Our country has an incredibly beautiful nature, rich cultural and historical heritage, which makes it fascinating to explore. It hides so many places that each of us must at least once see and enjoy what nature itself has created.
Once you stay in our complex, one of the things we advise you to anticipate during your vacation is the Kaninska eco-trail. A great occasion to spend more time and get together with loved ones. And besides, you can enjoy really wonderful views.
Where is it, what does it include and how long is its route?
The Kaninska eco-trail is located in the western Rhodopes along the Kanina River and is located near the municipality of Garmen. The Rhodopes are known both for their beautiful views and for the cultural heritage they keep.
That is why it is worth taking a day to cross this eco-trail.
The route of the Kaninska eco-trail is about 13 km long, and it connects four interesting places. These are the villages of Kovachevitsa, Gorno Dryanovo, Leshten and Skrebatno. Each of these places can be a starting point on the Kaninska eco-trail, and you choose which of them to go through.
The Kanin eco-trail offers many options for crossing. The transition can last between 2 and 10 hours, depending entirely on the route you take. The Kaninska eco-trail consists of a large and a small circle.
The big circle includes:
- Kovachevitsa village – Skrebatno village – Gorno Dryanovo village – Kovachevitsa village
But, as mentioned above, each of these villages can be a start and an end in your itinerary. It all depends on your goal and the places you want to spend more time.
The small circle includes:
- The village of Gorno Dryanovo – the gorge and the cascade of the Black River – the village of Gorno Dryanovo
The Kaninska eco-trail has six main sections that connect the individual villages, and they can be crossed separately.
Here’s a few examples:
- from the village of Skrebatno through a steep rocky hill and a second bridge over the Kanina River to the village of Gorno Dryanovo
- from the village of Skrebatno again passes through a steep rocky hill and a second bridge over the river Kanina and reaches the village of Leshten
- from the village of Skrebatno through the first bridge over the Kanina River to the village of Kovachevitsa
- from the village of Kovachevitsa through Rizova Dupka(underground corridor) to the village of Gorno Dryanovo
- from the village of Leshten through Rizova Dupka to the village of Kovachevitsa
- from the village of Leshten through Rizova Dupka to the village of Gorno Dryanovo.
It is important to know that the eco-trail has several more extreme sections that are difficult to access. With the help of wooden stairs, steps, ropes, railings, high relocations and other similar equipment, it is possible to pass through these places as safe as possible.
Among the main challenges to be prepared for are:
- underground corridor: located in the area “Eremieva skala” (Rizovadupka). Its length is 15 m, width – 2 meters and height is between 10-12 meters. It has two openings, which are designed for ascent and descent of wooden stairs and additional equipment for safe passage.
- gorge and cascade of the Cherna Reka River below the village of Gorno Dryanovo: it is part of the small circle of the Kaninska eco-trail, in this part you need to go through long relocations, wooden platforms, railings, steep steps and natural shelter.
- steep rocky hill: this is another more extreme obstacle that is part of the Kanin eco-trail. The hill is located on the west side of the Kanina River, just below the village of Skrebatno. To go through it, there are the necessary stairs, railings and ropes.
Features and interesting finds
What is good to know is that the Kaninska Trail was established in 2006 under the project “New alternatives for livelihood for the municipalities of Garmen and Bosilovo, through the development of sustainabletourism and cooperation between the municipality of Garmen and Bosilovo” under the program “Conservation of the environment, cultural heritage and institutional cooperation at regional / local level Bulgaria-Macedonia”.
In general, the Rhodopes hide huge treasures and the Kaninska eco-trail has just that. There are not many places like it that offer a combination of rich cultural heritage and such charming natural landmarks.
Each of you can enjoy natural features such as rock, forest and river places, as well as meet plant and rare animal species.
The villages that are part of the Kaninska eco-trail have their charm. But what is characteristic of them and what are the things you can see during the transition?
Skrebatno
One of the villages through which the Kaninska eco-trail passes is Skrebatno. It is a village in the municipality of Garmen, located in the southwestern Rhodopes. In it, you will find a museum collection, which is the only one in the municipality of Garmen. It has an ethnographic and historical part.
In addition, you can visit the church “St. Paraskeva”, which was built in the distant 1835 and is an artistic monument of culture.
Kovachevitsa and Leshten
These two villages are also part of the Kaninska eco-trail and are worth seeing. Preserving their authentic appearance with their cobbled streets, they remind of the peace and quiet that you can find only in such villages and somewhere high in the mountains.
The village of Kovachevitsa is an architectural reserve that has preserved its Revival appearance. The houses in the village are built entirely of stone, including the roof of most of them.
When you pass through Kovachevitsa you will certainly pass through the village of Leshten, which has become an attractive tourist destination in recent years. In this village, you can enjoy the attraction “jeep safari” or visit some of the Thracian sanctuaries that the Rhodopes keep in themselves.
Such sanctuaries in Leshten are – “Goat Stone” and “Black Rock”. In addition, there are the canyon of the river Kanina and the waterfall “Sini Vir”.
„Sini Vir” Waterfall
The waterfall is located about 5 km from the village of Kovachevitsa. This beautiful gorge was formed by the waters of the Kanina River. The combination of high cliffs, rock niches and a small waterfall is really worth seeing. And when the sun illuminates it, it impresses with its blue-green waters, hence its name.
Rizova Dupka Cave
As already mentioned, the Rizova Dupka cave is one of the obstacles you will have during your hike on the Kaninska eco-trail. It is a karst abyss that has the necessary facilities for safe passage.
„Dark Forest” Reserve
The Dark Forest Reserve is a forest reserve located at about 1600 meters above sea level. It is located near the village of Kovachevitsa. In it you can enjoy a rock base of gneiss rocks and vegetation, which includes centuries-old spruce, fir and beech forests, whose average age is about 150 years.
Who is it for?
The Kaninska eco-trail is considered more extreme, as there are several hard-to-reach places. However, shorter and easier routes can be made to allow even the less prepared to enjoy the majesty of nature.
In order to be able to fully enjoy the beauty, we advise you to choose a combination that is consistent with both your available time and weather, the degree of difficulty of the route, the age of the people who will make the transition, as well as their physical training.
To do this, think about which places you want to visit and which you can miss. You can ask local people to guide you and help you choose a route.
How to get to it from Lucky Bansko Hotel?
To get from Hotel Lucky Bansko to the Caninska Trail, you need to drive. To do this, you need to decide which of the four villages will be your starting point. There is no significant difference in the distance from Lucky Bansko Hotel to the different villages.
It is:
- Bansko – the village of Skrebatno and the village of Leshten: 56 km, about an hour by car
- Bansko – Kovachevitsa village: 63 km, about 1 hour and 15 minutes by car
- Bansko – village of Gorno Dryanovo: 59 km, about 1 hour and 5 minutes by car
Of course, if you do not have much time or do not want to make hikes, then you can move around with your car and visit certain places that interest you.
It is important to note that some of the rural roads are difficult to cross, but it is not impossible to cross them by car.
No matter how you make your route, one thing is for sure – the Kanin eco-trail and the area around it are worth the time and visit. You will surely be fascinated by the landscapes it has.