Although small in area, the Vitosha Mountains are a beautiful range rising to heights of over 2,200 metres. The foothills of the Vitosha Mountains begin right in Sofia.

Find hotels in the Vitoša Mountains

Thanks to its proximity to the city and excellent transport links, the Vitoša Mountains are a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. The dominant feature of the range, which covers an area of just 270 square kilometres, is its highest peak Cherni vrah (2 290 m).

The hiking trails here are well signposted and fairly busy, particularly at weekends, when residents of Sofia head up to Vitosha. However, you’ll also find plenty of quiet routes with few other hikers.

The ascent to Cherni vrah

The mountain range is so small that its highest peak,Cherni vrah, is sometimes referred to by the name of the range itself – Vitosha.

There are many trails leading to the summit, and most of them can be managed even by less experienced hikers. If you’re not very used to walking in the mountains, set aside a whole day for your visit to Vitosha.

For the more athletic traveller, half a day will suffice.

The Vitoshko-Lale cable car

The easiest way to reach the summit is via the pair of chairlifts, “Vitoshko Lale I” and “Vitoshko Lale II”, which run from an altitude of around 1,580 metres almost all the way to the summit.

There is also a modern gondola lift from the outskirts of Sofia, but this only operates in winter and is exclusively for skiers.

The lower station of the Vitoshko Lale lifts can only be reached by car. However, you can get close by taking bus route 66 from Vitosha metro station and getting off at the “Romanski Lift” stop. From there, a 940-metre-long path leads gently uphill to the lower station of the cable car (see map).

From the top station of the cable car to the summit of the mountain, you have just 1 km left to go, more or less on flat ground.

• Price – 2,50 eur each way and for each cable car; the total cost for the ascent is therefore 5 eur, as you have to change from the Vitoshko Lale I to the Vitoshko Lale II
• Opening hours– weekends only (Saturday and Sunday) from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm
• Official information: skivitosha.com/summer

From the Moreni Hotel (Bus 66)

The most popular route starts at the Aleko mountain chalet and restaurant, which is the terminus for bus 66 running from Vitosha metro station and is also accessible by car.

The path winds steeply up a ski run, then follows a dirt track and continues across a stony field all the way to the summit.

• Distance – 3,200 metres one way
• Elevation gain – 480 metres
• Walking time – 2 hours at a leisurely pace
• Route map

You can take a different route back, which is 4,600 metres long; see the map.

Book your stay at the Moreni Hotel

From the Golden Bridges (Bus 63)

The most scenic route starts from the terminus of bus 63, which is called Zlaté mosty (ЗЛАТНИТЕ МОСТОВЕ).

The route runs alongside a monumental stone moraine, through woods and meadows with stunning views. It is considerably longer and steeper than the route from the Moreni Hotel, but even travellers of average fitness can manage this route at a leisurely pace.

• Distance – 8,200 metres one way
• Elevation gain – 900 metres
• Walking time – 3.5 hours at a leisurely pace
• Route map

We recommend combining the routes listed above. Take bus 66 up to the Moreni Hotel, climb to theCherni vrah, and return via the Golden Bridges to catch bus 63.

From Bojanský Church

The longest and most challenging, but beautiful, route leads from the famous Bojan Church.

The route takes you through a beautiful valley with the Bojanski stream, dense forests and wide meadows, and is a full-day hike for well-trained walkers.

• Distance – 13 km one way
• Elevation gain – 1,500 metres
• Walking time – 6.5 hours at a leisurely pace
• Route map

Other routes in the Vitosha massif

The Vitosha Mountains are criss-crossed by dozens more kilometres of trails.

One very popular route, for example, is a long trail that follows the contour lines more or less at the foot of the range, just a few hundred metres from the outskirts of Sofia.

It runs between the towns of Zheleznitsa and Rudartsi, but you can also just walk shorter sections, for example between the Church of St Bojan and Dragalevtsi Monastery. This section is very pleasant, runs entirely through the forest and is about 6.5 km long.

From Dragalevtsi Monastery to Bojana Church, the route is more or less a gentle, steady descent (see map).

Maps of walking routes

The official website does not provide any clear maps of signposted routes.

We found the following brilliant app to be the most useful mapy.cz, which shows all the trails and is very accurate. You can also download offline maps via the mobile app, which we recommend as there isn’t mobile coverage everywhere.

Buses to Vitosha

The Vitosha Mountains are easily accessible by public transport.

You can easily find timetables on the official websitesofiatraffic.bg/en/public-transport. The exact locations of the bus stops are marked on the map below.

Don’t be misled by the often incorrect information displayed on the electronic board behind the bus windscreen, which may show a destination other than where the bus is actually going.

• Bus 63– departs from the ‘Boulevard Tsar Boris III’ (БУЛ. ЦАР БОРИС III) stop, where it connects with tram lines 4, 5 and 15. The route also passes through the Krasno Selo / Tsar Boris III metro stationon the green M3 line, heading to the Zlatnite Mostove stop in the western part of the Vitosha Mountains.
  • Frequency – every 30 minutes on weekdays; every 16–32 minutes at weekends
  • First bus from Krasno Selo / Tsar Boris III metro station – 8.53 on weekdays; 6.53 at weekends (services marked in red on the timetable run only as far as the БЯЛАТА ЧЕШМА stop on the outskirts of Sofia)
  • Last bus from Zlatnite Mostove – 20:30
• Bus 66– runs from the zoo via the Vitosha metro stationon the blue M2 line to the Aleko mountain hut and restaurant on the northern slope of the Vitosha Mountains
  • Frequency – every 60 minutes (every 120 minutes in the afternoon) on weekdays; every 30 to 40 minutes at weekends
  • First bus from Vitosha metro station – 8.30 on weekdays; 6.30 at weekends
  • Last bus from the Aleko mountain hut and restaurant – 20:30

Restaurants on Vitosha

You can buy refreshments at both starting points of the two most popular routes – at the Golden Bridges and at the large Aleko chalet.

You’ll also find a very pleasant bistro with surprisingly low prices right at the summit Cherni vrah .

Where to stay in the mountains?

Vitosha could easily be the main focus of your trip to Sofia, as you can easily spend several days just exploring the local hiking trails.

• Boeritza Hotel Complex ** – a very affordable mountain hotel with prices starting from 41 eur per night is situated by the road, about a 2.5 km walk from the terminus of bus 63 at Zlatnite Mostove. The hotel is accessible by car
• Hotel and SPA Moreni **** – a highly rated hotel with a wellness centre and breathtaking views of Sofia is situated right at the terminus of bus 66
• Zvezditsa Chalet – a mountain chalet with hotel rooms in the beautiful countryside of the western part of Vitosha, offering good value for money; it is situated by the road (accessible by car) and about 5 km from the terminus of bus 63
• Hotel Villa Magus **** – a luxury hotel in the less-visited southern part of the mountain range is easily accessible by car only

If you’d like to stay in the city right next to a huge shopping centre, yet just a few metres from the bus stop for route 66 and Vitosha metro station, stay at this Fashion *** hotel.

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