More than 25,000 Bulgarians voted in the Mountain Hut of the Year, 2023 contest which closed a few days ago. More than 70 huts and shelters, located in some of the most beautiful parts of Bulgaria’s mountains, vied for the prestigious award. The idea of the organizers from 360 magazine is to popularize mountain tourism in this country, which has been experiencing a veritable boom in recent years.

Mountain huts in Bulgaria cannot be put in the same category, as they are very different – in terms of location and accessibility, but also the conditions and services they offer, says Polina Dimitrova, formerly a hut-keeper and a member of the initiative’s team. That is why the Mountain Hut of the Year, 2023 contest took place in eight categories.

“The winner in the category for a hut without access by car or lift is Mazalat which is quite popular among hikers and tourists. It is located in the Balkan Range and offers very good accommodation conditions, as well as a magnificent view of the entire mountain. The category “Best hut-restart” is a very special category, awarded to huts that have been abandoned and then renovated. The prize in this category went to Belmeken in Mount Rila. Its new owner has put in a considerable amount of effort in its renovation and is welcoming tourists even during the winter months. In the category for the most sustainable environmental practices, the nominations were for huts that have been working hard to protect the environment and conserve the natural resources. In many places where there is no electricity supply firewood is used during winter. In this category, the award went to the hut Ambaritsa in the region of Troyan in the Balkan Range,” Polina Dimitrova explains.

• An inflow of holidaymakers to the mountains in the unbearable heat

The prize for best hut with access by car or lift goes to Partizanska Pesen, also in the Balkan Range, and for cleanest hut to Belasitsa in the mountain of the same name. And as after a long trek in the open air, any hiker will want to reach a place where they can have something hot and tasty, here is the hut with the best cuisine:

“We had some very interesting nominations here,” Polina Dimitrova goes on to say. “But the first place went to Momchil Yunak in the Rhodopes. The hut-keepers there are a young couple, the man is of Argentinian origin. They offer a different kind of cuisine – traditional Bulgarian dishes but also some exotic food. But the speciality at the hut is the Rhodope patatnik which tourists enjoy very much.”

More and more young people have been going hiking in the mountain and rediscovering the magnificent Bulgarian nature,” Polina Dimitrova says. “There has been a revival after the difficult years of the Covid pandemic. Maybe that was when people came to realize they should be spending more time outdoors so as to be healthy. While I was a hut-keeper I welcomed many young people from Bulgaria and from other countries. Foreigners really do have an interest in Bulgaria’s mountains. They come very well informed, but they rely on hut-keepers to give them directions and show them the best and safest routes.”

Two shelters received awards in the Mountain Hut of the Year, 2023 contest – Spano Pole in Mount Pirin, offering comfortable cabins, and Veliytsa, close to the mountain peak of the same name in the Rhodopes.

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova

Photos: Facebook /Mazalat hut, ambaritsa.hiji.eu, Facebook / Momchil Yunak hut, gowhere.bg, 360mag.bg