Vratsata Gorge

The Vratsata gorge cuts into the Vrachanski Balkan directly above the town of Vratsa, a narrow limestone defile with walls rising around four hundred metres, which are the tallest rock faces in Bulgaria and among the higher ones in the Balkans, and they have been climbed since the 1930s with several hundred routes now bolted on them. The road runs through the gorge with the walls closing overhead, and paths lead up to viewpoints and along the rim. A cable car up the side and a ski area lie above. The gorge is the gateway to the Vrachanski Balkan nature park, with caves including Ledenika a short distance further, and the Okolchitsa monument on the ridge.

What you actually see

• Four-hundred-metre limestone walls - the tallest rock faces in the country.
• Climbing routes on the faces - several hundred lines bolted since the 1930s.
• The road through the defile - walls closing directly overhead.
• Rim viewpoints - paths up to the tops of the walls.

When to go

April to October for climbing and walking. Half a day. Spring and autumn are best for the rock; summer is hot on south-facing faces. Weekends bring climbers and walkers from Sofia.

Honest expectations

The road through the gorge is narrow with traffic and no pavement. Rockfall happens on the walls and below them. Paths to the rim are steep. Vratsa itself is a plain industrial town with little else.

Nearby

Ledenika cave is further up the road; the Vrachanski Balkan park lies above.