Chepan Mountain

Overview

Chepun mountain is a part of the Balkan ridge and is close to the Bulgarian-Serbian border. It is like a natural wall above the Dragoman marsh, a protected sanctuary for more than 250 species of birds. Last year Chepun mountain became one of the most famous Bulgarian races for cyclers and runners. The tour will give you a magnificent ride with one of the best brands of MTBs in the world- KTM. Your adventure will ride you through history and nature. Despite the amazing views, you will also see the ruins of an ancient temple and modern Christian chapel.

Transfer from your accommodation in Sofia to the town of Dragoman – 1.5 hours.
Depending on your bike experience- E-MTB or regular MTB, we can do 22 km or 42 km track.
Elevation -1180 m.
Duration of the riding – 5.5 hours (approx.)

Itinerary:

At 9:00 you will be picked up from your hotel by your guide and you will start your MTB adventure. You will drive around 1 and a half hours to reach the Dragoman area. You will park the car and prepare for the ride.
We’ll start from a small forest, which will be changed by grass and stones. Many people call Chepun “The naked mountain”. The ride to the top of Chepun will be 1.5 hours. The peak is called Petrovski krust, where you can see ruins of an ancient Thracian temple and a chapel, dedicated to st. Peter. The mountain was a sacred place for the people between the Late Iron Age and the Early Middle Ages.
When we get to the top we can rest a bit and have a quick lunch, which we will have to bring with us.

From the peak Petrovski krust – ride over the stones of the mountain and reach the village of Golemo Malovo. We’ll pass the marshes of Aldomirovtsi, which is a protected area for the nesting grounds of many birds like the ruff, little gull, white stork, and great crested grebe. Our ride will be below the hills where Bulgarian soldiers defended the Unification of Bulgaria in 1885 and pushed the enemies back to their territories in Serbia. After the village of Vasilovtsi, we’ll ride our bikes in a calm forest. Below the Popov peak, we’ll stop to visit an abandoned monastery “Saint Nicola”, dated in XIX century. From there we’ll reach again the village of Golemo Malovo.
We’ll pass an old airfield and the marshes of Dragoman. If we have luck, we’ll see some endemic species, which you can see only in Bulgaria and the Balkan peninsula.
After we arrive back to the car you will be transported back to Sofia.