A short route for mountain biking above Vladislavovo residential area in Varna with a smooth ascent to the plateau and descent down alongg a pleasant path. The ascent is mostly on country roads and it is relatively smooth, but there is one feature - the height when climbing up is greater than when descending, due to the different starting and ending points of the route. The reason why the route is not described as a roundabout is that in such an option you would have to go through an unpleasant neighborhood, where it does not seem to be quite safe.
The beginning of the route is at the place where the boulevards "St. Helena" and "March 3" split up. If you are coming by car, you may not find a parking space right there, but if you continue on St. Elena Blvd., you will reach a section where there are properly marked parking spaces and there you can leave your car and return with the bikes back to the beginning. If you come by bicycle, you will not need that kind of logistics.
The description includes many forks and intersections. The easiest way is to navigate with the GPS on the handlebars, so you do not have to stop and read directions every 100-200 meters.
In some places on the plateau you may come across mud and tracks in the wetter months, but in general the route is suitable for cycling almost all year round.
If you do not like the fact that the descent on rough terrain is less than the ascent, then you can combine the current route with "Vladislavovo 1" - so you will both extend the ride and overcome downwards almost the same height as in the ascent.
Starting point: The branch of Sveta Elena Blvd. from March 3 Blvd.; https://goo.gl/maps/PEbLV6CKR9Yz9uWR7
Length: 11.5 km
Ascent: 225 m
Descent: 170 m
Level of technical difficulty: low
Physical activity: low
Duration: 1-2 hours (depending on the pace, breaks, etc.)
Water: 0.5-1 l
Food: not required
Terrain:
- Asphalt - 0.4 km
- Country roads - 8.2 km
- Trails - 2.7 km
Description:
At the fork between St. Elena Blvd. and March 3 Blvd. - 01 (0.0 km), if you look west, a steep street starts on the right (i.e. on the north) - we start the ascent along it. After 250 m (point 02) there is a fork, where we continue to the right and after a while the broken asphalt road turns into a country road between villas and various farm buildings. We follow only the main "street" / a country road, which in point 03 (0.8 km) turns left and after another 200 m in point 04 we come to a wide intersection. Here we continue to the right on a country road to the north, missing a detour in point 05 to the left, and in point 06 another road to the right. Soon after that, we reach an old landfill that has been reclaimed. The road turns past the landfill site to the left and enters the forest, becoming a little steeper. In point 07 (2.1 km) we continue to the right and upwards - here the road is also a little steep. After 300 m in point 08 we leave the main road and turn left on another country road. It is comparatively even. After a while on the right comes another country road (point 09) and we continue slightly to the left. There are also red tourist markings. In point 10 we are straight on.
In point 11 (2.6 km) we cross a narrow asphalt road and continue on the other side to the west, following the country road with red markings. After 200 m (point 12) we miss a turnoff to the left; in point 13 (3.5 km) we also move straight, as well as in point 14 (4.1 km).
In point 15 (4.4 km) we go out into the open and take a country road on the left between the forest and the farm fields on the right. We miss a few turns to the left, the clearest of which is in point 16. In point 17 (6.1 km) we cycle on a country road to the left, approaching the road between Aksakovo and the village of Kumanovo.
Before reaching the asphalt road, in point 18 (6.6 km) we turn left on a country road, almost in the opposite direction. Conditionally, we could say that this is the point where the descent begins, although there are still a few kilometers of level terrain before the slope really turns down. We follow the main country road through the plateau to the south - in many places it splits into sleeves, which later reunite again. During the transitional seasons, there are mud and tracks in many places - choose the more passable lines according to the conditions. In general, at most of the forks the main road is the right one.
In point 23 (8.0 km), on a meadow you should find a path to the left through the grass. There are also tourist markings in blue and green. The path is difficult to find through the meadows, while in the woods it is clearer, although slightly overgrown in some places. In point 24 (8.7 km) on the left comes another path with yellow markings. For a moment we turn right on it, but immediately after that we leave it to our left (point 25), following the blue and green markings. In point 26 we cross an unmarked path, in point 27 we miss a turnoff to the left.
In point 28 (10.2 km) we miss another path on the left (with red markings) and from here begins the real, final descent. The path is clear and relatively wide, and on the left there are several other narrow paths that do not interest us (the clearest is in point 29). In point 30 (10.6 km) there is an important fork - we continue the descent on the path to the left. It widens further and in point 31 turns rather into a country road. We cross another one in point 32 and in point 33 we reach the end of the route at the upper end of Vladislavovo, above the turnoff for buses and trolleybuses. From here, if you have to return to the starting point, go down Constantine and Fruzhin Blvd. (along the right lane there is also a bike lane) to the crossroads with St. Helena Blvd., and then to the left.
