Iskar Gorge

The Iskar is the only river that cuts right through the Stara Planina from south to north, and the gorge it has made runs about seventy kilometres from near Sofia to Mezdra, a winding defile of limestone cliffs, rock towers and forested slopes with villages tucked into the widenings. The railway built through it in the early twentieth century follows the river with more than twenty tunnels and many bridges and is one of the better train journeys in the country, taking about two hours from Sofia. Along the gorge are the Cherepish monastery under the cliffs, the rock formations at Lakatnik with climbing routes and a via ferrata, and the Prohodna cave a short distance beyond the northern end.

What you actually see

• A river cutting through the range - the only such gorge in the Stara Planina.
• The railway with its tunnels - the line following the river the whole way.
• Cherepish monastery - the buildings under the cliffs mid-gorge.
• The Lakatnik rocks - climbing walls and a via ferrata on the cliffs.

When to go

April to October, with autumn colour in October the best time. A day, best done by train one way. The road alongside is winding and slow. Weekends bring Sofia walkers to Lakatnik.

Honest expectations

The road through the gorge is narrow, winding and busy with trucks. Some villages along it are run-down. The railway is slow and the timetable limited. Litter along the river is a problem in places.

Nearby

Sofia is at the southern end; Vratsa lies north-west.