Highlight of our trip to Bulgaria! - This was the second day in a row my friends and i spent with Ventsislav — we enjoyed our trip to Belogradchik with him so much that we canceled our planned tour of Rila and booked a private one with him (thanks again for accommodating that)! This day was seriously something else. Just about as much fun as possible. Worth noting, this is a physically demanding hike! Primarily in that it has lots of stairs/steep uphill, and then on the descent you’ve got lots of steep downhill. Ventsislav is super happy to go at whatever speed you want, and to take as many breaks as you’d like. We saw people of all ages and fitness levels able to reach the top, and there are tons of views worth stopping at along the way. That being said, wear something athletic including good running shoes, or if you have them, hiking boots. I went in my running shoes and was totally fine, but the primary reason I’d suggest hiking boots is because there are many areas where you need to walk on sort of loose rocks so a little ankle support can’t hurt. Also bring a hat for the sun and a light sweater for misty wind at the top (we went in August). * also worth noting, Ventsislav carries an extra set of walking poles so if someone is worried about instability, definitely ask him ahead of time about borrowing those :) The monetary itself was spectacular. As with everything, Ventsislav had tons of cool information to share with us and was happy to answer any and all questions. He’s an extremely experienced, kind, and friendly tour guide, and has a great sense of humor and disposition. 11/10! Thanks again!