Into Bulgaria’s Mythic Mountains
Majestic, primeval and wild. A landscape shifting from fertile and soft to sparse and impenetrable. Home to exotic flora and endangered fauna. This is Bulgaria’s mountain world, one of the most bio-diverse regions in Europe, and yet, virtually unknown. Sometimes rough, sometimes peaceful, it always evokes a sense of longing and is ready to offer many adventures to its explorers. This two-part documentary travels Into Bulgaria’s Mythic Mountains.

Part 1: The Balkan Mountains stretch from the northwest of Bulgaria to the Black Sea coast. The massif extends along a distance of over 600 kilometers, with a pronounced promontory on its northern side and steep slopes to the south. The Central Balkan is the wildest part and one of the last refuges for brown bears. Vladimir Todorov is a biologist who specializes in these large predators. When a bear is caught in the trap of a poacher, we accompany Vladimir as he saves the young animal.

Part 2: Rila, Pirin, Rhodopes and Strandza are four mountain ranges in the south of Bulgaria. Rila’s snow-capped peaks are a place of yearning for every hiker. In the Pirin Mountains Elena Tsingarska breeds and thus saves the thousand-year-old Karakachan dogs from extinction. Hidden villages lie in the heart of the Rhodopes, like Kovachevitsa and its gorgeous sandstone houses. Along the Turkish border the destination is Strandza. This mountain range is home to countless types of rhododendrons and orchids and to Stoyan Iliev’s herd of water buffalos.