A Day Trip from Brussels? Fly to Bulgaria for Trail Running

Stuck in an office in Brussels with no idea where to go on your day off? If you love trail running in Bulgaria and being out in nature, take a leaf out of Eda Kožušník’s book — the author of Prostě běž (Just Run), who spontaneously decided on a Sunday evening to fly to Bulgaria for a run the very next morning.

I packed my running backpack and twelve hours later I was standing at the foot of the Vitosha Mountains

Whit Monday is a public holiday in Belgium, and I always forget about it — so on Sunday morning I started scrambling for plans. I miss mountains in Brussels, so when I checked cheap flights, the decision was easy. A return ticket to Sofia (Bulgarian: Cофия) cost just 18 EUR. Bargain.

I packed my running backpack and just twelve hours after making the decision, I was standing at the foot of the Vitosha Mountains, which form a stunning backdrop to Bulgaria’s capital. The beauty of these mountains is that they’re less than a 20-minute taxi ride from Sofia Airport. If you’re flying from London, budget airlines like Wizz Air and Ryanair offer direct routes to Sofia, so you can easily replicate this kind of spontaneous adventure.

In the first five kilometres you climb almost 800 metres

The run itself starts off as more of a brisk hike. Over the first five kilometres you gain almost 800 metres of elevation. As you climb, the terrain changes — mostly forest trails at first, but higher up expect loose gravel and huge boulders. I’d strongly recommend trail shoes. Road runners simply won’t cut it here, especially on the steep descent back down.

3 things that stand out about running in the Bulgarian mountains

• The altitude. You’re running high. The Vitosha massif has 10 peaks above 2,000 metres, the highest being Cherni Vrah (2,290 m). Lower down, you’ll pass through vast coniferous and deciduous forests. Higher up, classic alpine meadows take over. The plateau called Platoto is a striking wetland landscape.

• Trail markings leave a lot to be desired. The signage is an odd mix of socialist-era relics and hastily spent EU grants. There’s no real system to it, and without GPS on my phone I’d have been seriously lost. On the other hand, better signage wouldn’t make much sense given how few people are up here. In four hours of lovely weather, I passed just three other hikers. So forget about buying anything along the way — but if you’re after beautiful, crowd-free scenery, you’ve come to the right place.

• Bulgaria is incredibly affordable. Accommodation, restaurants, transport — everything is significantly cheaper than in Western Europe or the UK. Your pounds will stretch a very long way here. You can find great deals on Booking.com for stays in Sofia.

I always say I run so I can eat whatever I want, in whatever quantity. Bulgaria delivered on both fronts — an unforgettable trail experience and absolutely brilliant food. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my day and a half. And if you ask me about trail running in Bulgaria? My answer: Just run!