Highlights of the Balkan Mountains Walking Trip
Roam in the remote area of the Balkan Mountains and discover a forgotten stone village Gostuša
Explore the magical region of a remote corner of the Balkans, its vast forests, meadows, rivers, and meet its friendly people.
Start hiking from one place and finish it miles away. Our vehicle will wait at the end of the hike to transfer us to the hotel.
Travel in a small group. The maximum group size is 15 persons.
Have a safe and risk-free booking. We have adopted all our procedures to WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council), UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation), and local protocols and standards. Our booking and cancellation policy is adapted to new conditions and maximally flexible so you can not lose your money.
Duration
2 nights / 2 days
Walking grade:
Moderate
Two days of hiking with daily hikes from 3h30 to 5h, with the maximum accumulated ascent up to 760 meters
Please read and respect ACE Responsible Tourism Policy.
Book with confidence and risk-free. Please read our new booking and cancellation policy.
Itinerary
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Meeting the tour leader and the group late afternoon in hotel in Pirot. After introductory briefing free time and dinner.
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Accommodation Night in 4 star Hotel Ana Lux Spa in Pirot
Meals Included: Dinner
Activity Free time
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Amazing hiking day on Stara planina. We start the day with a transfer to After a short ride to the village of Dojkinci (1 hour). From there we hike to the remote village of Gostuša. Due to its remoteness, lack of infrastructure and road, Gostuša has remained intact. Interesting and uncommon, the story of Gostuša spread across the borders of Serbia and attracted the attention of experts worldwide. The reason for this lies in the houses built from stone, mud and other natural materials that the locals found in the surroundings of Stara planina. From Gostuša we transfer to the guesthouse located in the mountain close to village Jelovice.
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Accomodation Guesthouse Gali Vrelo (comfortable double/ twin rooms with private facilities), Stara Planina
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Activity Walking 5h, ascent 560m, descent 760m
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Today we walk to Koziji Kamen (the Goat’s rock) a view point above Zavojsko lake and a scenic gorge Rosomacki Lonci carved in the rocks by the same name river. It is difficult to say which of the two is more attractive - a stunning view of a winding lake or the incredible rock formations through which a small mountain river carved. The walls of the hollowed gorge are made of delicate limestone layers. Limestone shale sediments contain many types of ammonites, extinct marine cephalopods that often had spiral shells.
We return to Pirot around 16h00 when you can start your trip back home. -
Accommodation /
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Activity Walking 3h30, ascent 170m, descent 170m
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Tour Information
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STARA PLANINA (BALKAN MOUNTAINS)
Stara planina (the Balkan mountains), after which the Balkan Peninsula was named, extends 550 kilometres across its central part and connects Serbia and Bulgaria. Endless stretches of untouched nature, vast mountain pastures and forests rich in forest fruit and herbs, picturesque villages and interesting folklore. That is the true picture of Stara planina, one of the most beautiful and most authentic nature reserves.
It is a wonderful world of peaks, waterfalls, canyons, gorges, caves, connected with numerous hiking trails.Gostuša - THE STONE VILLAGE
Interesting and uncommon, the story of Gostuša spread across the borders of Serbia and attracted the attention of experts worldwide. The reason for this lies in the houses built from stone, mud and other natural materials that the locals found in the surroundings of Stara planina. The houses were built without mortar or any other binding material, but with the technique called “suvozidica” (roughly translated: drywall or dry-build). It means that the base material isn’t tiles but stone plates.
Therefore, all buildings from their base to their roofs are made from stone. A great deal of craftsmanship, experience and hardwork are required to build such a house. This technique has been used in Gostuša for centuries and the results speak for themselves. You can see them in the houses that don’t crumble under the decay of time even though they are old and run-down. And that’s exactly what makes them so unique, rare and a thing you simply have to witness and experience.KOZIJI KAMEN (the Goat’s rock)
One of the most beautiful viewpoints in Serbia Koziji Kamen (the Goat’s rock), a view point above Zavojsko lake.
ROSOMAČKI LONCI
A scenic gorge Rosomacki Lonci carved in the rocks by the same name river. The walls of the hollowed gorge are made of delicate limestone layers. Limestone shale sediments contain many types of ammonites, extinct marine cephalopods that often had spiral shells.
