It all started 10 years ago as a race against time. Three friends had the spontaneous notion to cross the entire northern border of Bulgaria within 48 hours by bike while enjoying the beauty of this little-known region. They set off from the north-westernmost point of the country - the village of Kudelin, and ended their ride on the northeasternmost - Durankulak.
After a number of mishaps, their attempt failed, but one of them - Boris Begamov - continued to nurture the dream. His desire to see it through spurred him on again the following year. So, in 2015, having significantly improved his fitness, he overcame the distance using a gearless bicycle in only 45 hours.
This is how the adventure called Danube Ultra began. In time it became the most popular cycling route in Bulgaria. Since 2018, it has opened up to more participants and can now be taken on in an organized group or individually in late August-early September. As the project develops, the founder sees it starting to take on a life of its own, convening the adventurers on bikes and those meeting them en route. For the bikers, the ride is about discovering new things about themselves and the region, and for their hosts it's about making a living, which also shapes the cause of Danube Ultra to see a more developed region on the bank of the river.
From a crazy idea to a 10-year adventure with a cause
The story of Danube Ultra is the sum of many things happening in a short timeframe. A decade ago Begamov started the project without really thinking where the adventure would take them. In the beginning, he viewed it as a kind of a technical cycling route. Gradually, it transformed into something that Begamov calls "an expedition to explore the region itself."
Repeated returns to sections along the route helped him to get to know the people of the region, its traditions and history. In this way, the cyclocross became a homogeneous experience that connected the Danube, the Dobrudzha region and the Black Sea. Begamov adds that the placement of information boards along the route with the support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation was pivotal as it helped the cycling adventure get a tangible identity.
By opening Danube Ultra to more participants, it acquired its current reputation - an adventure that unites amateur cyclists in exploring the Danube region in a non-competitive way. Turning a three-participant extreme event into something with an overall vision for change remains the most significant development of the Danube Ultra project, according to Begamov.
For the organizer, the strongest message of Danube Ultra is that it provides a platform for 30 municipalities to get to know each other. "Over time, the route became an opportunity for them to pay more attention to the region as a whole and to focus their efforts in the direction of its development," he says. The route passes through more than 110 settlements and their advertisement as tourist spots is the main cause of the cycling adventure. Because of its improved profile, the Danube Ultra route became part of Lonely Planet's list of recommended travel destinations in 2024 - the sole new entry in this part of the Balkans.
The 100 Danube Ultra sites
According to Begamov, the creation of a list of "100 Danube Ultra Sites" (the analogy with the "100 National Sites" - tourists spots promoted by the Bulgarian Tourist Union with a special booklet that can be stamped at each site - is not accidental) defines the identity of the region. What sets it apart is the presence of all kinds of sites - food for the body and for the mind. "The "100 Danube Ultra Sites" are places that can be consumed with all the senses - hearing, sight, smell. Everything that gives the Danube region its identity," Begamov concludes.
In the search for novel ways to promote the route, the idea of a Danube Ultra mobile app was born, where cyclists can find information about the route and the must-see places along the way. After marking all the checkpoints, they receive a certificate verifying their participation in the cause.
"The Danube Ultra route follows the republican road network, but in some sections you can pass on dirt roads that at times split and at others merge," Begamov explains. Therefore, the cycling adventure can be completed in two ways - classic and adventurous. This way, participants can create their own route and discover a new area along the river every year.
The Danube ultra adventure kit allows the route to be completed individually. Begamov says that mass and solo crossings bring a different type of emotion. The former he calls "a celebration of the region," connected with a welcome from the locals and the creation of friendships. The individual crossing, on the other hand, allows for deeper understanding of the Danube region. "Personally, I can't say which option I would prefer, rather I would choose all of them and that's why I keep coming back," the organizer concludes.
One of the latest Danube Ultra developments the team is working on is a project for collecting the information accumulated over the years. It is called "Destinations Danube Ultra" and will present individual regions along the route to be visited within a weekend. This year the project will start with five destinations, four of which are close to the cycle route (Ruse, Silistra, Vidin and Persina on bike) and one is historically connected to the river (Belogradchik on bike).
From Bulgaria and abroad
Every year, around 150 participants are admitted to the summer event that promotes the project. At this stage the region cannot accommodate a larger capacity, Begamov explains. The cyclists are mostly from Bulgaria and Romania, but every year the number of participants from "exotic" places on other continents rises. In an interesting trend, Begamov observes that this year, for the first time, there will be more cyclists traversing the Danube Ultra route outside the event days than during the official program.
In 2024, the total number of cyclists passing along the route is expected to be between 300 and 500. Both amateurs unfamiliar with the region and previous participants show interest. One of these cyclists is Evelyn Evlogiev from the village of Gamzovo near Vidin, who invents a novel way of crossing the route each year, one of the crazier ones being to do so with a Soviet-era, Bulgarian-made Balkan bicycle.
The start of the official Danube Ultra event this year is August 30-31. More information can be found here.
It all started 10 years ago as a race against time. Three friends had the spontaneous notion to cross the entire northern border of Bulgaria within 48 hours by bike while enjoying the beauty of this little-known region. They set off from the north-westernmost point of the country - the village of Kudelin, and ended their ride on the northeasternmost - Durankulak.
After a number of mishaps, their attempt failed, but one of them - Boris Begamov - continued to nurture the dream. His desire to see it through spurred him on again the following year. So, in 2015, having significantly improved his fitness, he overcame the distance using a gearless bicycle in only 45 hours.
