This is a nice and varied cross-country route north of Varna, which has everything - two main ascents and descents, quite a number of flat sections between them, a little wildness, a lot of shade and a nice final descent. Although the terrain as a whole is not difficult, the cycling route is of medium technical complexity for two reasons. First, because the final descent includes a short trail, which can be difficult for beginners. And secondly, because the first descent is on a neglected country road and for this reason it may hide surprises such as fallen branches, tracks or overgrown areas. In addition, on the road along the Batova River during the transitional seasons (spring and autumn) you may come across a little more mud and tracks. And yet, although formally the difficulty is in the middle of the scale, in practice the route mostly follows country roads and it is surmountable even for people with less confidence and less developed technical skills. As for the physical activity, it is also average, and while for the better prepared crossing of the route would take half a day, the more leisurely ones can compact with it more hours of the day.
The best season for cycling on the route is autumn, but spring is also good, as long as it is not immediately after days with heavy rains. Due to the presence of a lot of shade, cycling is possible even in the summer heat. On the other hand, there is a lot of cycling on the open part of the plateau between farm fields, so it may be better to avoid the hottest days and hours. As I have already mentioned, avoid the days after heavy rains, because there may be mud both on the plateau between the fields and in the valley of the Batova River.
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, especially near the city. 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.
Starting point: the branch of Sveta Elena Blvd. from March 3 Blvd .; https://goo.gl/maps/PEbLV6CKR9Yz9uWR7
Length: 31.8 km
Ascent: 640 m
Level of technical difficulty: medium
Duration: 3-6 hours (depending on the pace, breaks, etc.)
Water: 1-2 liters, in the middle of the route there is water
Food: for half a day; the route passes through the yard of a hotel complex with a restaurant
Terrain:
- asphalt - 6.6 km
- country roads - 24.2 km
- trails -1.0 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 which 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 turn to the right on a country road between the fields to get out on the road connecting Aksakovo with the village of Kumanovo. We cycle 400 m to the right on the asphalt to point 19, where a field road turns to the left to the village of Vaglen, and we take it in a northerly direction. The road is wide, straight and flat. In point 20 (8.6 km) we reach the outskirts of the village of Vaglen and, without entering it, we go around it on the left on country roads (at the forks we keep left) and in point 23 (9.0 km) we continue straight and slightly left along the fence of one enterprise. At the next few forks (point 24 to 27) we always keep the left road, which moves along the border of the farm land.
In point 28 (10.3 km) we leave the road along the farm fields and enter a country road to the right into the forest. After a while the road goes down and this is the first longer descent along the route. We follow only the main road, which is slightly neglected, but still clear and passable. We miss detours (logging roads) in points 29, 30 and 31. In point 32 (12.7 km) we reach the valley of the river Batova. Here the road becomes even more neglected and overgrown and seems to continue straight, but in fact you have to find a grassy and barely noticeable road to the right, leading to the river. After crossing it, we pass a lonely but habitable house (p. 33), where there is an evil dog - beware!
In point 34 (13.0 km) we join the main road along the Batova River and take it to the right to the village of Dolishte. Short ascents and descents alternate along the way, while we move in the shade of the forest. In point 35 (16.8 km) we reach a fork, where we continue straight (on the left side of the river) and after a while we come out at the complex "Three Mills".
Enter boldly through the portal (point 36) in the yard of the complex and if you wish, you can stop to rest and eat. The route continues by crossing a bridge over the Batova River and on the other side we start a steep climb on a country road through the forest, in a southerly direction. The beginning is very "sharp" and perhaps you will have to push for a while. Then the slope becomes moderate, in many places even pleasant. The country road is rarely used, covered with foliage and twigs, and in many places it is looking more like a wide path. The climb is quite long, but you cycle in the shade of the trees. In point 38 (18.5 km) there is another country road on the left - we cycle on the right one, and there are already tourist markings in red and yellow here. In point 39 (19.1 km) we turn right, skipping a turnoff to the left. In point 40 (21.8 km) we pass another turn to the left, and then we reach a fork on the outskirts of the village of Yarebichna (point 41, 22.6 km), where we continue straight on. After 100 m (point 42) we reach a narrow asphalt road leading through the valley to the village - we descend on it, climb steeply on the other side and in point 44 (23.8 km) we take the street to the right to reach the center of the village of Yarebichna (p. 45).
We leave the village on the main street and move again on the plateau, along the road between the farm fields. In point 46 on the right comes the road from the village of Vaglen, and in point 47 (27.2 km) we reach the intersection between the roads to Aksakovo and Kumanovo, where you have to cross with caution. We continue a little more on asphalt to point 48 (28.0 km), where we catch a country road to the right between the fields. In point 49 and point 50 we keep to the left, passing country roads to the right. We move along the border between the forest and the fields to point 51 (28.9 km), where we turn right on a country road and the descent begins. In the first 200 m we cycle on a slightly overgrown country road past an orchard. In point 52 (29.1 km) the country road turns left, and we turn right on a path that crosses the gully and exits on the other side with a short climb. In point 53 (29.4 km) we join a country road and we take it swiftly downwards. After 300 m (point 54) there is a fork where you can turn to a meadow with a shelter on the left. Otherwise, the route continues straight, following the main country road to the left, in point 55 and straight to point 08, where the road should already be familiar to you, because you have climbed on this same route earlier. In point 07 (30.2 km) the country road turns left, and we continue downhill straight on a path that is initially wide, but gradually narrows and becomes a little steeper and more technical, but not difficult. In p.56 and p.57 other paths deviate, we follow the main one straightly. In point 05 (30.9 km) we go out again on the road on which we started the ascent, but in point 04 we do not take the left, but continue straight on the direct and steeper path to finish where we started cycling - at the split on Sveta Elena Blvd. from March 3 Blvd.
