Tran Ecotrail

Located: part I – 6 km away from Tran; part II - 11 km away from Tran. In Use Since: part I - 1996; part II - 2002.

Building:

• 1996 - Creation of part I of the ecotrail (the Erma River Gorge); sponsor - SunShine Tours.
• 2002 - Completion of the ecotrail (part II includes the Yablanitsa River Gorge). Project Nr BG 9915-01: Creating a Regional Tourist Product – Steps Towards the Revival and Sustainable Development of the Tran District, the PHARE Steel and Mining Areas Employment Project (SMAEP).

BARET Participation: Created the project and built both parts of the ecotrail; organized seminars on rural and ecotourism development; wrote: The Guesthouse Host Handbook, The Environmental Tour Guide Handbook, The Ecotrail Guide Handbook; prepared the promotional materials.

Sights: Erma and Yablanitsa River Gorges.

Nearby Sites: St Petka Rock Chapel, the Busina ceramic museum, in the village of Bankya - the border stone between Bulgaria and Serbia.

Duration: part I – approximately 2 hours; part II - 3.5 to 4 hours.

Difficulty Level: hiking trip; the trail along the Yablanitsa River is more difficult.

Season: May - October.

Equipment: hiking equipment.

	Private rooms/apartments for rent in Tran.
	Bring your own food; there are good places for picnic along the Erma River, close to the beginning of part I of the trail, and at Zeleni vir (Green Pond) on the Yablanitsa River, part II of the trail.

	The ecotrail consists of two parts. Part I was renovated during the construction of part II in 2002. A popular trail, but it needs upkeep.