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Aya Radwan
Aya Radwan
What connects Tsarska Bistritsa and the Mount Musala Peak?
Have you ever considered spending your vacation at a mountain resort enjoying all sorts of activities? In addition to exploring the surrounding flora and fauna and marvelling at the beauty of nature and nearby landmarks.
Only afterwards should you book a hiking trip to a nearby mountain peak that will steal your breath away and show you a different perspective of things as you contemplate at the top.
Tsarska Bistritsa is one of many historical buildings above the Borovets Mountain resort. It is only 7 kilometres from the highest mountain peak of the Rila mountain, the Musala Peak. All the previous are located in the Rila region.
You can book a few days at a Borovets resort hotel and dedicate one of them to a hiking trip to enjoy the nature of Rila National Park as you climb to the top of Mount Musala.
In this article, we will learn more about Tsarska Bistritsa as one of the places you have to add as you plan your trip, the history of the building and what you can expect to see there.
Then, we will book a hiking trip to Mount Musala Peak, the Rila Mountain Range’s highest peak. Here, you can enjoy wafts of the freshest air to renew your soul and clear your mind!
Borovets Resort
Borovets town and ski resort are located on the northern slopes of the Rila Mountains in Bulgaria, about 70 kilometres away from Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. This popular resort dates back to 1896, making it the oldest Bulgarian winter resort in the Balkans. It was known as Chamkoria, a Turkish word meaning pine forest, until the middle of the 20th century.
In 1896, Kniaz Ferdinand built his summer residence and a hunting lodge in the area now known as Tsarska Bistritsa. Bulgarian aristocrats and elite followed the monarch’s lead and built their summer cottages and chalets in Borovets. The area was once known as the hunting place for Bulgarian kings.
In 1942, the resort’s name changed from Chamkoria to Borovets, which is a literal translation of the Turkish word. During the 1960s and 1970s, the resort was greatly developed, with the addition of new ski drags and lifts, wider ski slopes, and the building of alpine-style hotels. All these changes made Borovets the largest winter sports centre in the Balkans.
Borovets has cemented its place as a destination for winter sports in Bulgaria. The resort’s development has provided a whole range of winter sports on the Rila mountain slopes. The World Cup Alpine Skiing rounds were held in 1981 and 1984.
The resort also hosted 12 European cups and several FIS Alpine ski races. The latest European Cup race, the women’s giant slalom, was held in Borovets in 2016.
Borovets is now a modern four-season resort with an excellent network of ski slopes and lifts. The resort engulfs a variety of alpine hotels with restaurants and entertainment outlets. It offers a variety of summer and winter activities.
Ski and Snowboarding School, Ski-Doo, and Ski Touring are some of the winter activities offered. Hiking and Mountaineering Tours and Outdoor Adventures are some of the summer activities available.
How do you get to Borovets, and where do you stay?
Getting to Borovets
Borovets isn’t very far from major Bulgarian cities. It is only 90 kilometres from Sofia, 110 kilometres from Plovdiv, and 10 kilometres from Samokov.
1. Bus from Sofia:
The bus leaves from the Sofia Alexander Nevski Cathedral bus stop six times a week. The hour and a half bus ride to Borovets Bus Stop will cost 23 Euros. Alternatively, if you take the route through Samokov and change buses there, the entire trip will cost about 5 Euros for the longer trip of 3 hours.
2. Bus from Plovdiv:
Since Plovdiv is farther, bus services run only once a day from Plovdiv to Borovets. The two-hour ten-minute ride is about 10 Euros. A slightly longer route if you choose to go through Samokov, the trip cost won’t differ much, just the trip will be over 5 hours long.
3. Bus from Samokov:
A bus leaves Samokov for Borovets every hour. The city is just 35 minutes away from the resort. The bus ticket costs 2 Euros.
Staying at Borovets
The Borovets resort is full of cosy alpine hotels with various services offered by each one. You can check the resort’s official website to determine which hotel suits your budget and needs better. Here are some of these hotels for you to check out.
1. Moura Boutique Hotel by Asteri Hotels:
This cosy hotel is in Borovets, right by the cabin lift. It offers various excellent services and even has its outdoor swimming pool, but it’s closed during winter. A double or twin bedroom is 56 Euros a night.
