Stara Planina

Stara Planina, the Balkan range proper, runs along the Bulgarian border for over a hundred kilometres on the Serbian side, rising to Midžor at 2,169 metres, and it is the emptiest large mountain area in the country: broad grassy ridges above the treeline, beech forest below, and villages in the valleys that have lost most of their people. Babin Zub, a crag of weathered rock near the ridge, gives the range its most photographed feature and has a small ski centre beside it. The waterfalls are the other draw, with dozens in the side valleys around Topli Do and Temska, including Tupavica, Piljski and the Bigar falls at Stanjinac. Walking the ridge to Midžor is the classic route, exposed and weather-dependent.

History

In antiquity and the Middle Ages the range was called Haemus, from a Thracian word for a mountain ridge, and the Slavic name Stara Planina was first recorded at the start of the 16th century by Antun Vrančić. The range is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border between Serbia and Bulgaria and runs for about 560 kilometres (Wikipedia, Balkan Mountains).

What's there

• Babin Zub - the weathered crag on the ridge with the ski centre below.
• Midžor - the walk to the highest summit on the border ridge.
• Side-valley waterfalls - Tupavica, Piljski and Bigar among many.
• High pasture - open grass ridges above the beech forest.

When to go

June to September for walking, with July for wildflowers on the pastures. Waterfalls are strongest in spring. December to March for the small ski centre. Weather on the ridge is severe and changeable in any month.

Before you go

Trails are poorly marked and the ridge is exposed with no shelter; fog and storms come up quickly. Villages have almost no services and accommodation is scarce outside the ski centre. Roads are rough and some waterfalls need long walks. Bears live in the forest.

Nearby

Gostuša and Pirot lie south; Knjaževac is northwest.

Key facts