A total of 160 cyclists from all over Bulgaria and from Romania are setting out from the town of Vidin under the motto “The river, Dobrudzha and the sea”, on August 27 and 28 along a 700-km. long route – from the Northernmost points of Bulgaria at Kudelin village to the Black Sea coast at Durankulak. In the Bregovo-Silistra section, the Dunav Ultra itinerary overlaps with the EuroVelo 6 – Atlantic–Black Sea route.

• Dunav Ultra cycling route - get to know the diversity along Bulgaria’s part of the Danube River

 This is the first year in which the initiative has the support of the Ministry of Tourism. It spans a record number of Danubian municipalities – 12, with the route passing through more than 110 towns and villages, says Boris Begamov, founder of Dunav Ultra, and adds:

“The municipalities themselves organize different activities, interest in the route is high. There are stopovers for the participants, where initiatives are organized with schoolchildren, T-shirts will be handed out, there will be events with the participation of chitalishta (community culture clubs) and public figures. Four-metre flags will be put up at 17 locations along the way with signs showing the name of the town or village. The aim is for the participants to take pictures of the flags, which will earn them a so-called Dunav Ultra certificate,” Boris Begamov explains.

38 cyclists from Romania will take part in this year’s initiative, with a Romanian team on a tandem joining in at the start in Vidin for the second year running. In 2021 the participation of cyclists from Romania was restricted due to the pandemic. Now, there are no epidemic restrictions to dampen enthusiasm:

“Dunav Ultra is not a race, there is no prize money. If you want to join in, you can cover the route at your own pace. It takes 48 hoursfor the fastest cyclists to cover the distance, for others it may take three weeks. We have participants from the country and abroad who are taking part for the second, third or fourth time,” Boris Begamov says.

There is a mobile application Dunav Ultra in aid of the participants, a digital guide to the restaurants and cafes, accommodation facilities, shops and bicycle repair shops along the way. “This year we shall issue over 300 certificates to the participants who have covered the distance. But that is just the people who have officially covered the route,” Boris Begamov says further, and adds that there are many cyclists who opt to cover different sections of Dunav Ultra. Others prefer tourism, an extended stay in one of the towns or villages along the way, bewitched by the local colour, the nature or the cultural and historical heritage along the banks of the River Danube.

Find out more about the routes along the Danube:

• Town of Tutrakan on the Danube showcases local fishing traditions

• Persina nature park – the realm of birds

Photos: provided by the organizers