A paved road to Belmeken Reservoir in Bulgaria
Belmeken is a high mountain reservoir at an elevation of 1.932m (6,338ft) above the sea level, located in the Rila mountain range, in southwestern Bulgaria.
The road to the summit is paved, with some holes. It runs through lovely old coniferous woods. The Belmeken is the highest dam lake on the Balkan peninsula. The name of the lake means “Famous place”. The area is perfect for picnics, fishing and biking. Although there is no intensive traffic on the road, it may be difficult to go on if you meet another car. When the snow falls - which it does in the winter – things get tough and slippery.
With its 12 hairpin turns, the road has been featured in the WRC Rally Bulgaria. The dam is large and opens an amazing view that you can enjoy. Starting from the town of Sestrimo, the road is 25.8km (16.03mi). Over this distance, the elevation gain is 1.303 meters. The average gradient is 5.05%. A minor paved road south of the dam, tops out at 2.062m above the sea level.