The Spring at Mokrino
At the foot of the Belasica, immediately beside the village of Mokrino, water leaves the mountain at about 330 m elevation and flows at roughly 60 litres per second, straight out from among the roots of old trees. It forms one of those places that villages keep quiet about and photographers keep coming back to.
The village sits in Novo Selo Municipality, close to both the Greek and Bulgarian borders, and the spring is its calling card: a short drive from the retreat and almost always empty.
What makes it worth the drive
The setting does most of the work. Water appears at the boundary between mountain and village, runs clear over a small natural pool area, and is framed by trees old enough that their roots have become part of the spring itself.
It is primarily a nature stop: walking, a picnic, photographs. There is no ticket office and no queue, and on most weekdays you will share it only with villagers filling bottles.
The village and the valley
Novo Selo Municipality counts sixteen inhabited places and about 6,972 residents in the 2021 census, spread across the Belasica and Ograzden slopes. Villages like Mokrino stay quiet and rural as a result.
The municipality holds an 'Ilinden Meetings' gathering at the springs every 2 August, which is the one day of the year the place fills up.
Pairing it with the waterfalls
Mokrino sits in the same municipality as both famous waterfalls, so the natural loop is Kolešino in the morning, Mokrino for a picnic, and Smolare if the legs are willing.
From the hacienda it is roughly 7 km and about 10 minutes by road, which makes it an easy half-day with or without the rest.
Why visit
- A spring of roughly 60 litres per second from tree roots
- A natural pool area at the mountain's foot
- A picnic and photography spot with almost no crowds
- The annual Ilinden gathering there on 2 August
- Ten minutes from the retreat, near both borders
Good to know
Getting there
About 7 km and roughly 10 minutes by road from Gabrovo, towards Novo Selo Municipality and the lower Belasica slopes.
When to go
Spring and summer, when the flow is strongest and the trees are in leaf; the 2 August Ilinden gathering if you want the festival version.
Good to combine
Kolešino waterfall first, then Mokrino for a picnic, is the route guests use most.
Frequently asked questions
What is special about the Mokrino spring?
Is there anything else to do there?
Can we drink the water?
More to explore
Stay at the hacienda
Mokrino is the quietest of the Belasica water stops. Take a picnic from the hacienda and let the spring be the whole afternoon.