Kom–Emine () is a high-mountain

long-distance trail A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, equestrianism or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents exc ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

. The route follows the main ridge of the

Balkan Mountains The Balkan mountain range is located in the eastern part of the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia. It then runs f ...

, which bisect the country and give the

Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

its name. Beginning at

Kom Peak Kom or KOM may refer to: Ethnic groups * Kom people (Afghanistan), a Nuristani tribe in Afghanistan and Pakistan * Kom people (Cameroon), an ethnic group of northwest Cameroon * Kom people (India) a subgroup of the Kuki in north-eastern India * ...

() in the west near the border with

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, Kom–Emine continues east for some until it reaches the

Bulgarian Black Sea Coast The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast (), also known as the Bulgarian Riviera, covers the entire eastern bound of Bulgaria stretching from the Romanian Black Sea resorts in the north to European Turkey in the south, along 378 km of ...

at Cape Emine. Due to its length and altitude, Kom–Emine counts among Europe's longest uninterrupted high-mountain trails; it is Bulgaria's longest, oldest and most famous hiking trail. Kom–Emine forms part of the wider E3 European long distance path. The trail's average elevation is . The middle section, Kom–Emine's highest, coincides with the

Central Balkan National Park The Central Balkan National Park () is a national park in the heart of Bulgaria, nestled in the central and higher portions of the Balkan Mountains. Its altitude varies from near the town of Karlovo to at Botev Peak, the highest summit in the ...

and regularly rises above . The highest point of the trail is

Botev Peak Botev Peak ( ) is, at above sea level, the highest peak of the Balkan Mountains in southeastern Europe. It is located close to the geographic centre of Bulgaria, and is part of the Central Balkan National Park. Until 1950, when it was renamed ...

(), which is also the highest summit of the Balkan Mountains. In total, around 100 individual peaks are either summited or circumvented. Typically, the Kom–Emine hike takes 20 to 25 days to complete. The route is marked by white-red-white paint markings and around 30 mountain huts provide accommodation to hikers. Summer is the preferred season to walk Kom–Emine, though the lowest, eastern parts of the trail can get uncomfortably hot. The trail was first successfully traversed in 1933 by the hiking pioneer Pavel Deliradev, though a route along the entire Balkan Mountains had already been conceived by writer Aleko Konstantinov, who was unable to embark on the hike before his assassination. The first mass through-hike was done in 1953 and the first winter crossing on ski followed in 1961. Bulgarian extreme runner Bozhidar Antonov holds the record for the fastest crossing of Kom–Emine. In August 2018, he completed the route in 4 days, 8 hours 37 minutes .

Gallery

References

External links

Kom–Emine route map
at

OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMap (abbreviated OSM) is a free, Open Database License, open geographic database, map database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveying, surveys, trace from Ae ...

Website dedicated to Kom–Emine
(in Bulgarian) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kom-Emine Balkan mountains European long-distance paths Hiking trails in Bulgaria 1930s establishments in Bulgaria