The beauty of the Kraishte area is undeniable! And around the town of Tran lies another landmark – the gorge of the Erma River. The turbulent waters of the river have made their way through the high rocks and formed a beautiful canyon!
Where is located?
The gorge of the Erma river is located only 4 km from the town of Tran and 85 km from Sofia. After the beautiful center of Tran, you have to turn north and leave the city. After a few minutes you reach a well-designated parking lot, where you can leave the car. There is also a huge camping area for barbecue and picnic. There are aromas of freshly baked meat, the noise of the children running everywhere is heard in the meadows.
Along the Tran’s eco-trail – the gorge of the Erma River
The start of the eco-trail is well marked and easy to find! In the distance you can see the two rocks that form the beautiful canyon. The road begins with a slight climb and a steep descent to the first bridge over the river. Divergence with returning people is done by waiting. The bridge is a rather old construction and the audible creaking when crossing it is a little disturbing… And the waters of the Erma River in the spring rage fiercely and predispose to beautiful photos.
Through the tunnel
A little more climbing on a well-defined stepped path and we find ourselves in front of one of the most interesting places on the route… tunnel entrance! It dates back to World War II, when the Germans dug it up with the idea of building a narrow-gauge railway to carry weapons. The project never materialized… Today the tunnel is around 150 m long, and inside it is cool and as you can guess… dark.
To the village of Bogoyna
The trail continues only straight on a flat and wide road and reaches the village of Bogoyna. The route follows the river, but is not the most interesting. There is a fish pond near the village, where you can eat and continue back. There you cross the other bank of the river and climb to the nearby rock. The view from above is already something worthwhile, but the whole duration of the trail is about 2 hours and 30 minutes, and we did not have that much time and shortened it a bit.
Descent to the river Erma
The most beautiful part of this route is a bit hidden. It was our main goal and is located 100 meters after exiting the tunnel. Look for the signs on the left that indicate the unsecured path… And it is a steep descent to the riverbed. In wet weather it is necessary to tread with caution, because of the slippery leaves on the slope.
Bridges over the water
In negative weather we find ourselves around the river. Here is the most beautiful part of the eco-trail – the bridges. The entire length of the gorge of the Erma River is around 2.8 km, but here is the narrowest and most beautiful part! It is around 100 meters long and only 5 meters wide! For thousands of years, the river has made its way through the rocks to be able to present these beautiful karst gutters and small waterfalls! And the built bridges provide a chance to enjoy them from the closest possible distance!
Look around
From this point the riverbed widens and flows relatively smoothly and evenly to the village of Bogoyna. And raising your head up you can see the two high rocks – Zhilav Kamak (Tough Stone) and Tsarkvishteto (the Church). The path forward continues with a steep climb to the top of the Tsarkvishte (The Church). A very dubious wooden ladder rests on the stone at the end of the bridge… You reach the top of the rock, where there is an observation ground. The route from here isn’t well marked and secured, although it is much shorter than the main one through the village. If you want to climb to the top, it is good to return to the lay-by and continue on the main path.
The way back
Оn the way back, we decided to go the “royal” way, so to speak. Returning through the tunnel, we missed the detour at the yellow sign “dangerous section” on the right and and we continued straight. It is nice and flat and exits on the main asphalt road before the parking lot. It is a little more surrounded, but light and pleasant. It is interesting that the whole road through the tunnel to the village of Bogoyna is also used for passing cars! We passed a few… The walk along the river is very pleasant and is a great idea to combine with some of the other interesting places in the area.
