Vitoša in Črni vrh

Description of mountain:
VITOSHA and Cherni Vrah 2292 m (470 vm) (2.30 h – 1.30 h ascent +1 h descent)
By road from Sofia about 16 km to the starting point at the end of the road by the mountain hut. Check online whether the road is closed to traffic at certain times – which often happens at weekends and on holidays. It is easiest to follow the winter route with winter markings, which leads very gently far around. The other, more direct route leads left from the hut and is 10-15 minutes shorter.
To the right of the hut we take the right-hand path and ascend gradually, first through forest, then among dwarf pines and meadows with various clearings – like a botanical garden. After 20-25 minutes we reach a gravel service road and turn left. Initially along a level ridge, then we begin to climb rightward. After five minutes of ascent we can leave the road and take a steeper shortcut to the left. Through low vegetation we return to the road, which we then follow for another 20 minutes until a path branches rightward uphill at a bend. In 20 minutes we reach the summit.
On the descent we can choose a steeper route. We first descend in the reverse direction of ascent to the bend in the road. We continue downhill another 5 minutes to the right-hand junction toward the ski slopes (also indicated by a signpost). We descend gently at first to the upper station of the cable car (water spring), then follow the marked path that leads in zigzags toward the lower hut. From the summit about 1 h.