Seven Pearls in the Crown of Sakar

This route takes you through the seven top attractions of Sakar, dedicated to history, archaeology, nature, culture and the region's spiritual past.

1. Start in Topolovgrad – the programme begins with a visit to the Topolovgrad Historical Museum. 40 min.
2. Thracian sanctuary of Paleokastro – 3 km by car from the museum. Park the car at the foot of the hill where the remains of the fortress are located. A hike to the summit and back follows. Total duration of the route to Paleokastro and back – 2.5 hours.
3. Transfer 8 km by car to the Nachevi Chairi dolmen in the land of the village of Hlyabovo – visit to the dolmen. 20 minutes.
4. Continue another 25 km south towards the village of Levka, where the fourth pearl in the crown of Sakar is located – the Demonstration Centre dedicated to biodiversity conservation in Sakar. 1 hour.
5. Rock-hewn church of St Panteleimon near the village of Mihalich
6. The next 15 km towards the village of Matochina will take you to Bukelon Fortress – the solitary guardian of the southern border of the Sakar Mountains.
7. The seventh and final pearl in the crown of Sakar is the Ustrem Monastery. This is where this memorable journey ends, allowing you to proudly mark off that you have visited the top attractions of the Sakar destination.

Tips:

It is possible to complete the route in one day, but the day needs to be long, meaning that it can be done as a one-day trip in late spring and early autumn. When the days become shorter, we recommend allowing two days with at least one overnight stay, preferably in the area of Svilengrad.

The route can also be travelled in the opposite direction – from Svilengrad northwest towards Topolovgrad, with an overnight stay in the Topolovgrad area (Oreshnik, Mramor, Ustrem Monastery), and the second part (from Topolovgrad southeast) completed the following day.