Panoramic alley "The Steps" in the city of Razlog is an absolute must-visit every time I am in the vicinity of this wonderful Pirin paradise.
For all those who do not know the reason for this interest of mine, here I am now going to share.
From the top of the panoramic tower, erected on the highest point of the Golak hill, 901 meters high, a fantastic view of three mountains is revealed - to the south, the gray-ash marble peaks of Pirin, on which even on the hottest summer days white snow-capped mountains shine hats, very impressive with their immense beauty!
In the north, the graceful green hills of Rila spread blue curves, tucked away villages and hamlets.
To the southeast, the proud Rhodopes naturally connect like a bridge in eternity Pirin and Rila, enclosing the vast Razlog valley from the east.
The "Steps" was built in the northern part of the city and its beginning starts from "Golak" street near its intersection with "Simeon Petlarov" street.
The panoramic trail was built according to a European project, and an interesting fact is that a mirror project was also made in the city of Gevgelija in our neighboring North Macedonia.
The "steps" take us up a historical place for Razlog - Golak hill.
A century ago, the entire hill was not wooded and there was not a single green plant on it, which during storms and heavy rains caused serious problems for the residents of the neighboring neighborhood.
Simeon Petlerov, a forester from the village of Kuklen, Plovdiv region, who was in charge of the afforestation activities on the hill, came to help.
In his honor, with great gratitude, the people of Razlog named a street after him and erected a monument, which today is part of the sights that everyone can enjoy on their way to the top.
I confess to you, dear friends, I have been here at the beginning of the month of May, when the spring has given this place a delicate fine fragrance, and the whole hill sings, enveloped in the charm of lilacs blooming all around, as well as in July, in the midst of hot summer , when the hill is shining in green and believe me, it is wonderful here – beauty and charm, views and freedom! It's magnificent!
The organizers have prepared a total of 12 sights for us to distract us while climbing the steps of the "Steps".
These are:
A meeting with the past
Monument to engineer Petlarov
Encounter with nature
A resting place with an observation tower
Explorer stop
View point
Amphitheatre
"Zapeski" stop
A place to rest - a swing
"Zvontsi" stop
Stop "Christianity in Razlogko"
Panoramic tower
The climb to the top takes about ten minutes, which is not felt at all, because the excellent hosts have provided plenty of attractions and lots of interesting information to attract and hold the attention of every visitor.
Arriving at the top of the hill, you can choose which way to go - to the left along a wooden platform in the direction of the panoramic tower and to the right towards the swings and the Bulgarian flag.
The Bulgarian flag was erected near the "Swings".
Somehow, the panoramic tower wins every time, and the more than impressive view of the ashen marbles of Pirina is breathtaking and heart-pounding.
A huge cross rises above the city, erected on April 15, 2001.
You can always rest along the wooden path - for example on these wooden deck chairs with a view of Pirina - for me personally the most beautiful in the world.
Here is the tower!
The panoramic tower is twelve meters high and depicts a human DNA structure – a double helix molecule that houses a spiral staircase leading to the top.
Climbing her metal steps always got my adrenaline pumping and my legs shaking!
And above - at the top of the tower I gasp with delight every time!
And when you are professionally equipped with excellent technique, the result is this!
Sometimes the weather is not so kind and the view is like this:
An additional panoramic platform has been built at the base of the tower, which also offers a wonderful view.
Nearby there are comfortable wooden deckchairs on which you can relax.
While I was dozing off under the caressing morning July rays, I was kept incredibly pleasant purring company by this sweet kitty who was sweetly dozing at my feet.
In addition to lovely photo moments, I also captured some phenomenal video footage, which I edited into this short film. Enjoy!
And now comes probably the most interesting part!
Have you ever wondered why "The Steps"?
No, it is definitely not about the fact that we get here - to the top of the hill and to the panoramic tower - by steps.
The "Steps" panoramic alley is named after one of the most curious natural phenomena in the Pirin Mountains, to which a perfect view can be found precisely from here. It is seven in number of protruding marble teeth, arranged one under the other and forming the shape of stairs and is called
Natural phenomenon "Steps" (Sabitsa) in Pirin
It is truly amazing what a limitless amount of natural phenomena can be met with in nature that look as if they could not possibly exist.
The "Steps" in Northern Pirin are seven in number interestingly protruding marble teeth, which alternate one under the other and have the form of stairs or giant steps. Their height varies from 50 meters to 120 meters.
The "Steps" are a hill in Northern Pirin, which separates north from the main mountain ridge at Mount Kamenitsa. They represent a bare, step-like jagged hill, with several western branches. Its geological construction is made of marbles. The hill is within the scope of the "Bayuvi dupki - Djinjiritsa" reserve.
The starting point for the "Steps" is the "Yavorov" hut. They can be reached in about an hour (from the hut in the direction of Mount Kamenitsa).
The distance in a straight line from Golak hill and the "Steps" in Northern Pirin is about 12 kilometers (according to Google Earth Pro). I used a 240 mm lens to capture the natural phenomenon from the panoramic platform.
How do you get to the city of Razlog?
Razlog is a city in Southwestern Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad district, administrative center of Razlog municipality. It is located in the Razlog valley, which was named on March 26, 1925. Before that date, the city was called Mechomia.
Razlog is located in the center of the Razlog valley, between three mountains - Rila, Pirin and Rhodopes. To the south of the city is the city of Bansko, to the southeast – Bansko, and to the northeast – Belitsa and Yakoruda.
The Razlog valley is surrounded by the southern parts of Rila and the northern slopes of Pirin, and the eastern border is the Mesta River. It is a high intermountain valley with an average altitude of over 800 meters. Tectonically, the basin is a ridge separated from the mountains by large fault zones.
The territory of the municipality has an extremely diverse relief.
Razlog is located in the continental-Mediterranean climate region. A characteristic feature of the climate is the significantly milder and more rainy winter compared to the European-continental area. The city falls in the climatic region of the Mesta river valley and the winter is relatively colder and the summer cooler.
South of Razlog passes Republic road II-84**.
*Republicanski path II-84 is a second-class road, part of the Republic road network of Bulgaria, passing through the territory of Pazardzhik and Blagoevgrad districts.
Its length is 104.8 kilometers.
Razlog stands for:
151 kilometers (about 1 hour and 55 minutes by car) from the capital
147 kilometers (about 2 hours and 40 minutes by car) from the city of Plovdiv
514 kilometers (about 6 hours and 25 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
399 kilometers (about 4 hours and 35 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
How do you get to the panoramic promenade "Stapalata" in the city of Razlog?
The starting (starting) point of the panoramic promenade "Steps" in the city of Razlog is located north of the city and starts from the intersection of "Gulak" and "Simeon Petlarov" streets, east of the "St. George" church.
Near the starting point of the "Steps" panoramic promenade, there is a very small parking lot that can easily park two to three cars.
And finally, my dear friends,
you shouldn't miss checking out
the special photo album with moments –
discovered, experienced, filmed and shared with you!
Kommentare