Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
will leave you near the cave if you alert the driver. The cafes also have directions to the
new
Vrachanski Ecotrail
.
The
park headquarters
( 666 5849;
www.vr-balkan.net
; ul Ivanka Boteva 1)
provides information on hiking and caving expeditions.
Montana
096 / POP 43,300
The main transport hub for Chiprovtsi or Lopushanski Monastery, this drab modern town
was once known as Kutlovitsa then, from 1890, Ferdinand. While under the communists,
it became Mihailovgrad, honouring a local socialist revolutionary. It was named
'Montana' following a 1993 referendum, after a nearby Roman settlement. There's little
reason to stay, but 2km south of town, the modern lakeside
Ring Hotel
( 588 861;
www.ring-hotel.com
;
Augusta Lake; r from 100 lv; )
offers the best facilities. For
cheaper rooms, try the central
Hotel Bulgari
( 0885305600; ul Slavyanska 8; r from 45
lv; )
, which also has a restaurant.
One pleasant local diversion along the road from Montana to Lopushanski Monastery is
the
Ogosta Reservoir
. As Bulgaria's second-biggest artificial lake, it's popular for swim-
ming and fishing.
From Montana's
bus station
( 623 454)
buses go almost hourly to Sofia, Vratsa and
Vidin. Four or five daily buses serve Chiprovtsi, Kopilovtsi, Pleven and Belogradchik.
The inconvenient
train station
( 623 846)
is on a spur track from the major line
between Sofia and Vidin.
Lopushanski Monastery
Some 21km west of Montana, this small
monastery
( 8am-6pm)
, completed in 1853,
enjoys a serene setting and holds icons painted by brothers Stanislav and Nikolai
Dospevski. During the periodic rebellions against Ottoman rule, Lopushanski (also known
as St John the Precursor) provided a safe haven for revolutionaries.
The monastery's
guesthouse
(Balova Shouma Inn; 0887397301 095-585 78;
www.lopushanski-monastery.domino.bg
; r per person 20-30 lv; )
is only metres from
the monastery itself. It has 5 rooms and an apartment, with bathrooms and TVs. The at-
tached cafe has indoor and outdoor seating, a peaceful location and decent food.
