Zlatnite mostove (the Golden Bridges) are one of the most popular and beloved places in Vitosha Mountain and are a starting point for many scenic routes and pleasant walks in nature. One of Sofia’s greatest assets is its proximity to Vitosha, which provides wonderful opportunities for active tourism for both Sofia residents and guests of the Bulgarian capital. The routes are diverse – from very easy and suitable for family outings, to more challenging and long hikes. In this article, I will present you several ideas for easy and pleasant walks, starting from Zlatnite mostove, arranged by degree of difficulty.
Short information about Zlatnite mostove (the Golden Bridges)
Zlatnite Mostove is an area in Vitosha Mountain, popular for its large stone river of huge oval rock blocks. It is located at an altitude of 1350-1500 meters above sea level in the Vladaya district of Sofia. There are several stone rivers in Vitosha. Stone rivers are also found in other mountains in Bulgaria, but according to an article on the University of Mining and Geology’s website, the Vitosha ones are “the most numerous, the largest, the most famous, the most beautiful, and the most visited”.
For a long time, the stone rivers in Vitosha were considered glacial moraines. However, scientists later found that:
- the glaciers on the territory of present-day Bulgaria covered only the belt above 2300 m above sea level and
- the Vitosha stone rivers were formed as a result of weathering combined with the erosional action of water.
Where does the name “Zlatnite Mostove” or in English – the Golden Bridges – come from? The oval blocks that make up the stone river in the area are located in the bed of the Vladayska River, completely covering the watercourse. They are called “bridges” because the blocks can be walked over the river. Many of the blocks are covered with yellowish lichens, which look golden in the sun, hence the name “Golden”.
You can read more information about the Golden Bridges on the website of Vitosha Nature Park and in the above-mentioned article .
How to get to the Zlatnite mostove
By car
The most convenient access to the area is by car, but bear in mind that between 10 am and 3 pm on holidays and weekends, Vitosha is closed to cars. You can park in several places in the area. Two of them are in front of the Golden Bridges bistro and after the junction for the Kuker hut.
By bus
There are bus lines 61, departing from the stop under the Lovers’ Bridge at the National Palace of Culture, and 63 – from the stop on Tsar Boris III Blvd. at the intersection with Acad. Geshov Blvd. The buses run every day. For information on the schedule and exact route, see here.
Zlatnite mostove – Kopitoto
duration: 1 hour
start: 42.6097081231, 23.239050974
The trail to Kopitoto starts from the stone river. At the beginning you head towards Momina Skala hut, and then towards Planinets hut. The route is easy, most of it goes through a forest. At one point you exit the forest into a clearing, from where a panoramic view of the opposite Lyulin Mountain opens up.
The views from Kopitoto towards Sofia are stunning. The Kopitoto TV tower is fenced off and inaccessible, but there are rocks just below it from where you can admire the view. The path to the rocks starts to the left of the TV tower.
You should also foresee an hour for the return trip to the Golden Bridges.
Zlatnite mostove – Vladaya
duration: hour and a half
start: 42.610453, 23.237231
The path to Vladaya begins before the big bend at the stone river – before the bus stop.
The whole hike goes through a forest and along the Vladaya River, which makes this route very suitable for a walk during the great summer heat. In addition, there are beautiful river landscapes on the go. Follow the blue markings. To get from Vladaya back to Sofia, you can take buses 58 (to Knyazhevo) or 59 (to the Mizia metro station).
Zlatnite Mostove – Knyazhevo
duration: 2 hours
start: 42.613384, 23.237446
The trail begins on the asphalt road from Zlatnite Mostove toward Momina Skala hut, just past the last restaurant.
It follows a well-marked alley-style path with occasional rest areas along the way. Heading in this direction – from Zlatnite Mostove to Knyazhevo – the path descends gently, without any steep sections, making the walk easy and pleasant. The trail ends at the tram No. 5 terminus.
Zlatnite mostove – Boyana Waterfall
duration: hour and a half
start: 42.6097081231, 23.239050974
The trail starts from the stone river. There are yellow signposts along it. The route passes through the Momina Skala hut and the huge meadow in front of it. There you can take a short break before continuing to the Boyana Waterfall.
Up to here the route is easy and pleasant. The path is wide enough. From here to the waterfall, the path enters the forest completely, in places it is narrow, in others – steep and slippery.
After you reach the Boyana Waterfall, there are two options:
- if you don’t need to care about returning to the car, you can continue down to Boyana village. The walk to Boyana takes about an hour. So in total from the Golden Bridges to Boyana it will take about 2 and a half hours, without many breaks. The trail is of medium difficulty, but the Boyana River offers beautiful river landscapes with its many waterfalls;
- the other option is to return to the Golden Bridges.
Zlatnite Mostove – Puncheto – Edelweiss Hut
duration: 2 hours
start: 42.609467, 23.238898
This is a circular route that starts to the right of the stone river. Take the alley in the direction of the village of Kladnitsa and the Selimitsa hut. The path climbs gently upwards. You pass by the Pancho Tomov hut and soon you reach a fork in the path – straight ahead to the Edelweiss hut, and to the right – to the Selimitsa hut and Kladnitsa. Here you go in the direction of Kladnitsa, and on the way back you will return along the other fork.
About 20 minutes on foot after the fork, the path leaves the forest and crosses a large meadow to reach an asphalt road. A hundred meters from there, straight ahead on the asphalt road is the Puncheto restaurant – a wonderful place to relax.
After Puncheto, continue up the asphalt road. After a short walk to the left of the asphalt road, a path for the Edelweiss hut separates. Our hike continues to the Edelweiss hut. Up to here the trail was going uphill, and from here – it’s only downhill until the end.
About 15 minutes after the Edelweiss hut you reach the aforementioned fork, and finally you walk along the alley to the Golden Bridges, which we initially started on.
Golden Bridges – Plateau – Aleko Hut
duration: 2 hours and 45 minutes
start: 42.6097081231, 23.239050974
This is one of the popular hikes in the high parts of Vitosha. The route starts from Zlatnite Mostove, passes by the Septemvri hut and Tintyava hut, climbs up to the plateau, then past the Ushite shelter and ends at the Aleko hut.
From the Aleko hut you can take bus 66 to Sofia (it stops at the Vitosha metro station) or return back to Zlatnite Mostove, for which you should allow the same time as for the outbound trip.
Final thoughts
Of course, this short list does not exhaust the numerous tourist routes starting, ending or passing through the Zlatnite Mostove area in Vitosha. Here I tried to present 6 easy routes, comparable in difficulty to a walk in the park, but incomparable in terms of experience and movement.
Much more solid routes also start from Zlatnite mostove, for example for climbing Cherni vrah – the top of the Vitosha Mountain. In addition, there are several restaurants in the area. In short – there is something pleasant for every taste.
Other easy hikes that I wrote about:
