How you can plan a Dunav Extremely biking journey

In Lonely Plan-It, we take you step-by-step by how we deliberate a number of the most complex journey adventures. We requested Christopher Cooley to clarify how one can plan forward to get essentially the most out of Bulgaria’s longest vacationer biking route.

The Dunav Ultra trail runs 740km (460 miles), following the majestic Danube River from Kudelin, in Bulgaria’s far northwest, to the wild, solar kissed shores of Durankulak Seaside on the Black Sea.

Embarking on this pedal-powered journey connects you with the area’s river-centric traditions and pure magnificence whereas providing a glimpse into the socio-economic adjustments which have formed this distinct tract of the Balkan Peninsula over the centuries.

Whereas Bulgaria stays certainly one of Europe’s least-visited cycling destinations, the Dunav Extremely route is on a mission to vary that by championing sustainable ecotourism alongside its whole winding course. For any intrepid bike owner prepared to interrupt away from the peloton of better-known biking itineraries additional west, it guarantees a really distinctive expertise – an ideal vacation spot for an unforgettable bikepacking odyssey.

Whereas smartphones and GPS make following the itinerary simple, the logistics of planning a long-distance voyage on two wheels can nonetheless be daunting, particularly for a vacation spot so off the radar for many cyclists and one solely starting to develop bicycle-specific companies and infrastructure.

That’s the place we step in, providing useful tips that could make the method stress free.

Step 1: Decide your trip 

Select your fashion of biking and put together the necessities. 

Earlier than anything, obtain the Dunav Ultra app, which shall be completely important in your journey. Whereas a lot of the knowledge can be on Dunav Extremely web site, the app is full of further info and options. Maybe essentially the most fascinating of those is the choice to decide on between two route sorts: “Basic” or “Journey.” Your determination needs to be primarily based on the kind of biking you favor, with the Journey map main you extra off-road to deal with grime tracks. Even the Basic route, which tends to stay to asphalt, takes on some fairly roughly paved backroads.

With this in thoughts, it’s best to deliver a bicycle that matches your most well-liked driving fashion: a street bike with at the least 28mm-wide tires or a fast-rolling gravel bike for the Basic possibility, or a gravel one with huge grippy tires or mountain bike for those who go for Journey. Subsequent, package your bicycle out with bikepacking baggage – making be certain all of your necessities slot in – earlier than breaking the bike down for onward journey by way of airplane or prepare. Sadly, one-way leases are usually not but out there however will hopefully arrive quickly, inspired by the continued efforts of Dunav Extremely to develop bicycle tourism in Bulgaria.

Step 2: Determine upon day by day distances

Decide your day by day totals relying in your stage of expertise.

Earlier than embarking on this journey, it’s essential to think about the distances you plan to journey per day. As an ultra-endurance problem, the route may be conquered in 48 hours – but for individuals who wish to go at a tempo that permits each second of the journey to be savored, it’s best to anticipate to complete in a leisurely fortnight. On the app, your entire expertise has been thoughtfully divided into 14 phases, every ending in a location with important facilities that may make sure the journey runs easily (even when the street surfaces produce other concepts).

For relaxed riders or these new to the world of cycle touring, dedicating a day to every stage of the Basic possibility received’t put an excessive amount of pressure on the leg muscle tissue, and can go away you time to discover the villages alongside the way in which, and have interaction with the inevitably curious locals. The longest stage is 92km (57 miles), the shortest 23km (14 miles). For these accustomed to longer days within the saddle, contemplate combining a number of the shorter phases into more-demanding days, with the goal of finishing the complete circuit in a few week. 

Step 3: Make your journey preparations upfront

Dial within the logistics of the place you’ll lay your head and the way you’ll get there and again.

When you’ve established your most well-liked driving fashion and day by day distances, you’ll achieve a clearer concept of the place you’ll be dismounting every night and the general period of your journey. For these eager on sleeping underneath the celebs, mixing wild tenting with occasional nights in campsites is a smart transfer, particularly for the intermittent luxurious of a scorching bathe. Across the midway mark, nestled throughout the Rusenski Lom Nature Park, Koukery Campsite stands out for its strategic location (undoubtedly time for a great scrub by this level!), in addition to its dramatic view over the canyon of the Cherni Lom River.

