Day Trip from SOFIA | Vitosha Mountain & Aleko Ski Resort in BULGARIA 🇧🇬
There’s plenty of options for a day trip from Sofia. I ended up on the wild Vitosha Mountain close to Aleko Ski Resort & just under Cherni Vrah (Black Peak). However, getting to the summit would prove more difficult than I imagined. 🇧🇬 See all of my videos from Bulgaria here → bit.ly/mwt_Bulgaria
The Aleko Ski Resort in Bulgaria’s Vitosha Mountain is one of the region's most popular winter retreats. Situated under Cherni Vrah, otherwise known as the Black Peak, it looks over the capital Sofia and can be reached from the centre of the city in less than an hour. It’s an area full of potential if you’re looking for things to do around Sofia, or perhaps just ideas for day trips in the area.
My day started out as an attempt to reach Cherni Vrah but a lack of planning ultimately led to a rethink. It was slightly surreal to be knee deep in snow and surrounded by skiers at one of Bulgaria's most popular ski resorts, so I decided to make the most of the opportunity and take a look around Aleko while I was there. We all have preconceptions when visiting new places - and this wasn’t what I envisaged when booking my trip, especially as central Sofia was completely clear of snow.
Still, unplanned days can lead to all kinds of surprises and this one was definitely no exception. As much as I loved wandering around Vitosha Mountain and the Aleko Ski Resort I couldn’t help but to feel a little disappointed not to reach the Black Peak.
Maybe next time?
More information on reaching Cherni Vrah...
+ Always check local buses and schedules before travelling, make sure you know what time the last bus leaves so you don’t get stranded.
+ Bus 66 will take you from Vitosha Metro station to Aleko Ski Resort.
+ From the Aleko Ski Resort to Cherni Vrah (Black Peak) it is approximately a 90 minute hike each way. The exact time can depend on weather conditions and physical fitness.
+ An alternative route to the Black Peak is to start the journey in Simeonovo where there is a gondola station that takes you up the side of the mountain. I believe it drops you close to the lower ski lift station that allows you to then travel to the upper station which is close to the Black Peak. Check times and availability before you go.
+ There are a few restaurants and places to keep warm in Aleko. I had lunch at the Guesthouse Moten and it was fantastic. The food was excellent, the staff were friendly and spoke good English, and the prices were very reasonable. Recommended.
+ This is a ski resort so during the winter the snow is deep and weather unpredictable so ensure you are dressed appropriately.
CHAPTERS:
📖 00:00 Journey into the Vitosha Mountains
📖 01:47 Aleko Ski Resort in Bulgaria
📖 03:53 Cherni Vrah (Black Peak) From a Distance!
📖 04:52 Beautiful Nature & Views of Sofia
📖 05:29 Snow on the Mountains
📖 07:36 An Evening in Sofia, Bulgaria
More Info
🟡 Please consider SUBSCRIBING, it's free & really helps my channel grow → bit.ly/2RyPwto
🇧🇬 See more of my videos from BULGARIA here → bit.ly/mwt_Bulgaria
❤️ Don’t Forget to LIKE & SHARE if you enjoyed the video, they really help!
🎙️ Feel free to ask any questions! All FEEDBACK and COMMENTS welcome!!
📷 Connect with me on INSTAGRAM → bit.ly/mwt_instagram
Soundtrack
🎵 Wild Life by Rain Jewels feat. Cassandra Holmquist
🎵 Screaming Out by Duplex Heart
🎵 Is This Love a Waiting Game by The Big Let Down
🎵
🎵 Music by Epidemic Sound. Get a FREE month here → bit.ly/2LB53FZ
Пікірлер: 27
THANKS FOR WATCHING!! 👍 If you enjoyed the video please consider LIKING & SUBSCRIBING - they really help me out! 👍 🇧🇬 See more of my videos from BULGARIA → bit.ly/mwt_Bulgaria | 📍 See my videos on a TRAVEL MAP → bit.ly/mwt_map
Glad you had a blast in Sofia and in Vitosha mountain! Cheers mate!
@MattWhitingsEurope
10 ай бұрын
Thanks! 😃 Shame I didn’t make it to the summit but I enjoyed the experience nonetheless.
Stepping to the BEAT! Matty ICE in the building. That is a lot of snow. We wanted to see all of you sking talent! In our book this Channel is the top of the mountain.
