Danube river to Black Sea - Bulgaria

Day 1 Arrival in Ruse.
Transfer with the bus or pedal the bikes to the hotel, placed in Park Lipnik, some 15 km away from the city center. The next step is to test and adjust the bikes on terrain.

Day 2 Cycling from Park Lipnik Ruse to Tutrakan (distance 85 km; elevation 600m)
Cycling through Eliya plain along the Danube. Visit a yoghurt dairy farm in Yuper, an Orthodox monastery near Syanovo village and enjoy the nature around Kalimok-Brashlen Protected area. We stay for the night in a family-run hotel on the Danube bank.

Day 3 Cycling from Tutrakan to Vetren (distance 68 km; elevation 1000m)
After the obligatory delicious fishing soup for breakfast we take the hilly road by the great River. Breathtaking views, wooded islands and ancient Roman road are on our way to the beautiful Malak Preslavets Lake, a home of the biggest water lilies colony in Bulgaria. We stop for rest on the Danube bank at a cozy recreational area. The rest of the route is a dirt road and we pedal to our lodging place in Vetren village.

Day 4 Cycling from Vetren to Isperih (distance 76 km; elevation 1010m)
In the morning we ride by the Lake of Srebarna - the jewel of the wildlife in Lower Danube with its Dalmatian pelican colony and a lot of other rare species. Leaving the Danube we head south into the vast Ludogorie Plateau. The region is perfect for cycling with alternating woods, open spaces, deep valleys and rocky canyons. Discover the spectacular pilgrimage site near Ruino �- caves, shelters and burial buildings related to the life of the medieval Alevi preacher Demir Baba.

Day 5 Cycling from Isperih to Pliska (distance 81 km; elevation 1050m)
From the town of Isperih we take a circle trip to Sboryanovo where we find the amazing Thracian King's Tomb, the ancient sanctuary in the courtyard of Demir Baba tekke and the Alevi religious complex itself. Here are also the ruins of “polis Helis”, a major center of the Getic kingdom in the Antiquity. The rest of the day we cycle across the ridge of Ludogorie Plateau and passing through a wooded gorge we approach the small town of Pliska.

Day 6 Cycling from Pliska to Provadia (distance 72 km; elevation 1100m)
Today we ride through the heart of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. We start at the remains of the first Bulgarian capital, situated on the plain north of Pliska then we visit the spiritual center of the kingdom at the high Madara rocks. Here is cut the Madara Rider �- bas-relief monument, which is UNESCO World Heritage Site without any analogues throughout Europe. We have a lunch in the charming traditional village of Kyulevcha. In the afternoon we cross the gorgeous canyon of Provadiiska River and finally arrive in Provadia, which is dominated by the walls of the medieval Ovech Fortress on the rocky plateau in the town.

Day 7 Cycling from Provadia to Varna (distance 80 km; elevation 1200m)
Last three difficult ascents separate us from the Black Sea coast. En route we get close look to the medieval church in Dobrina and the Roman Marcianopolis in Devnya. Amazing landmarks are scattered along the wonderful road by the Varna Lake shore. At last we cycle the downhill to the Black Sea and then following the coastal trail we finish on the beach in Varna City. Varna is the ancestor of ancient Odessos with a lot of sites and things to be seen. The city is also full of party spots to entertain or quite places to relax.