Belasica 4

Walking trail village of Bansko - Locality “Meraba Kran” – village of Bansko

The trail starts from the village of Bansko, over the building of the “Old Police", and leads up to the village water supply catchment. In this section, the trail is wide and there is suitable for bikes and motor vehicles. It stretches uphill and leads to the old archaeological site, called “Monos” – an old settlement which can be Interesting for tourists from the archaeological point of view. Here the trail continues to a narrow forest trail, around which there is lovely nature, abundance of deciduous and evergreen forests and other plant species that make the site a real "air bath" particularly because of the freshness of the air. Because of the abundance of diverse flora and fauna throughout the year a lot of people who collect mushrooms and teas can be met, and a number of hunters can be found as well. The trail continues up the area "Meraba Kran" and here is the old fountain “Kjuchuk” at 1098 meters altitude, near which there are settlement of holiday houses. The trail is perfect for climbing in beautiful nature, and there is also an opportunity for photographing stone stairs, archaeological sites and panoramic photographing of Strumica Valley. Descending along the picturesque slopes of Belasica this trail leads back to Bansko.

According to its location, this trail falls into the category of mountain trails, according to the difficulty into the category of heavy trails (trails intended for mountaineers and professionals) and according to its substrate, falls into the category of earth trails. It is over 5,000 meters long.

• Flora and fauna:

The walking trail is rich with diverse flora, fauna and fungi. The grass flora has numerous kinds of flowers, herbs and fruits as well as low-trunk plants: wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca), blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), raspberries (Rubus idaeus), nettle (Urticaceae), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), yarrow (Achillea), St. John's wort (Hypericum) etc., and many kinds of mushrooms the most famous of which are the mushrooms used in diet: champignon (Agaricus bisporus), parasol (Macrolepiota procera), chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), slippery jacks (Suillus luteus) and other species.

In the lower parts of the trail there is mostly diverse deciduous forest and the most common trees are: birch (Betula alba), maple (Acer), linden (Tilia), and in the higher parts there is evergreen forest rich in: thuja (Thuja), Juniper (Juniperus), pine (Pinus) and others. The richness and heterogeneity of types of ecosystems are the result of favorable climate and specific geographical location.

Alongside the trail endemic plants can be found such as: royal fern (Osmunda regalis) and cedar (Cedrus).

The fauna is diverse and includes: fox (Vulpes), wild cat (Felis silvestris), wild rabbit (Cuniculus), wolf (Lupus) and others, and most typical birds are: mountain falcon (Falco biarmicus), grey partridge (Predix), jay (Garrulus glandarius), pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), wood pigeon (Columba palumbus), raven (Corvus corax), crow (Corvus monedula) and others, and there are also various types of insects.

• Additional opportunities for using the trail: eco - tourism, archaeological tourism, herbal tourism.

• The following rules should be observed when walking along the trail:
  • Carefully choose your trail and stick to it. Give yourself enough time and set off at an early hour. Always inform someone about the trail you take and the time of your departure and arrival.
  • Always wear waterproof clothing, even in summer, and wear comfortable shoes for walking. Wear a hat, sunglasses or a hat for sun protection. The weather in the mountains changes rapidly.
  • If you have lost or are forced to stop walking because of the bad weather, do not split, but stay together in one place. Find the nearest shelter.
  • In case of injury, take enough time to assess the current situation. Send two people to seek help, and the third person to stay with the injured.
  • Always keep with you enough water and food, particularly during summer, in case of delay. Always inform yourself about the time and go back if you set off later or bad weather is forecast.
  • Take a fully charged cell phone with you for any purpose and need.
  • Important! When walking along a mountain trail, you must always be guided by a professional hiking trail guide.