Belitsa Voyage Tips and guide

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Belitsa is small town in South-Western Bulgaria, on the slopes of the Rila mountains, not far from Bansko and Razlog. A bear sanctuary was established there in 2000 for "dancing bears" from Bulgaria and other Balkan countries after the practice was outlawed.

Road 8406 branches off the main Road 84 from Pazardzhik to Razlog and Bansko near the village of Gradishte ('Градище') and rejoins it by the village of Banya ('Баня'). By road, Belitsa is about 21 km (13 mi) from Razlog and Bansko, and 60 km (37 mi) from Velingrad further north Road 84.

Belitsa is one of the stops on the Rhodopes narrow gauge railway. About 35-40 min from Bansko, 30 min from Razlog, 130 min from Velingrad, almost 4 hr from the start of the line at Septemvri. The main disadvantage is that the station is about 4 km (2.5 mi) from the village centre.

• Dancing Bears Park Belitsa, Address: Andrianov Chark Area, Belitsa 2780, Bulgaria, ☏ + 359 88 244 1377, [email protected]. was built by the animal welfare organisation Four Paws in 2000 and is located in Rila Mountain at about 180 km south of Sofia, 12 km from town Belitsa and about 35km from Bansko. The whole area of the sanctuary comprises 120.000 m². The park can be visited only in frame of a guided tour from 1st of April until 1st of December. These guided tours offer visitors comprehensive information about the sad conditions in which the bears suffered before they were rescued, as well as to raise awareness about the main natural requirements of brown bear species and its conservation.