Iconic Places in Sakar

Day 1

On the first day in Sakar, you will visit some of the most iconic places in the Topolovgrad area. Three of them are reached by short hikes.

10:00 – Start the programme in Sakar with a visit to the Topolovgrad Historical Museum – 40 minutes.

10:40 – After the museum, drive towards the Thracian sanctuary of Paleokastro. Leaving Topolovgrad, turn right from the main road (there is a yellow directional sign) and, after 200 m on a dirt road, leave the car in a clearing with a spring. 11:00 – Start the hike from the spring to Paleokastro. The trail climbs gradually to the summit and takes around 40 minutes. Along the route there are two interesting stops – unusual rock formations with panoramic views and the remains of a dolmen, marked with a sign. You need to take a short detour to both and then return to the main trail. The summit is at an altitude of 431 m, and the view from such a relatively low elevation is remarkable.

The total time needed to reach the summit, explore the area and return to the car is around 2 hours. The distance from the car to the summit and back is approximately 2 km, with an elevation gain of 98 m.

13:00 – Depart towards Vishegrad. On the way, you can have lunch at the restaurant by the road: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XMY8d7pEoKP9gbqP7 or, if you have prepared in advance, have a picnic at the Meraka roadside shelter. There is no drinking fountain or running water at Meraka, so make sure you bring enough with you.

13:15–14:15 – Lunch.

14:30 – Continue by car along a narrow but well-maintained asphalt road towards the main ridge of the Sakar Mountains. The first stop is the picturesque Painted Stone, located right next to the road. Allow 20 minutes to explore and take photos.

15:00 – Drive a little further uphill to reach the turn-off for Mount Vishegrad. A military base has been built right next to the summit, and access to it is prohibited. Guard dogs are kept within an enclosure and are not dangerous to tourists.

The summit is reached via a clearly visible dirt road. The hike is out and back along the same route. Allow around 1.5 hours, with an elevation gain of 75 m.

16:30 – On the way back, after literally two minutes, you will see a shelter on the right, which is the starting point for the short hike to Golemiat Zdravets (Barbers Chair). This name refers to a complex of picturesque rock formations rising above the surrounding landscape, offering beautiful views of the Sakar Mountains. It takes around 15 minutes to reach the site and another 15 minutes to return. Allow around 40 minutes in total, including a 10-minute stay at the site.

17:30 – Drive back towards Topolovgrad along the same asphalt road and, before reaching the main road, take the turn-off on the right for Sakar Hotel-Restaurant. If you have chosen different accommodation, follow the directions to your chosen location.

Check-in and overnight stay.

Total distance by car for the day: 33.2 km

Total distance on foot: 7.4 km (Paleokastro, Vishegrad, Golemiat Zdravets)

Elevation gain on foot: +229 m

Day 2

09:00 – Depart by car from Topolovgrad towards the border village of Matochina.

09:20 – First, however, take the road towards Hlyabovo Village, pass through the village and, 3 km after Hlyabovo, look for a designated parking area on the left with a brown sign for Nochevi Chairi. This is the first attraction of the day and the most iconic of all the dolmens in the Sakar Mountains. A stone path leads to the dolmen, which is 100 m from the parking area. Easily accessible and remarkable both in size and condition, Nochevi Chairi has been exceptionally well preserved, even 3,000 years after it was actively used.

10:00 – Depart towards the Svilengrad area, passing through the villages of Mladinovo, Levka and Studena on the way to Matochina. After Studena, the final 15 km before Matochina are in very poor condition, so drive carefully.

11:00 – Leave the car at the end of Matochina, by the spring or in front of the town hall. Matochina is a border village that is almost abandoned, with only a few residents. It is located 500 m from the border with the Republic of Türkiye. From the spring at the end of the village, walk 400 m to the remains of the medieval Bukelon Fortress. Walk 400 m back to the spring and from there another 3.2 km to the rock church and back to the car. The terrain has little elevation gain, with low vegetation and excellent visibility. The total elevation gain for the two sites is 94 m. Bukelon Fortress is located at the eastern end of the village, while the rock church is at the western end. You can also drive close to the rock church if you do not want to walk back to the village afterwards.

12:00 – Depart Matochina for the next rock church, the one near Mihalich Village. Since you have come this far, to the very edge of Bulgaria, it is well worth making the 2 km detour to visit it. From the main road towards Svilengrad, turn towards Mihalich Village and leave the car after 2 km. There is a sign for the church, which is located before the village. The rock church of Saint Panteleimon is 600 m away. The visit takes around 30 minutes.

12:30 – Depart for Shtit Village, home to the popular Granitsa Tavern. We recommend having lunch there. Monday is the tavern's day off, but even if it is not Monday, call ahead. You may not have mobile reception in the border villages, so it is best to make your calls while you are still in Sladun and Varnik. Reception returns in Dimitrovche Village.

13:30 – Depart for Mezek Village. On the way, you will pass through Dimitrovche, which is home to three boutique wineries offering excellent wines – Dimitrovche, Dzhemperliev and Sarandiev. We recommend stopping and supporting the local producers by buying a bottle or two of wine. All three are marked on Google Maps.

The same recommendation applies to Mezek Winery or the House of Wine, located above the park in the centre of Mezek Village. It is also marked on Google Maps.

15:00 – Park at the car park in front of the ticket centre for the Thracian domed tomb. The tomb is located before Mezek Village on the left; there is a sign and a good asphalt road leading to the car park. The visit takes around 30 minutes. There is an entrance fee, and a guided tour is available if desired.

15:30 – Drive towards Mezek Village and follow the signs for the fortress. The road leaves the village heading west and uphill and leads to a designated parking area. Leave the car there and walk 100 m to the ticket centre of Neutzikon Fortress. We recommend visiting the fortress with a guide, whose stories bring the stones to life and reveal fascinating facts about life inside the fortress.

16:30 – By around this time, you should be ready to begin the journey home. The nearest motorway is the Maritsa motorway.

Total distance by car for the day: 130.2 km

Total distance on foot: 5 km (Nochevi Chairi, Bukelon, the rock churches at Matochina and Mihalich, Neutzikon Fortress)

Elevation gain: +105 m