Road trip guide: Conquering Golyam Perelik
Mount Perelik is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.180m (7,152ft) above the sea level, located in Smolyan Province, in Southern-central Bulgaria, near the border with Greece.
Nestled in the Rhodope Mountains, the road to the summit is mostly paved. The final section is unpaved and narrow. 4x4 vehicle recommended. At the very top is located a military base and it is inaccessible to visitors. The drive offers great views: on clear days one can see Rozhen, Rila, Pirin, Stara Planina mountain, Mount Olympus in Greece and the Aegean Sea.
Accessibility is largely limited to the summer season. The drive is pretty steep. Starting from 866 Road, the ascent is 9.9km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 484 meters. The average percentage is 4.88%.
Pic: Alexander Todorov