Belasica 5

Walking trail village of Bansko - locality "Svidovichka Raskrsnica" – village of Bansko

This trail begins at the foot of the village of Bansko and a along a wide forest path, with a small climb up leads to a place called “Svidovička Raskrsnica”. This trail is actually a wide forest road, along which, beside pedestrians, bikes and other motor vehicles can also move. The further ascend up the slopes of Belasica leads to the eponymous plateau – “Svidovichka Raskrsnica”, which is larger and has a number of possibilities for an interesting picnic spot. In spring, here you can also find the "Lila" flower, which is specific to the flora of Belasica Mountain. The trail continues up the locality “Džami Kran”. Unlike the first part of the trail which is milder, the second one increases its slope parallel to its height. On the left and right side of the trail, nature bestowed its whole splendor, which is quite tempting for the clean air, and the beautiful surroundings for photographing. Furthermore, the trail leads to the monument of “The Five Students from Strumica”, which has its own importance and history. This is a beautiful forest trail, with rich flora and fauna that can be found throughout its entire length. The trail is circular and the descend leads to the starting point in Bansko.

According to its location, this trail falls into the category of mountain trails, according to the difficulty falls 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: rosehips (Rosa canina), currants (Ribes ribrum), blackberries (Rubus fructicosus), raspberries (Rubus idaeus), nettle (Urticaceae), geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), etc., and many kinds of mushrooms the most famous of which are the mushrooms used in diet: champignon (Agaricus bisporus), parasol (Macrolepiota procera), slippery jacks (Suillus luteus), chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) 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), linden (Tilia), and in the higher parts there is evergreen forest rich in: cypress (Cupressus), 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: squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), wolf (Lupus), wild cat (Felis silvestris), doe (Cervus capreolus), wild rabbit (Cuniculus) and others, and most typical birds are: owl (Strix aluco), eagle (Aquila), 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.