Belasica 3

Walking trail village of Bansko - Locality "Malkaisi" – village of Bansko

This trail starts from the village of Bansko and falls into the category of difficult climbing routes, designed for visitors with good physical condition and professional climbers. The trail starts from the western part of the village and going past the village water supply leads to the area called “Malkaisi”. Here, it passes through a narrow, but passable forest road through low-trunk, evergreen and deciduous forest. At the locality “Malkaisi” there are multiple trails that lead in different directions through the Mountain of Belasica. Turning right from there, the trail leads to the place called “Džami Kran” and passes through a lovely forest landscape, with lots of trees and fresh mountain air. The trail goes through a narrow forest road and for the abundance of flora is a real "air bath". The locality “Džami Kran” is a wonderful place for all visitors who are able to come, and to see and experience the true beauty of pure nature of Belasica Mountain. Here the trail passes through a neighborhood of holiday homes, built near the fountain with cold pure mountain water. The meadow, surrounded by a beautiful pine forest, is a “weekend settlement”, but there is enough a space available which is suitable for picnics and recreation. The trail is circular and descending again leads to the Village of Bansko or to the starting point.

According to its location, this trail falls into the category of mountain trails, according to its difficulty it falls into the category of heavy trails (trails intended for mountaineers 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: blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), raspberries (Rubus idaeus), nettle (Urticaceae), 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), 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: 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: doe (Cervus capreolus), wolf (Lupus), wild cat (Felis silvestris), squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), wild rabbit (Cuniculus) and others, and most typical birds are: mountain falcon (Falco biarmicus), grey partridge (Predix), pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), jay (Garrulus glandarius), 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.