The next stations we pass through reflect the former glory of the railway. Smolevo is the next halt along the line after departing Avramovo. The station sign has been removed as it is now a private house. After a brief halt we journey on to Cherna Mesta, the old graffiti covered building here looks very sad indeed. I have the impression that it is a shelter for the railway staff rather than a thriving station. Non of this diminishes the journey itself, to my mind this second stage is even more picturesque than the first.
We are still climbing. Divorced from road and river we continue up the mountain. Ahead the track loops around on itself as it circumnavigates one of the peaks. The forest, visible as far as the eye can see, closes in upon us. The tunnels are not of rock but the boughs of line side trees forming a close canopy. Shrubbery, now changing to the colours of autumn as the gentle sun glints down on the scene creates a panorama worth the journey at twice the price! Whilst I tried to record all of the stops on the line and some of the changing scenery my photographs cannot do the journey justice. I could not capture the reds and golden browns amongst the green, nor could I capture much of the interesting scenery and activity as the gaps in the track side shrubs would disappear all to quickly to focus the camera. I still hope that you get the flavour and, mouth watering, attempt the journey yourselves.
The forest was and still is a major contribution to the economy of the region. Now disused, flatbed wagons observed on sidings along the line reflect the railway in its hay-day when logs and other timber products would be hauled out by train whilst essential goods and luxuries made the return journey. The new road has taken over as has tourism as indigenous industries have closed. A farm or small holding with its wooden barn and outhouses hosts a newly constructed chalet block to accommodate walkers and winter ski community.
We pull into Jakoruda station. A smart, light green building polished wood and clean roof tiles. I have some interesting photos here taken on the return journey. Looking at the map the nearby town appears to be a large conurbation obviously successfully supporting the station. According to good old Wiki it was upgraded from a village in 1964 and it is also the centre of the municipality. I suppose you need a neat station in case some dignitary arrives.
Jurukovo and Dagonovo fly by, like Smolevo, the timetable shows identical arrival and departure times. I interpret this as a 'halt' if required. In this case, unlike Smolevo, we did not halt so I have no idea where they are. What I do know is that the track was now opening up into wide valleys amongst the forested mountain ranges. Small villages, cottages and small holdings are dotted about the landscape.
Horse and cart, the occasional horse drawn threshing machine. Men and women with long handled, two or three pronged wooden pitch forks. Possibly cut from suitable branches, bark stripped, wood smooth and polished from the sweat of labour. The forest provides. Small fields of mixed vegetables and salad crops interspersed with rows of green domes of cut hay or grass. Tobacco harvest too. Children gleaning. The occasional horse, not engaged in labour, forages for a tasty snack. Could be England before the wars.
We pull into Belica, Belitsa (miss stated as Relitsa in some guides and maps) station. Across the road and down the track I seen the minarets of two mosques. Later I discovered that this is Kraichte and or Gorno Kraichte not, as I had thought at the time, Relitsa. This brought home to me the diversity of the region. I mentioned the "Pomaks", ethnic Slav Muslims in my last post. They live comfortably along side Bulgarian Orthodox communities.
In my post "131 not out" I talked about the reunification of Bulgaria with Eastern Roumelia, ruled by the Ottoman Empire. It would appear that this particular area became part of Bulgaria after the successful First Balkan War of 1912-13. This explains why the Varna Reunification Parade took place at the memorial to the soldiers of the Serb-Bulgarian war. Eventually I begin to understand some of the complicated history of the whole region, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey and other Balkan states - like the railway, a long and winding road!
We do not halt at General Kocachev but we do at Gulijna Banja. Sadly this fine old station is rapidly becoming a ruin but for me it epitomised the grandeur of the railway when first constructed. A two storey building with attic rooms and chimney stacks resembling bird houses, the track in front of the forecourt now overgrown. This must have been a station master's dream. Waiting room, restaurant perhaps. Definitely ticket and parcel offices. If my premium bond comes up I would love to buy and restore this building.
Onward, the Rila and Pirin Mountain ranges start to impose themselves on the landscape as a horseshoe of tall dark peaks in the setting sun. The countryside, however, is still lush and green. Ten minutes or so to Razlog. A thriving station which has undergone some modernisation evidenced by the slope and metal rails installed from the ticket office/waiting room to the platform. Perhaps they get a lot of invalided skiers returning to Sofia through here?
W sight Bansko, Bulgaria's premier ski resort. The rows of modern apartment chalets built to accommodate this winter influx reminded me of Axe near where my sister lived in France. Do all ski resorts look the same? Bansko station itself is a large neat building painted brick red. The flagpole on the platform reflects its status on the line. Personally I would rather have seen a station building similar to Guilijna Banja. Imposing, romantic jut the thing to start a winter holiday.
Across the tracks are the old sidings and workings of this once glorious railway when it operated in the age of steam. After my return to Varna I received the news that a steam locomotive pulled the train the week after I was there. What a shame, I would dearly loved to have seen it even if I could not get a ticket for the special run. After a scheduled ten minute halt on to our final stop, the end of the line is also my destination, Dobrinishte.
I needed assistance here to get across the tracks as the ramps were still quite steep and uneven. Evening was drawing on and, as I did not know the location of my hotel, I did not hang about. I had looked on Google, the road into the centre of Dobrinshte seemed to be opposite the station, perhaps under an underpass. No the main road runs outside the station concourse. A zebra crossing leads to the junction and the straight road into town. Off I trundle. Amazingly no questions asked for there, ten minutes later (probably five for you) I spy the "Victoria Hotel".
I hate reviews for hotels, people have different expectations and that colours their opinions. For 45 Leva B&B I could not fault the place. The room and the bed were both large and comfortable. The shower room included hairdryer and the usual array of soaps etc. The huge shower cubicle had no door so I found the wet bathroom floor a bit dodgy but a towel solved the problem. A nice sized balcony with chairs. Friendly, helpful staff. What more could you want. After dinner and a good night's sleep tomorrow we go in search of brown bears.
View my "BDZ Narrow Gauge Railway" photo album - this contains the photos relating to this post
View my "Trip to Rila" photo album - this contains all of the photos relating to the whole trip
(I have adopted a new approach with captions on the photographs so if anyone wants an unblemished copy an email request through my profile should do it. Good idea or not let me know.)
In my post "131 not out" I talked about the reunification of Bulgaria with Eastern Roumelia, ruled by the Ottoman Empire. It would appear that this particular area became part of Bulgaria after the successful First Balkan War of 1912-13. This explains why the Varna Reunification Parade took place at the memorial to the soldiers of the Serb-Bulgarian war. Eventually I begin to understand some of the complicated history of the whole region, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey and other Balkan states - like the railway, a long and winding road!
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