Walking in the Balkan mountains

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

This walking holiday in Bulgaria's Balkan Mountains is, by its very nature, slow and sustainable, with guests walking on average 12km per day, enabling them to explore the mountains in a way that produces the least amount of carbon emissions possible - on foot. With all our tours, we encourage our guests to travel to or within Bulgaria using buses and trains. When possible, we recommend public transport transfers on our hiking and cycling holidays but, as this is not viable on this particular tour, we use our local driver to transfer our customers.


ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

The walks during this walking holiday take our guests through a variety of different environments such as Derventa Gorge and the Yantra River all the way to holy sites such as the Patriarchal Monastery of the Holy Trinity, located at the foot of the Arbanassi Plateau. Most of Europe's large mammals inhabit the area including the brown bear, wolf, boar, chamois and deer.

Many of the routes used in this tour have been either developed (or existing trails selected) in collaboration with local authorities and local communities. A number of the trails have also been way-marked and are regularly maintained; an important measure taken in order to prevent people from straying from the intended routes, therefore reducing any damage to the immediate surroundings of the trails.

We have an in-house responsible tourism expert, who shares tips and advice with our guests in trip notes, blogs and newsletters. For example, on how to practise responsible hiking with regards to the environment and wildlife, giving tips on environmental charities they can support, practising responsible wildlife watching and taking care to protect the marine environment when hiking or swimming. Before departure, guests are also encouraged to bring their own water bottles and to avoid single-use plastic during their trip.

We remind guests to always practise Leave No Trace throughout their holiday, especially as we are aware that waste management has been a point of contention for Bulgaria since joining the EU. We remind guests not to add to the problem by bringing lots of packaging with them or buying single-use plastic while they are there.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism.

The itinerary includes walking through villages and towns such as Veliko Tarnovo and Tryavna. Guests are encouraged to stop for refreshments and dine in the local restaurants and cafes, meaning their spending directly supports local businesses and, consequently local families. Visits to sites such as Tsarevets Fortress, a former citadel of the Second Bulgarian Empire and Transfiguration Monastery, a sacred and tranquil place, well known for its Circle of Life mural on the church’s outer wall are incorporated into the trip to highlight the importance of the conservation of such monuments and to showcase Bulgarian culture.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

All of our partners in Bulgaria are locally employed and play an essential role in contributing to the local economy. At home, we have a strict policy to pay all our own employees and team members a living wage and fair wage, with holiday entitlement. In the hiring process, we prioritise experience, qualifications and passion, emphasising that race, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality are not factors of consideration. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace based on skills and expertise. We also endeavour to support any guests with visible and non-visible disabilities or any special requirements, when possible.