Bulgaria: Realm of the Brown Bear

A private minibus with a dedicated driver will be at our disposal throughout the holiday for transfers to and from the mountains, and at the start or end of daily walks when needed. To access the bear hide in the evenings, we make use of locally provided Jeeps and off-road vehicles. These are ex-military vehicles capable of coping with the often rough and muddy forestry tracks. Please be aware that these vehicles do not have seatbelts fitted.

Hotel Yagodina is renowned for its delicious traditional local cuisine, offering generous servings of hearty, healthy food, much of it made from home-produced or locally sourced products. Typical meals in the mountains will comprise of:

Breakfast: Tea, coffee and milk, with bread, jam, honey and cheese, supplemented in Yagodina by fresh home-made yoghurt and traditional local specialities such as katmi (thick pancakes) and rodopski klin (a rice-based dish).

Lunch: Picnic lunches in the mountains typically include bread, cheese, salami, salad, a chocolate bar and fruit. Many guests also like to bring an extra portion of the local speciality served at breakfast.

Dinner: Will be in the hotel restaurant, and will normally include three courses comprising either a salad or vegetarian soup, followed by a main course, and a dessert of fruit, ice cream, or cake/pudding. The cuisine reflects a mixture of Bulgarian, Greek, Turkish and Slavonic influences. We sample many traditional local specialities including smilyanski fasul (a delicious bean soup) and patatnik (made with grated potatoes, onions and cheese, then seasoned with mint and other herbs). Jugs of tap water will be provided on the table with the evening meal. Bottled mineral water, soft drinks and alcohol are not included but can be purchased. There are several Bulgarian wines you may wish to try, including an excellent red Mavrud from vineyards on the northern slopes of the Rodopi Mountains.

Vegetarians and vegan diets: Bulgaria produces excellent fresh vegetables and fruit, so vegetarians are usually well catered for, although in the mountains the variety may be limited to what is seasonally available. Eggs and dairy produce, especially cheese, form the staple part of the diet in the Rodopi region, and are included in most traditional meals, so vegans may find their daily menu more restricted and less varied.

Gluten intolerance: Special gluten-free products are not available, so those with a wheat/gluten intolerance should, if needed, bring something to replace the local bread and pastries that make up the breakfasts and picnic lunches.

Our base for six nights is Yagodina, a traditional rural village known for its self-sufficiency and hospitable inhabitants. Home to around 500 people, it is secluded in the Trigrad Karst region, one of the most remote parts of the Rodopi Mountains.  

Here, we stay in the Yagodina Family Hotel, a small accommodation with comfortable twin and single rooms. It’s owned and run by a local family and most of the food (including milk, cheese, butter, jam and honey) is either home-produced or locally sourced.  

Our final night is at Boutique Hotel Crystal Palace, a conveniently located four-star hotel in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. The 63-room accommodation is in the downtown area, close to city landmarks, including the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It also has a restaurant serving French, Italian and Spanish dishes, plus a lobby bar with cocktails, coffee and more.

The trip is scheduled to be led by Julian Perry, founder and research director of the NGO Wild Rodopi. Julian is a member of the International Association for Bear Research and Management and an expert on brown bear ecology and behaviour.