Pancharevo is an artificial lake that was constructed in 1956 and is only 12 km away from Sofia. It’s 3 km long by 700 meters wide and is roughly 30 meters deep.

Pancharevo is an ideal place for all sorts of nautical sports like swimming, surfing, waterskiing and rowing. The lake is surrounded by mountains so it also sports a few incredible hiking trails; it really is a bolt for freedom from the hustle-and-bustle of Sofia, and barely 30 minutes away.

I absolutely love hiking in Vitosha (there’s an article about the mountain massif right here) but, sometimes, when it’s raining or in the middle of winter, Pancharevo is a great alternative: the trails are better safeguarded, the terrain is more manageable and there are trails for inexperienced hikers too.

The Once Upon A Time team is currently working on more city-trips to Sofia and we are seriously thinking about slotting in a few 2-3 hours hikes in Panchavero. More information soon.