"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." These are words attributed to American writer Mark Twain that are relevant to everyone in love with travelling, adventures, and meeting interesting people. One such person is Zornitsa Shepkova, who has managed to turn her personal passion of travelling into her profession as she created her own travel agency for adventure tourism. The desire to be constantly on the road was born 15 years ago, when together with her friends she made her first serious hike in the Rhodopes to Snezhanka peak. The mountain left a lasting impression and at any convenient occasion Zornitsa takes the paths to a peak in search of a desolate mountain meadow where the only guests are the wind and birds hidden in the trees around. What is the thing that impresses her most during the trips in Bulgaria and abroad?

“We visited a magnificient place called the Devil's Trail,” Zornitsa Shepkova says. "It is located near the village of Borino /Western Rhodopes/ and lasts for about 3 hours. One of the most interesting places there is the Devil's Bridge, which, unlike that in Ardino, which was created by human hand, is a rock formation created by nature. The devil's path is one of the most extreme trails because it is extremely steep. What impresses me most during the trips, whether in Bulgaria or across the world, is the kindness of ordinary people - man goes on the road without having planned anything and then encounters someone who unexpectedly helps them; gives them shelter or directions.”

Another favorite spot is the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, where Zornitsa always manages to find some wild and still unpopular beach that can be reached by foot. Just like the "Listi" and "Lipite" beaches, which are located south of Sinemorets, near the border with Turkey. If you decide to visit them, you better inform the Border Police that you will go there because the path you are going to follow is being watched. It is also important to have your ID with you. The best time for such a trip is in July, but if you are impatient to leave the city, you can pack your luggage for an excursion to the Western Balkans. Albania, for example, apart from the superb local cuisine offers tourists a great number of historical and natural landmarks. Zornitsa says the town of Berat is an interesting place and its architecture resembled that of Veliko Tarnovo. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also an interesting country, Zornitsa says and adds:

“It is a mix of many ethnicities and cultures. The traces of the war are still visible. We visited Sarajevo, which is a very diverse and beautiful city, full of restaurants where one can try both western cuisine and local specialties. In Bosnia we also visited Mostar, with its remarkable bridge connecting the two banks of the river. The Bosnian pyramids are another landmark that has gained popularity in recent years.”

English: Alexander Markov