Belasica 2

Walking trail village of Bansko - Locality “Adji Bunar” – village of Bansko

This trail starts from Bansko and is typically difficult to climb. It leads high in the Mountain of Belasica along a circular trail descend to the village of Bansko. It is designed for those who like mountain hiking and rock climbing, or for all visitors who are physically ready for that kind of trails. The trail leads from the village of Bansko along a wide forest road and on ascending reaches the area locality called “Shiroki Poljani”. The location is convenient and great for picnics in spring and summer because the trail is wide and easy to walk in this part. From here, by intense uphill walking, the trail leads to the locality “Momin Grob” and then to the locality “Adji Bunar”. This entire site is rich with diverse vegetation and many deciduous and evergreen forests, because of which it is called "air bath" and is useful for visitors who are have problems with their respiratory tract. From the locality "Adji Bunar" the trail splits into multiple directions, and turning right leads to the locality “Meraba Kran”. Between the localities “Adji Bunar” and “Meraba Kran” the remains of a former building can be seen which, according to locals, was once Serbian gendarmerie, and the old Roman Bridge, for which there is a legend saying that was part of the old road “Via Egnatia”. This trail is partially penetrable, and through its entire length diverse flora and fauna can be seen during the summer. Walking along the trail, you can visit important cultural - historical monuments. The very trail is circular and descending again leads to the village of Bansko or to the starting point.

According to the place of its located, this trail falls into the category of the mountain trails, according to the difficulty it falls into the category of heavy trails (designed for hikers and professionals) and according to its substrate, it 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: blackberries (Rubus fructicosus), raspberries (Rubus idaeus), nettle (Urticaceae), geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) … 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) and other species.

In the lower parts of the trail there is mostly diverse deciduous forest and the most common trees are: maple (Acer), 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: wild cat (Felis silvestris), wolf (Lupus), wild rabbit (Cuniculus), squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), and others, and most typical birds are: grey partridge (Predix), 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:
  • Never hike alone in the mountain. Four is the ideal figure for hiking.
  • 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.
  • If you get lost, do not leave the group. Try to get back on trail repeating your steps.
  • 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.
  • Never take any shortcuts, particularly do not wander around streams.
  • 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.