Apriltsi-Dalgata Polyana-Club-Hut Tabite Maxim

Hiking route – The most convenient starting point for reaching Club-Hut Tabite Maxim is the Ostrets neighborhood of the town of Apriltsi. From the center of this neighborhood, you follow the valley of the Ostretska River along a mountain road, reaching the confluence with a small stream – Atanasova Struzhna. After this, you see steep slopes covered with beech forests, and above them, the rocky peaks of Zelenikovets, Kurtbashitsa, Kolata, and the sharp pyramid of Mount Rusalka. You pass by a forest station in the area of Hristova Struzhna and reach the confluence of the two initial tributaries of the Ostretska River in the area of Popova Struzhna. Here, the road ends, and you begin to climb a well-marked path heading west. Above the coniferous forest, you enter a sparse beech forest and continue along the ridge occupied by the steep Dalgata Polyana. At its upper end, you cross two bends of the dirt road leading to Hut Tabite. Upon reaching the forest, you turn southeast and continue on a path that crosses the steep Studen Uley. In winter, avalanches often fall along this path and accumulate in its deep valley. Shortly after Studen Uley, the path emerges from the forest, climbs the pass’s summit, and at the Tabite area, you reach Club-Hut Tabite Maxim.

Club-Hut Tabite Maxim – Mount Rusalka / Maragidik / – 1h 15min

The beautiful Mount Rusalka rises northwest of the hut. The ascent is easy and pleasant, with a relatively small elevation gain of about 400 meters. You gradually gain altitude on a well-marked path heading west. After about 1 km, the path splits – the left path traverses below the main ridge, passing the springs of the Tazha River and leading in a large arc to Rusaliyska Polyana. The right path continues northwest and ascends Mount Rusalka. From the summit, a wide panorama opens up over the entire Vidima River valley, the town of Apriltsi, parts of Severen Dzhendem, and the Fore-Balkan.

The peak is more commonly known by its old name, Maragidik. Various legends and stories are associated with this name. One legend tells of a brave Bulgarian woman from this region who threw herself into the abyss to avoid being dishonored by her oppressors. Another legend speaks of a beautiful and capricious girl named Mara, who promised to marry the young man who could carry her to the top of the steep peak. Such a hero was found, but he died of exhaustion at the summit. A third legend connects this interesting peak with the name of Krali Marko‘s sister. One of the most interesting stories is related to the sister of Tsar Ivan Shishman, Princess Mara. Doomed to the harem of Sultan Murad, on her way to Edirne, she passed through these places. The princess wished to look at her homeland from this peak, climbed it, and out of sorrow for her enslaved country, clear tears flowed from her eyes. These tears gave life to the Tazha River and the name of the peak and the pass east of it – Maragidik (Marin Pass).

Club-Hut Tabite Maxim – Mount Botev – 4h 30min – 5h.