Serbia's east and Bulgaria's west

ICT Bike Day 12: Rogljevo - Zajecar - Felix Romulanum - Knjazevac 120 km 1300 hm

Today we have to push ourselves to our limits and sometimes beyond. We knew it would be a long and difficult stage, but the conditions make it a great challenge. In the morning, we are awakened by the roosters and the dogs. We start cycling a bit earlier because of the expected long day. The sky is cloudy and rain is forecasted for the afternoon. We make good progress in the beautiful landscape for the first few kilometers. It soon starts steadily uphill, through small villages until we reach the small mountain pass. Then it goes downhill and the last section is flat until Zajecar, a Serbian city with little attraction. Since it will be very lonely and deserted on the way to Knjazevac, we buy enough provisions. Nearby is the archaeological site Felix Romulanum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For us, this means a few extra kilometers and of course some small climbs as well. The complex with its thick perimeter wall and bastion-like towers up to 15 meters high is very impressive. It is considered one of the largest and best-preserved Roman buildings in Europe. The Roman Emperor Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximus built it in 300 AD for his mother Romula. Back on our route, we pedal steadily uphill for 10 km. It starts to rain - the motto is: push yourself! After 25 km, we are in Lasovo, almost at the end of the world. The road ends here and some people at the bus stop look at us bewildered. They are probably wondering if we really want to ride this way in this weather! On the left, there is a gravel road that leads over a pass to Bucje, 11 km away. And as feared, it is now raining relentlessly, the road is muddy after the heavy rain, and there are big puddles in the middle of the road that we have to ride through repeatedly. It is particularly difficult and sometimes almost impassable for Dominique with the front panniers. The bikes get stuck in the mud, we get wet feet, and the mud seeps into our shoes! With combined forces, we pull the bike through the mud. Officially, this route is part of the Serbian EuroVelo 13, and there are occasional signs in the uphill sections. After sliding through the mud multiple times and getting off in the puddles, it becomes mentally easier, and the motto is: somehow get through! But 11 km and 300 hm are long and far. When we finally reach the summit pushing and panting, it doesn't get any better on the descent. Probably everyone, including us, is asking themselves: Why do we do this - voluntarily? One possible answer: because in the evening, after a hot shower with good beer and pizza, almost everything is forgotten, and we look back on the day with some pride. This explanation alone is not enough. We have made a resolution to ride the EuroVelo 13 all the way to the end, we are looking for adventure, and very likely we have slightly masochistic tendencies and want to fight against our inner couch potato! From Bucje, it really only goes downhill. We arrive at the hotel at 7:30 pm, where we are welcomed, despite our dirty bikes and muddy baggage.

ICT Bike Day 13: Knjazevac- Pirot - Rsovci 90 km 1300 hm

Along the Trgoviški Timok River, the landscape is very beautiful. The route mostly runs through the long, extended valley and offers occasional climbs. Despite the challenges of the previous day, Dominique is in top form and rides ahead with a large distance (once again after a while). Along the way, a waterfall invites us to take a short rest. Then it steadily climbs to a hilltop, where we enjoy a wide view of the valley. It is not far to Pirot now. The city is a somewhat unattractive industrial site, formerly an Ottoman trading center. We feel like we have arrived in the Balkans! It offers us the opportunity to shop, as we have to prepare our dinner and breakfast ourselves in the mountain village where we are staying. Harald says: "I don't carry water, but beer!" With full panniers, we tackle the steep ascent with 600 hm. Fortunately, the afternoon thunderstorm unloads itself on the next ridge, and we hear a constant rumbling in the background. With the hilltop, part of the Stara Palanka ski resort is reached, there are huts and a hotel there, which are closed at this time of year. After a rapid descent, we reach the mountain village of Rsovci, where our host Olga is waiting for us at the village shop. Although it only has 40 inhabitants, all old people, it is possible to get the essentials there, especially beer. We have a small apartment with a terrace and garden, where we enjoy the evening beer. Initially, communication with Olga is difficult and only possible through Google Translate, but then it turns out that she has worked in Italy for several years. Dominique can now speak with her in Italian, which makes the situation much easier. She accompanies us to an old rock church from the 13th century with a special fresco of the bald Jesus. On the way there, we meet the almost toothless shepherd who worked for two years for a Yugoslavian company near Düsseldorf more than 40 years ago. Now he has found his luck with his sheep here in the mountains. Once again, we are moved by the interpersonal encounters and hospitality.