2. Breza Hotel:
It is located between two children’s ski slopes and is just a two-minute walk from the Gondola Lift. With a featured kids’ room, it is suitable for families travelling with kids. Services such as sauna and hammam are also available. For a room with two single beds and a night’s stay, you’ll only pay 51 Euros.
3. Borovets Apartments, Iglika 2:
Featuring beautiful garden views to compliment the homey feel of the room, you can book a one-bedroom apartment in this complex for 53 Euros a night. Another bonus is free private parking is available.
Now that you’ve arrived in Borovets, we’ll explore the nearby landmarks during your stay before you set off on your hiking day to the Musala Mount Peak.
Tsarska Bistritsa
History of Tsarska Bistritsa
There are many historical buildings in Borovets, which you can explore during your stay in one of the resort’s hotels. The most notable of these is Tsarska Bistritsa, a former royal house in southwestern Bulgaria. It is located above the resort, on the Rila mountains, and near the banks of the Bistritsa river.
The palace, built between 1898 and 1914, was the hunting lodge of the rulers of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom: Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria and his son Boris III. The palace’s architectural design is unique. Along with the spirit of Romanticism, it displays elements of authentic Bulgarian National Revival and other European architectural styles.
When the palace was built, a complex of royal buildings and a beautiful park ran through the Bistritsa Musalenska River.
Beauty of Tsarska Bistritsa
The first wing of the palace is known as the Old Palace, where a cabin from the transatlantic ship New America, on board which Ferdinand travelled to Brazil, exists. How the cabin came to be housed in the palace is unknown. Some say it was a gift from captain Jan-Louise Morris; others say Ferdinand won it in a poker game.
One of the most beautiful decorations in the palace is the flower decorations on the stoves, which were made and delivered from Austria. There are over 50 flower shapes, but no two of them have the same shape or colour. The prettiest of the flowers were installed in the rooms of princesses Eudoxia and Nadezhda.
These beautiful chambers have been preserved with old silk and cotton wallpapers that are stretched over the walls rather than glued to them.
Another unique feature of the palace is the carved wooden ceiling of the living room; the beautiful carvings were made by carpenters from Samokov, Tryavna, and Koprivshtitsa. The fireplace is decorated with marble tiles that were originally the decoration of the famous Samokov fountain and were a gift from the mayor of Samokov. A menorah, a gift from the Bulgarian Jewish community, stands in one of the niches in the piano.
The Tsarska Bistritsa hunting lodge is home to a large collection of hunting trophies, gathered over the course of half a century. Many of the animals were hunted by Boris III, but some were gifts from Prince Kyril and Princess Nadezhda. The authentic atmosphere of the hunting lodge was projected during the filming of the movie “King and General.”
The palace has its own power supply; a small hydroelectric plant, “Siemens,” was installed in 1912 and is still in operation today. Other features of the area include a stable, a chapel, a garage, a sentry box, and fountains.
The palace was nationalized in 1945 after the change of regime in Bulgaria. It was restituted after the democratic changes in 1989.
Mount Musala Peak
About Mount Musala Peak
Musala is the highest peak in the Rila mountain range. From the top, you can see all the other major mountain ranges. At 2,925 meters, it is also the highest peak in the entire Balkans. Musala is part of the Rila National Park, which is rich in flora and fauna.
Best time to visit Mount Musala Peak – Mount Musala Peak Webcam
Musala is the coldest place in Bulgaria and the Balkans, with an average annual temperature of -2 degrees Celsius. Temperatures usually stay below 0 degrees Celsius for about 8 months every year, and snow lasts in the area for over 8 months every year.
The best time to visit Musala is from mid-June to mid-September. You can also check the Mount Musala Peak webcam to see a live feed from around the area, which will give you a sense of what to expect.
About The Hike
Even though a visit to Tsarska Bistritsa doesn’t require an entire day, starting your journey to and through Mount Musala early in the day is always best. The hike is divided into several parts. You’ll start at Borovets and then take a gondola lift to Yastrebets Peak. From there, you’ll take another journey to Musala Hut, then to Icy Lake Hut, and from there, you’ll hike to the peak.