PIROT
Pirot was once the most important rug-making centre in the Balkans, located on a caravan road between the Middle East (among the most famous kilims are the ones from Persia, Afghanistan, China and the Caucasus) and Europe, became a famous centre for this ancient weaving technique. In the 16th century, when rugs were made exclusively for domestic needs, the kilims were simple and mostly uncoloured.
The Kilims of Pirot were usually used for covering floors, walls, and to be used as curtains, for bedspreads and for covering parts of furniture. Originally, these rugs were only an object of use, but slowly they became a symbol for heritage and were an inextricable part of the region in which they were created. Kilims were given as a gift only on special occasions – they decorated the salons of the Serbian dynasties of the Karadjordjevic and Obrenovic and rulers used to offer them to foreign diplomats, as a valuable gift and a unique souvenir from Serbia.
The most important ingredient for a good quality kilim is wool (obtained from the sheep from the Stara Planina). Only good quality wool is a guarantee for a long duration, a nice appearance and a high-quality weaving.
The sheared wool gets classified by fibre length and then washed in boiling water, rinsed out, dried, bleached and dyed. By spinning the precious wool is transformed into yarn. Pirot kilims with some 122 ornaments and 96 different types have been protected by geographical indication in 2002. -
One night we stay in the 4-star hotel Ana Lux in Pirot. The hotel is new and has a very central position so represent an ideal base for strolling the streets of the small town. The hotel has a small wellness centre with a Finnish sauna, salt room, infrared room and whirlpool tubs.
The second night we stay in a guesthouse located at the heart of Stara Planina. In the vicinity of the guesthouse, there are picturesque mountain villages and numerous hiking trails. The guesthouse has a restaurant with national specialities and comfortable rooms with private toilets.
We pay special attention to the choice of food. The first dinner we will have in a local restaurant in Pirot. The second dinner will be served in the guesthouse's restaurant which has a good choice of local specialities. All breakfasts will be served in accommodation's restaurants and lunches will be in a form of a picnic lunch. If you have some dietary restrictions we will be happy to adapt our menu to you. -
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2 overnights: one in 4* hotel Ana Lux Spa and one in the guesthouse Gali Vrelo on Stara planina
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2 breakfasts, 2 picnic lunches, two dinners
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All transfers during the tour - from the morning on day 2 to return to Pirot on day 3
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Guiding service throughout the trip with English speaking tour leader
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Arrival/departure transfer: from/to your home to/from the city of Pirot. Please contact us if you wish us to organize you a private transfer.
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Beverages during meals
Price: 250€ per person (based on a double/twin room occupancy). A single room supplement - 50€
Minimum group size - 3 persons
What is included:
What is not included:
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Travel Information
All distances in Serbia are given in kilometers. 1 mi=1,61 km, 1km =0.62mi, 1ft=0.3m/ 1inch=2.54cm
Weather Information
Weather is difficult to forecast but, normally, Serbia has a continental climate. Autumn is often with extended periods of warm , sunny weather. The coldest month of the year is January with average temperature a little bit over 0˚C. Spring is usually very pleasant with daily temperature between 15˚C and 20˚C and occasional rain and showers. The hottest months are July and August with average temperature about 23˚C and daily temperature above 30˚C. The country as a whole receives an average precipitation of between 600mm and 800 mm annually in the plains- about the same as that of southeast England – and about 800mm and 1200mm in highland regions. In July and August we usually have some days with daily max temperature about 35C.
Packing suggestions
Casual seasonal clothing is recommended for most occasions. You may wish to bring a sweater and some jacket even in summer, comfortable hiking shoes, rain jacket, plus trainers or sandals for relaxing. You should also bring some water bottles, sun protection cream (high protection factor 30 and above), insect repellent, sunglasses, sun hat, and a lip salve with sun protection. You may bring a swimming suit as the hotel in Pirot has a small wellness centre.