ICT Bike Day 14: Rsovci -Dimitrovgrad (SRB) - Dragoman (BG) - Tran 100 km 1500 hm

We are in a beautiful landscape that we can enjoy on a well-built road. We go southeast until just before the Bulgarian border. After the turn, we steadily climb 450 m to the Vidikovac Vidlič Pass at 1065 m. For the long ascent, we are rewarded with a magnificent view. In the descent, we pass beautiful lakes and reach the border town of Dimitrovgrad, where 50% of the population is Bulgarian. It was named after the loyal vassal of Stalin, who led his country as Prime Minister in close coordination with the USSR from 1945 to 1949. It is less known that he, who was in illegal residence in Germany at the time, was supposed to play a key role in the fire of the Reichstag building in 1933. He was accused before the Reich Court in Leipzig but managed, as a brilliant rhetorician, to put the witnesses Göring and Goebbels in distress through his questions. The trial ended with an acquittal. This was the occasion for the establishment of the infamous People's Court. From Dimitrovgrad, it is not far to the Serbian-Bulgarian border, where trucks are congested. We join the line of cars, many of which are German-Turks on their way to their old homeland. We need some patience, but after the passport check, we can enter Bulgaria without any problems. We end the Serbian part of the journey, having traveled more than 700 km, mainly in the poor and partly abandoned eastern part of Serbia. The Serbians were a bit reserved but also friendly towards us. The roads were mostly in good condition and often signposted, with few exceptions (Lasovo). Now we continue our adventure in Bulgaria and still have several stages and especially altimeters ahead of us. During the time of the Warsaw Pact, Bulgaria was a reliable part of it, and its troops were also involved in the suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968. Bulgaria was considered by GDR citizens as a realistic place to escape to the West. However, there was also an order for lethal shots, which resulted in over 300 Bulgarian and at least 50 GDR citizens being shot in escape attempts. Near the border we are crossing, Vera Sander and her fiancé Rolf Kühne were shot in the underbrush. It is unlikely that they risked the escape, as the West German Kühnle had already obtained forged passports. Most likely, the Stasi heard about the escape intention, arrested the couple at the Black Sea, brought them to the border, and hunted them down in the underbrush to shoot them there. There are documented cases where this was done. What a inhuman system, unbelievable! After the border, we have trouble finding the way, so we decide to ride a section on the highway, which is not a problem due to the low traffic after the border. At a construction site, it becomes too narrow - we are lucky that there is a parallel road. It is quite bumpy on the cobblestones, but we reach Dragoman without difficulties, pedaling hard. Without a break, because in Bulgaria, we have to set our clocks one hour forward, we walk the 34 km to Tran. In the beginning, we go downhill through a long, deep valley. A strong thunderstorm with lightning and thunder briefly pours down on us once again. Shortly afterward, we face the next ascent, and we have to cross the 1000-meter mark again. From the top, we have a beautiful view - only fields and forests, untouched nature with blooming meadows. On the curve, a wild horse jumps right across the road in front of us. We are now directly at the Bulgarian-Serbian border, where border police are on patrol in an SUV. They leave us alone. In the evening, we arrive in Tran, the westernmost city of Bulgaria. The term "city" does not at all describe the condition of the place. There are many small grocery stores, Roma people in the main square, and fortunately a hotel for us to stay in. The question about a restaurant is answered with a no. But just as we are about to stock up on beer, bread, and cheese in the supermarket, an English-speaking young man tells us that there is a restaurant about 2 km away that is still open. We set off - and indeed, we get a great meal - grilled trout - with all the trimmings.

ICT Bike Day 15: Tran - Kyustendil 80 km 800 hm

As today is a shorter stage, we take it easy in the morning. We start at 10 am through a very lonely area with partly abandoned villages. Since we started later, the thunderstorm that already occurred this morning is over, and we stay dry for now. The first pass leads through a charming mountain landscape at 1100 m. On the Treklyanska River, it is wonderful downhill to Treklyano. Just before, it starts to rain, and it gets noticeably chilly. We take a snack break and enjoy a coffee at the village shop. A word about the weather: We assumed that being so far south, we would have to deal with heat. However, it turns out that on the few good days, it is 25 degrees, otherwise around 20, and that powerful thunderstorms always approach in the afternoon. The rain jacket has been used much more frequently than sunglasses. After another 1000-meter climb, we roll down into the valley. A few smaller climbs, and we are in Kyustendil. The city is located near the tripoint of Bulgaria, Serbia, and Macedonia.