Guys, Bulgaria is a gem you should explore at least once! This time we are in its north-central part. To give you a clue about our current location, we are close to the famous Veliko Tarnovo. That’s easy to spot on the map. It’s a town that is totally worth a visit. But this time, we want to talk to you about the beautiful waterfalls that you can see around Veliko Tarnovo. Either if you go directly there or if you are around, keep them in mind.
That’s our case, we are heading to the Bulgarian border city called Vidin. But we don’t have an exact date to reach it so we are going slowly to see more interesting things around. Like waterfalls! We love waterfalls and nature in general so here you have 5 waterfalls near Veliko Tarnovo you must visit!
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1. Zlaten waterfall (Златен водопад), 65km away
Our first waterfall during this trip was Zlaten. It’s 65 kilometers east of Veliko Tarnovo. The name Zlaten means golden, and it comes from the color of the stones. They are a golden color and you can see small twinkling stones in the river, that look like the precious metal.
The place is not hard to reach. You have to drive to the Ivancha village. It is just a kilometer outside of the village, but there are signs with "водопад" (waterfall). There you can park for free, and from there you can walk around 1 km to the Zlaten waterfall. The trail is not hard and gets you immersed in a nature and cool place. When we arrived, the current in the channel was strong. We walked along with it and we passed through a camping site, BBQ area, and spaces designed for kids and adults to have fun in nature.
Soon, we were in front of the waterfall. It was not the highest, but it was pretty and the surroundings were quiet and enjoyable. The place is ideal for spending a day alone, with friends, or with family. When we arrived it was empty so it was easy to park exactly at the entrance. But the space does not look for many cars to park. Maybe during the high season, you should look for another parking spot.
2. Hotnitsa waterfall (Хотнишки водопад (Кая Бунар)), 20km away
The clue we got was that the waterfall was close to Hotnitsa village. So we drove directly to this village and yes, from there it’s easy to reach the waterfall. We parked a bit after the waterfall because there is a small parking lot. You can leave your car safer there and then walk. It’s not a long distance. So we did and soon we were walking on a well-marked road heading to the waterfall. We were just a few meters from the highway, but everything got different here. Nature is all over! We love nature so we were in the right place. We kept going and suddenly, we saw it! Hotnitsa waterfall is very beautiful! Our eyes were amazed by the emerald color of the water. Someone told us it may be produced by limestone deposits in the rocks. Well, what we can say for sure is that it’s a beautiful waterfall!
It’s 30 meters in height and if you visit it in the right season (Spring or the beginning of Summer), you will see, like we did, a great and strong waterfall. It’s fed by the Bohot river. The trail is not very challenging. It’s something like a kilometer and a half. Walking there is a very relaxing experience. You can enjoy the views and surroundings.
Don’t be confused, the waterfall is also called Kaya Bunar (spring in the rock) and it’s 20 kilometers north of Veliko Tarnovo. We have to say that the signs are written in Bulgarian. But still, is not hard to find the place.
3. Kartala waterfalls (Карталските водопади), 6.2km
The Kartala waterfalls are maybe the easiest to visit if you are staying in Veliko Tarnovo. They are just 6km away from it! So close, that you can go by walking from Veliko Tarnovo to Kartala waterfalls in less than 2 hours. What is so great about visiting these waterfalls is that you will be able to enjoy many beautiful views of Veliko Tarnovo on the way. You can see the Tsarevets fortress, which is a magnificent memory of medieval Bulgaria.
The old name of the main waterfall from the Kartala waterfalls is Kartal bayr, which translated from Turkish is the Eagle peak. We didn’t see any eagles, but you might have luck when you pass through there.
The trekking is not very well marked, but at least it is very close, so you probably won’t get lost. You will see some marks on the trees and occasionally you can see picnic spots, that will show you are on the right way.
The waterfall is around 8-meter high. It is not enormous, but it is a nice ending to the trekking.
4. Momin Skok waterfall a.k.a. Emen waterfall (Водопадът „Момин скок“), 25km away
The Momin Skok waterfall is located near the Emen village and this is why many people know it as Emen waterfall.
The name Momin Skok comes from a legend from the time of the Turkish occupation. The legend says that the Turkish militaries were collecting all the young women from the Bulgarian villages and bringing them to the harem of the sultan. The women from Emen, didn’t want to join the harem and they run out of the village. The Turkish were just behind them when they arrived at the waterfall. In a desperate move, they decided that they prefer to jump and die, rather than let the Turkish catch them. They jumped and died together. This is why it is called Momin Skok. Momim means girls’, and Skok means a jump.
The waterfall is at the end of a beautiful canyon called Emen Canyon. The trekking starts with a small cave. Then you will enjoy 50-meter high cliffs from the two sides of Negovanka River. The place is really picturesque. Just watch out, because it is a bit high. Take proper trekking shoes.
We really enjoyed the trekking. In the end, you see the 10-meter-high Momin Skok waterfall. It lands in a wide pool, that if it is warm enough, you can swim. Sad, that we went there still in Spring. The place really invites you to jump into the water.
5. Pirineshki Dzhendem waterfall (Пиринешки Джендем водопад), 62 km away
The name is super hard to say, Pirineshki Dzhendem, but it is really worth visiting. Especially, if you are already near the Zlaten waterfall. It is just a few kilometers away!
It was really easy to park, near the road and walk to the waterfall. It was super short trekking of fewer than 10 minutes.
We were surprised to see a really high waterfall. The Pirineshki Dzendem waterfall is 34-meter high! It is among the highest ones in North Bulgaria.
On the way back, we had a picnic in the so-called “bivak”, the place for rest at the beginning of the trail. It was really nice to visit Pirineshki Dzhendem waterfall and Zlaten waterfall, one after the other. They were two very different waterfalls, both of them amazing!
Conclusion.
Guys, this is just the beginning of our trip and it’s getting really interesting and fun. Follow us and enjoy with us our next stops. If you are on a holiday, have safe travel. If you are still at home, just pack and go!
We started in Varna and these waterfalls were first on the list. We are now heading towards Dryanovo. Then Etar, then Lovech, and more interesting destinations in North Bulgaria and Romania, on the way to Budapest (Hungary). Join our trip here on packandgo.info
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