Bulgarian Shopluk Voyage Tips and guide

The Bulgarian Shopluk is a region in the western mountains of Bulgaria.

The wider Shopluk includes the eastern heights of Serbia and North Macedonia and is culturally homogeneous: the traditions and the temper of the Shopi (the Shopluk locals) in Serbia, Bulgaria and North Macedonia are the same.

The Bulgarian Shopluk is uneven because of the big city of Sofia, culturally distinct from the surrounding region. The Bulgarian capital is the largest city in the country combining the functions of economical, administrative and population centre of Bulgaria. Thus, the environment in Sofia is sharply distinct from that of the area. The city has grown immensely in the past 30 years accommodating over a third of the country's population during the day for business purposes, and with a fifth of Bulgaria's population being permanently settled in it there are lots of non-locals around. Sofia is "the big village" of Bulgaria with inhabitants from all over the country.

The cultural Bulgarian Shopluk starts from the outskirts of the capital city. The mountains around modern urban megalopolis keep their traditional character unchanged. Towns such as Botevgrad and Etropole in the Western Balkan, Samokov in Rila, Kyustendil in the foot of Osogovo Mountain, and Pernik surrounded by the mountains Vitosha, Golo Brdo and Lyulin are typical Shopluk settlements.

Map of Bulgarian Shopluk

• 42.69788623.3217261 Sofia
• 42.26444423.6069442 Borovets, a ski and mountain resort in Rila Mountain
• 42.90727823.7936613 Botevgrad
• 42.26496523.1185254 Dupnitsa
• 42.82879623.9923765 Etropole
• 42.27966822.6870156 Kyustendil, "Bulgaria's orchard" and the skiing and hiking gateway to the Osogovo Mountain on the North Macedonian border. Center of Kyustendil Province.
• 42.59982823.0308057 Pernik, an industrial town on the opposite side of Vitosha from Sofia. Another province center.
• 42.8940123.918918 Pravets, a small town known mostly as the birthplace of Bulgarian communist dictator Todor Zhivkov.
• 42.12685523.1329729 Rila, the closest town to Rila Monastery, the center of the religious and cultural spirit of Bulgaria
• 42.33713923.55541110 Samokov

• 42.93166722.9616671 Dragoman Marsh (Драгоманското блато) - If you enjoy bird watching or just enjoy taking in the surroundings of a beautiful and peaceful natural environment, you should make a visit to the Dragoman marsh and Chepun hill. It is only a short drive west from Sofia. The Dragoman marsh is the only limestone marsh in the whole country and together with Chepun hill it forms a habitat of high conservation value. Due to its location, the marsh serves as an important stop-over along the Balkans' bird migratory route "Via Aristotelis".
• 42.56666723.2833332 Vitosha - Because of its closeness to Sofia the mountain Vitosha has its northern ridge almost entirely absorbed by the city, sheltering some of the poshest districts of the capital and having a cabin lift that leads almost to the peak at mount Cherni Vruh. The area includes some beautiful traditional villages that are unbelievably serene just minutes away from the hectic life in the capital.

Sofia has many historical and modern cultural sites and entertaininment to offer. In the area there are so many churches and monasteries that people are referring to them as the Sofia Athos.

• The Boyana Church, considered by UNESCO to be a world heritage, is part of the "holy archipelago" of Sofia.
• The area also includes the towns of Bankya famous for its mineral waters, Bistritsa famous for its singers and monastery, Klisura also famous for its monastery.

The Shopski Balkan Mountains have architecturally fascinating towns such as Botevgrad and Etropole. Same as the rest of the Balkan Mountains, the West Balkan has its freedom-fighter glory. In fact, the final battle of one of the immortal names in Bulgarian history - the poet-revolutionary Hristo Botev - was near mount Okolchitsa in the western Balkan.

The Low Western Mountains of Shopluka have some astonishing natural views, such as the gorge of Erma river can be seen in the area. The industrial town of Pernik and "the Orchard of Bulgaria" Kyustendil lie in the valleys between the small mountains.

The Rila Mountains:

• Rila Monastery — a UNESCO World Heritage site
• Natural pyramids of Stob
• Seven Lakes of Rila
• Tsari Mali Grad