Even though guided tours are available to book to hike to Mount Musala Peak, the trail is clear enough to hike on your own. Guided tours somehow make you more at ease.
Hiking the Mount Musala Peak
The hike is divided into four parts: taking a gondola lift to Yastrebets Peak, Yastrebets Peak to Musala Hut, Musala Hut to Icy Lake Hut, and then from the Icy Lake Hut to Musala Peak.
1. Gondola lift to Yastrebets Peak:
The gondola lift operates from 8:30 am to 6 pm and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Taking a gondola lift will enable you to hike to Musala Peak in just one day, saving time. A two-way ticket costs around 10 Euros and will take you to the Yastrebets Peak in 30 minutes. The Yastrebets Peak stands at an altitude of 2,369.
If the gondola lift is closed for maintenance, which usually happens from late September to the winter season in December, you can either schedule the hike for another visit or hike from Borovets to Yastrebets Peak. This hike, which starts from Tsarska Bistritsa, will take 2 to 3 hours.
2. Yastrebets Peak to Musala Hut:
This is where the real hiking begins, provided you take a gondola lift from Borovets to Yastrebets Peak. The almost 4-kilometre route can be hiked in about an hour to reach an altitude of 2,389 meters. The route is also well-marked with set-up signs, so there’s no need to worry if you’ve opted out of booking a guided hike.
Basic accommodation is available at the Musala Hut, but you can also set up your tent near it and marvel at the beauty of the Musalenski Lakes.
3. Musala Hut to Icy Lake Hut:
You will resume your journey through this almost 3-kilometre rocky and steep part of the journey. The Icy Lake hut stands at an elevation of 2,709 meters, and the hike there will take about an hour and a half to two hours. The hut is located on the shore of the Icy Lake and is covered with snow for most of the year.
You can set your tent up to rest or enjoy basic food and accommodation at the hut.
4. From Icy Lake Hut to Musala Peak:
This is what you came for! You have two trails that you can choose from: the winter trail or the summer one. The winter trail is steep, narrow, and secured with metal ropes you’d want to use for security. The summer trail was also steep, but it was much more accessible.
You will reach an altitude of 2,925 meters in no more than 40 minutes. I promise you the views from the top are breathtaking. You can see all the mountain ranges of Bulgaria, including Vitosha, Sredna Gora, Rhodope Mountains, and Pirin. There’s a hut at the peak, which only offers a good cup of tea to enjoy with the views.
Mount Musala Peak Tips
As with any hike, there are essentials you should consider. Even though some of the huts along the hike offer accommodation and food, you would need to bring something to eat with you along the way. Beverages are also a must.
1. Your Essentials:
Remember to bring sun protection lotion, sunglasses, a hat, and warm clothes, as the weather can be chilly as you go higher. You must also remember to bring your camera. Even though seemingly difficult, you can share the hike with your loved ones using your webcam.
2. Good hiking boots:
Parts of the hiking trail are steep and rocky, so hiking boots with good ankle support are a must. You can also bring sports sneakers if they’re comfortable for long periods.
3. Fitness:
While it isn’t a must, being in good health will definitely make the hike more enjoyable. The entire hiking time can be 6 hours, so you need to be able to handle it. The hike is not recommended for travellers with back issues, pregnant travellers, travellers with heart problems, or any other serious illness.
4. Proper Clothing:
Musala Peak is the coldest place in Bulgaria, so even during seemingly warm summer days, you will get a chill from the cold air during the hike. Be sure to bring a warm jacket, not necessarily waterproof, as most of the precipitation at the peak is snow due to the low temperatures. You can always check the Mount Musala Peak report for updated weather information.
5. Money:
If the gondola lift fee isn’t included in the cost of the tour you booked, you will need money to begin the hike. You will also need money if you decide to stay at one of the huts along the way or enjoy a bowl of hot soup.
After a day on that mountain top, the highest in the whole area, I promise you won’t feel the same again. Somehow, being up there makes the burdens of life seem so trivial as you look down on them from the peak. You’ve gotten this far, way up. Don’t you think you’ve got it all under control?
Come over; Musala awaits!