General Information
Currency and Exchange
Serbian Dinar is monetary unit in Serbia. For 1 Euro you can get 117,00 dinars (current exchange rate). In all cities and towns you can find change offices. Most of them have a good exchange rate and do not charge commission. ATM machines are available in Pirot and they require a PIN number. For arriving by plane, there is an ATM at the arrivals hall (downstairs) of Belgrade’s Surcin Airport, which will accept VISA, VISA Electron, VISA Plus, MasterCard, Maestro and Cirrus cards. Some of the restaurants and shops accept credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners). The most widely excepted credit cards are VISA, closely followed by MasterCard. Traveller’s cheques are a little harder to change: Branches of Raiffeisen Bank or Komercijalna Banka are probably the best bet but beware of high commission charges. For Eurocheques, branches of ProCredit Bank are probably the best bet. Neither personal nor travellers’ cheques can normally be exchanged for goods in shops, so credit cards make far more sense.
Banks are generally open from 08:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and from 08:00 to 15:00 on Saturdays.
In smaller towns it is useful to have enough cash. Foreign nationals may take a maximum of 120.000 dinars in or out of the country.
Most of the shops are open from 9am to 9 pm and remain open through lunch.
Restaurants: The main meal is taken at lunch from 1pm to 3pm. Restaurants serve dinner in the evening from 8pm till 11pm.Electric Current
In Serbia electric current is 220 volts, 50 HZ. To use American or British electrical appliances a plug adapter is necessary. Electric plug used in Serbia is type C (the same one is in use in Croatia, Belgium, Egypt, Italy, Hungary, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Bulgaria, Romania, Switzerland, Turkey, Vietnam, etc.
Telephone
Telephone plug used in Serbia is US RJ-11 phone plug
Telephoning Home
Most of the telephone cards (AT&T…) do not work here. The most convenient way for telephoning home is to use your mobile phone. Note that telephoning from Serbia will involve roaming charges, so please double-check with your mobile provider at home about the rates and conditions.
To make a direct international call, first dial 00 (code to access international line) then the country code, the area code and local number. The country code for Australia is 61, Norway 47, Great Britain is 44, USA and Canada 1, France 33, Germany 49. To make a national call just dial area code and local telephone number. City codes Belgrade 011, Nis 018, Novi Sad 021. Important phone numbers: Police 192, Fire department 193, Ambulance 194.
ACE Emergency phone (24h available) +381 (0)64 24 76 311.
Language
Official language is Serbian but English is widely spoken specially in a bigger towns. Both Cyrillic and Latin Alphabet is in used.
INSURANCE
Travel insurance is highly recommended for all clients whilst on a tour organized by ACE. Clients together with their personal property including baggage are at all times solely at their own risk. Clients are wholly responsible for arranging their own insurance. Clients are responsible for ensuring that they are in possession of private Travel Insurance with protection for the full duration of the tour in respect of at least medical expenses, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment, with adequate cover. Clients making their own arrangements should ensure that there is no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities included in their tour. Clients should satisfy themselves that any travel insurance is what they require and should arrange supplementary insurance if need be.
Responsible Travel
Before you come on the tour please read and respect ACE Responsible Tourism Policy
Personal Expenses
MEAL PLAN
Meals other than those included in the itinerary are paid for separately by traveler. Examples of some costs are provided below:
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Coffee/ Tea - 0.8-1 Euro
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Soft drink - 1-1.5 Euro
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Bottle of beer - 1-2 Euro
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Bottle of wine - 5-15 Euro
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Two course meal - 8-10 Euro
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Three course meal - 12-15 Euro
Local fares in small towns
Tipping
Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognized part of life in this part of the world. Gratuities for the staff of the ACE Adventure is discretionally but always appreciated by the staff and we will be happy to provide guidelines.
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Photos
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Stara Planina
A walk through the meadows
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Stara Planina
Beautiful landscapes
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Mountain streams
Dojkinačka river
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Mountain streams
Dojkinačka river
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Tupavica
Tupavica waterfall
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Tupavica
Medjudolski dol
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Old Mountain
A walk through a forest
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Tupavica
Tupavica waterfall
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Tupavica
Tupavica waterfall
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Dojkinci
Beautiful villages of the Old Mountain
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Slavinja
Beautiful villages of the Old Mountain
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Rosomački lonci
Rosomačka river canyon
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Rosomački lonci
Rosomačka river canyon
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Rosomački lonci
Rosomačka river canyon
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Watermill
Watermill on Old Mountain rivers
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Koziji kamen
One of the most beautiful viewpoints in Serbia
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Visočica river
Meanders of the Zavojsko lake
Dates & Prices
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Date End
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