If you happen to choose to trip gentle, carrying little greater than a bank card and banana in your jersey’s again pocket, quite a few accommodations and guesthouses en route will warmly welcome you in. Some, just like the aptly named Boat Hotel in Tutraken, sit on the banks of the Danube and serve conventional fish dishes of their eating places. Together with (naturally) the Dunav Extremely’s official beer.

Except you’re beginning additional west on the EuroVelo 6, which joins and overlaps Dunav Extremely for a seamless biking connection all the way in which from the Atlantic, you’ll seemingly start your Bulgarian journey in Sofia. From there, you possibly can take a fairly priced prepare to Vidin, the primary city on the Dunav Extremely with a rail connection. (Along with your ticket, you’ll have to prepay a small extra charge to deliver your bike on the prepare.) These direct trains run regularly, with 4 to 5 departures day by day; the journey takes 5 hours.

The closest prepare station to the end line is Kardam. From right here, trains run on to Varna and its worldwide airport within the morning and night, with one change at Dobrich, for a four-hour journey in whole. In 2024, the Dunav Extremely organizers are planning on including packages, buyable on the app, that may embody transfers to and from the airports, making the logistics even simpler.

Step 4: Don’t skip the detours

Notice the place to deviate from the route.

Given the abundance of discoveries awaiting you alongside the way in which, having some concept of what you want to expertise beforehand ensures you received’t miss out. The app encompasses a number of 100 highlights, with one thing certain to please anybody. Boris Begamov, a founder and prime advocate of Dunav Extremely, says, “These are issues you possibly can eat with all of your senses – what to see, what to listen to, what to style, or what to study.”

For some, you’ll have to stray barely from the route – however that simply makes issues extra fascinating. The Dunav Extremely crew can ship modifiable GPS recordsdata on request, and as a service may also help redesign a monitor, with suggestions primarily based on journey priorities.

Nature lovers shall be enthralled by the wealthy biodiversity because the route passes by pure parks and guarded areas together with the Srébarna Biosphere Reserve, a freshwater lake and habitat for a magnitude of hen species, the place for those who’re fortunate you would possibly spot Dalmatian pelicans wading within the shallows. 

Historical past fans may have a subject day exploring rock-hewn church buildings and monasteries, and can undoubtedly acknowledge the importance of the Danube Limes defenses which can be discovered alongside their namesake waterway. These ramparts as soon as delineated the frontier of the Roman Empire; their enduring presence gives a monument to historical imperialism and its eventual decline. In Ruse, at Sexaginta Prista – the Port of the Sixty Ships fortress – components of the defensive wall, together with a tower and temple, are preserved and showcased in an open-air museum. 

For many who assume extra with their stomachs, regional culinary traditions are alive and nicely, with freshly caught fish taking heart stage. Salamura, a spicy stew of roasted peppers, garlic and hearty chunks of chargrilled freshwater fish, is right consolation meals and simply in regards to the tastiest reward possible after a day’s laborious pedaling. Furthermore, the locals received’t allow you to go away with out having tried rakia, the apricot brandy that’s particularly scrumptious within the Silistra area.

Doing it otherwise…

Yearly Dunav Extremely organizes a mass trip, often in late August or early September, to create buzz across the route. Over time, this has grow to be the largest multi-day occasion for newbie biking in Bulgaria, and gives the proper probability to fulfill fellow cyclists in your trip. Contributors all begin collectively at Vidin, creating a way of group – however then proceed at their very own tempo. On the end, everybody receives a certificates to show their contribution to selling the area and the 119 cities and villages that the route passes by.

If you happen to can’t make it at the moment of yr however need the certificates anyway, the “journey package” unlocks a checkpoints performance within the app; you’ll formally full the route by taking a selfie in any respect 26 chosen checkpoints. Both of those alternative routes to trip helps Dunav Extremely and contributes to growing one of the vital unknown sections of Europe’s long-distance cycling networks.

And one which’s maybe the worthiest of being extra broadly found.