Vitosha Mountain

The most popular hiking route is View of Vitosha Mountain – View from the Cherni Vrah summit loop from Torfeno Branishte Reserve, a 7.6 miles (12.2 km) trail that takes 4 hours 8 minutes to complete, offering panoramic views from the summit.

Vitosha (Bulgarian: Витоша [ˈvitoʃɐ]), the ancient Scomius or Scombrus, is a mountain massif, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Vitosha is one of the symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing. Convenient bus lines and rope ways render the mountain easily accessible.

In Bulgaria brown bears can be seen in Rila, Pirin, Rhodope, Balkan and Vitosha Mountains. Their usual habitat is characterized with an abundance of forest fruits – different types of berries, walnuts and hazelnuts which compose a large part of their diet. Bears are omnivorous.

Take the 66 bus from outside Paradise Mall. That will take you all the way up to Aleko Hut just below the moorland at the top. From there you can walk to the peak. Not when the mountain is snow-capped of course but that's the best way up otherwise.