Belasica and the Tripoint at Tumba
Belasica runs about 60 km from end to end and 7-9 km across, a fault-block ridge divided between Greece, North Macedonia and Bulgaria, and its northern wall rises almost straight behind the retreat. Elevations generally sit between 300 and 1,900 m, with springs and short, steep valleys cutting the slopes.
It is the mountain that gives the region its water, its walking and its history, and guests reach its beech woods on foot inside an hour of leaving their room.
The ridge and the tripoint
Greece holds about 45 percent of the range, North Macedonia 35 percent and Bulgaria 20 percent. Radomir, known on the Greek side as Kalabaka, tops the mountain at 2,031 m from Bulgarian soil, while the 1,880 m summit of Tumba is where all three frontiers converge.
Walkers set out for Tumba from Smolari and the Sharena Cheshma picnic ground on the Macedonian side, and every August since 2001 a joint international climb has been held there under the slogan 'Balkans Without Borders'.
The battle that names the valley
The valley at Klyuch, squeezed between Belasica and Ograzden, saw Tsar Samuel's army broken by Basil II on 29 July 1014. Chroniclers say thousands of captives were blinded afterwards and Samuel died within weeks, which is how the emperor earned the name 'Bulgar-slayer'.
In antiquity the range was known as Orbelos, probably a Thracian or Paionian word meaning something like 'shining mountain', and it carried a cult of Dionysus.
Water, forest and protection
The karst terrain drops steeply on both sides and feeds numerous springs at the foot of the mountain, including the Bansko spring, reported as the warmest thermal water in the country. Higher up, beech woods and cold streams make summer walking genuinely cool.
On the Bulgarian side a Belasitsa Nature Park protects the range with a reserve at Kongur, and a trilateral euroregion was created in 2003 to manage the mountain across all three borders.
Planning a mountain day
May to October is walking season, with snow holding on the upper ridge in winter. August brings the international Tumba climb and the warmest, driest conditions underfoot.
The waterfall trails and lower goat paths suit a half-day from the village. The Tumba ascent is a full mountain day with an early start, and we check conditions and fitness with guests before it is agreed.
Why visit
- A 60 km ridge shared by three countries
- Tumba Peak at 1,880 m, the tripoint summit
- Beech forest, cold streams and springs at the foot
- The 1014 battlefield history of Kleidion
- An international climb every August since 2001
Good to know
Getting there
The lower trails start from Gabrovo itself; the Tumba trailheads at Smolari and Sharena Cheshma are roughly 15 km and about 25 minutes by road.
When to go
May-October for walking, with August for the Tumba climb. Snow stays on the upper ridge through winter.
Difficulty
Village and waterfall trails are easy. The Tumba climb is a full mountain day for fit walkers, best discussed with us the evening before.
Guiding
Guided hikes are arranged from the retreat, with routes matched to the group and to conditions on the ridge.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tumba the highest peak of the Belasica?
How long does the Tumba climb take?
What happened at the Battle of Kleidion?
More to explore
Stay at the hacienda
Book a guided hike early in your stay and the mountain will make sense for the rest of the week, on foot or from the terrace.