Crossborder biking to Bulgaria’s Rusenski Lom

Minimum age: 16

Highlights

• Biking through a natural reservation, river and lakes
• Visiting the beautiful Orthodox monastery of Saint Demeter
• Visiting the medieval citadel of Cherven
• Experience two countries in one day

All about the trip

One of the best ways for a special day outdoors is to go for mountain biking. You can do it in any season provided there is no bad weather, even on snow. This is actually a most intriguing tour because we start in Romania but bike into Bulgaria, just across the border (some 70 km from Bucharest). Let us take you through wonderful gorges sculpted by Rusenski Lom muddy river.

This will be an easy ride but do not mistake us because we are not organizing walks in the parks. We want you to be tired at the end of the day, to still feel the saddle when you get to bed late in the evening.

Do not worry if do not have your own a bike, you can rent it from us. Just let us know.

We depart from Bucharest as early as possible, 6:30 preferably, so as to make of the day as much as possible. We expect to arrive at the start of the activity in 2 hours or so. The border crossing is only 60 km from Bucharest and the Danube is to be crossed by the long bridge that links the two banks of the river. Once in Bulgaria, we will pass by the city of Ruse aiming for the village of Basarbovo. Here is where the gorges begin.

We leave the car right in front of the Monastery of Saint Demeter, which we will visit. Then we start biking on a paved narrow road through a wonderful forest following the river downstream. The river is dammed into a natural lake which gives us wide views all around. The soft rocks of the gorges are littered with birds’ nests. Further on, hidden behind a tree line, we can actually see the remaining of the sea which used to cover this place at some distant point in Earth history. The shells are still embedded into rocks. This is a geological monument.

The trail narrows and it gets more interesting. The gorges open up in a wide agricultural field. We turn back the way we came enjoying once more the beauty of the gorges. We put the bikes on the car and head towards our last objective of the day, the medieval citadel of Cherven. It is a fine end of the tour with a local history lesson. Remember that for long centuries these places were under the Ottoman rule.

On the way back we will stop in Ruse for a fully deserved dinner. We estimate to arrive in Bucharest by 22:00, depending on the traffic.

What is included in the price

• Transport from and to Bucharest by car, including the bikes
• Customs fees and vignette for Bulgaria
• Bike maintenance kit (extra tube in case of defects, repairing kit, etc.)
• Guide

What is not included in the price

• Insurance
• Bike (can be rented for additional 15 Euro/day cost, including the bike helmet)

Instructions

If you are a beginner we will teach you the basics of mountain biking. Of course, you still need to know in advance how to ride a bike.