This Sunday my friends and I cycled in Karandila - a beautiful mountain area, part of the Stara Planina.
Early in the morning we loaded the bicycles onto the cars and left Burgas to head to the city of Sliven.
The cable car lift that connects Sliven with Karandila was shut down for over a year for repairs. Last month the lift was launched and of course it was adapted for bicycles.
My friends and I headed to the beginning of the lift station. And it was a good thing we went before 8 am, because soon after that we would have had a hard time finding parking spaces. It was Sunday - the weather was nice and many people wanted to spend the day off high in the mountains.
We prepared the bikes and headed forward.
Getting on the lift was quick and the actual journey to the top took 20 minutes.
The views during the trip were magnificent.
In front was the mountain and the closer we got to it, the more beautiful the panoramic view of the city opened up.
At the top, we were waiting for everyone to gather.
To get to one of the downhill trails, we had to ride our bikes on asphalt to Kutelka Peak.
In a short time, we passed through sections with alternating temperature ranges. In places, there was even snow.
We stopped for a short rest near Kutelka Peak. Here too there were patches of snow and also lots of crocuses and other spring flowers.
The path we went down is called "White River". At first it started quite steep, but then there was a nice and beautiful forest section through which we rode.
Along the way there is a stone fountain "White River".
After descending the trail, we entered the city.
Another lift ride was ahead.
After we got on the bike, we rode our bikes towards Lake Karandila. There we met up with other friends of ours who had come by car.
Lake Karadilla was frozen.
The nature around was waking up and it was so nice to be around. So we took a break here.
There were gazebos and children's play structures built around, and there were many other people around spending the day off in nature.
After the break, it was time to head back to the cars and head home. We had a great day filled with lots of emotions and wonderful experiences.
