timetables are on the BDZ website.

The Seven Rila Lakes are about two hours by car to Panichishte. From there a chairlift goes up to the Rila Lakes hut when it is running; it operates seasonally, so check first. The loop around the lakes takes a few hours on foot and is worth every minute.

Rila Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage site, also about two hours away, and combines well with a short walk nearby.

Plovdiv is about two hours by train or bus; the Old Town, the Kapana district and the Roman theatre easily fill a day. Koprivshtitsa is a preserved nineteenth-century town with house museums. The railway station is several kilometres from the town itself, so check how you will get there from it.

Check the mountain forecast, not the city one. Take water, food and a jacket even in summer. Tell someone where you are going. The Mountain Rescue Service is on 1470, and 112 works everywhere.

If you want to go but not alone, see whether someone on Haide is already gathering a group for Vitosha or Rila, or start one yourself.