@MattWhitingsEurope
10 ай бұрын
Yeah I learnt those moves during my auditions for New Kids on the Block - sadly I didn't get the gig, their loss if you ask me! Well thank you, it's hard to beat standing on top of the mountain if you ask me.
@WITYTRAVELS
10 ай бұрын
@@MattWhitingsEurope 😂😎
Fun fact : That middle part you saw from your hotel room isn't the top and that's not Black Peak. Black Peak cannot be seen from the city, just like most of the ski tracks. The top part in the middle is peak "Kamen Del" but that's not the highest point of the mountain, although this is the best place for views of the city, it's harder to reach, just like Black Peak. There is no view of the city from Black Peak. Also Vitosha is part of the city, it's not outside the city and is part of the city limits. Hence you got both the gondola and public transport running there.
@MattWhitingsEurope
9 ай бұрын
Very interesting, thanks for the comment. Makes sense, I guess that’s how I managed to get there without too much effort. 😃
We're visiting Sofia 27.12.23 - 31.12.23 and hope to try out skiing here 🎿
@MattWhitingsEurope
7 ай бұрын
Have a good one, hope the slopes treat you well!
I know you were gutted you never made it to the top but still some view , we don’t plan things ever and most of the time it works out perfect. Again a lovey country
@MattWhitingsEurope
10 ай бұрын
I’ll bag it next time if it’s the last thing I do 😂. Not planning things definitely has its advantages, things do have a habit of working out!!
So good
@MattWhitingsEurope
10 ай бұрын
Thank you sir! 👍
You should definetely come back some day! Sofia, despite being my hometown, is the least beautiful big city in Bulgaria. Plovdiv, Veliko Turnovo. Also the other mountains, which have amazing breathtaking views and don't forget the sea! Plenty to see. Your videos are great, keep on shooting 😊
@MattWhitingsEurope
9 ай бұрын
Thank you Viliana, much appreciated. Next time I visit Bulgaria I think I'll probably rent a car and see what I can find away from the big cities. Thanks for those suggestions, I'll add them to my map. Thanks again!
That looks amazing! Thanks for sharing 😄 How have you found visiting Bulgaria as a whole- and how did you find the Bulgarian trains (were they easy to use)? 😊
@MattWhitingsEurope
10 ай бұрын
Thank you for watching. I really enjoyed Bulgaria despite it being a short trip, it’s a friendly country and there is certainly lots to see. I only visited Plovdiv and Sofia, next time I’ll try and get out of the city a little like what I did in this video. In terms of trains, I actually didn’t experience any of them - just one semi-longish bus journey from Plovdiv to Sofia. Went well and was very reasonably priced.
@sleepybubbi9638
9 ай бұрын
@MattWhitingsEurope super interesting, thank you! I always find Eastern European countries to be friendly 😊 I asked about the trains as I went for a solo trip to Gdańsk/Poland last month and found the trains there really hard work to understand 😅 have you been doing any travel between countries in Europe, without coming home to England inbetween? I ask as I'm just wondering whether we still get passport stamps for travelling between countries within the EU 🤔 I'm a big fan of passport stamps (and I'm trying to collect as many European stamps as poss before the system changes!). Hope you're having a good day whenever you read this 😁
@sleepybubbi9638
9 ай бұрын
@MattWhitingsEurope as an aside, I've just looked at your channel and see you have some super interesting videos all over Europe! I will definitely be watching more of those 😁 I really love travel and I've gotten into solo travelling across Europe this year ( I've done 7 trips to Europe this year so far, 6 on my own, hoping to get some more in before the year end!)
@MattWhitingsEurope
9 ай бұрын
Thank you, glad to hear you'll be watching more. Much appreciated. Wow, 7 trips already? You're really cooking on gas!! I enjoy travelling solo - there's plenty of benefits to it like doing what I like, when I like. It's all good. Which countries have you made it to so far?
সেরুকুম জায়গা ভাইয়া
@MattWhitingsEurope
10 ай бұрын
রাজি! ধন্যবাদ.
Hi, Your channel content is unique. Though, Why are your channel's videos not getting many views/ watch time? As a KZread expert, I can say the first thing is SEO (your videos 'SEO' is 49.2/100% whereas it should be more than 80 to 90% out of 100%) is not done properly. 3rd is the title, tags are not properly set. If you want, I can improve your channel with all responsibilities with 100 % Satisfaction.
@MattWhitingsEurope
9 ай бұрын
Thanks for the heads up. I’m going to give it a miss right now but if I change my mind you’ll be the first to know. All the best.