The traditional mass ascent to Mount Kom in the Balkan Mountains on July 9 marks the 172nd birth anniversary of the Patriarch of Bulgarian Literature Ivan Vazov, born on July 9, 1850. The Municipality of Berkovitsa organizes the event for the sixth consecutive year.

• Ivan Vazov – the eyewitness of Bulgaria’s Liberation, Unification and Independence
  

The celebrated Bulgarian writer lived in the town of Berkovitsa in the beginning of his career. From March 7, 1879, until September 18, 1880, Ivan Vazov headed the local court. In 1879, Ivan Vazov established a tourist society in Berkovita and organized the first mass ascents of Mount Kom (2,025 meters above sea level). He was fascinated by the local nature and wrote a poem dedicated to Mount Kom, as well as several other poems. Years later, he described this period as one of the most fruitful periods of his career.

• Berkovitsa, great sights, raspberry scent and a romantic mood