Narrow-gauge railway
The little train through the Rhodopes: transport for the villages, a day out for you.
Five hours through the mountains
Since 1945 a narrow train has run from Septemvri to Dobrinishte. For the mountain villages it is still simply public transport: you sit next to schoolchildren, people with shopping bags and men coming back from the market. For visitors it is one of the most beautiful outings in the region. In about five hours the train winds through 35 tunnels, over stone bridges and in loops into the mountains.
What you see from the window
The climb to Avramovo
After Velingrad the most beautiful part begins. The train climbs in spirals to Avramovo, at 1,267 metres the highest station in the Balkans. On this stretch it runs through sixteen tunnels and twice under its own track. Look down and you see the track you were just on.
Along the Mesta to the Pirin
After Avramovo the train descends to the Mesta valley. At Belitsa and Razlog the valley widens and the peaks of the Pirin appear. From Bansko it is one more station to Dobrinishte, where the line ends.
Carved out by hand
The line was built bit by bit between 1926 and 1945. The first tunnels were carved out by hand and with dynamite. In 1939 King Boris III himself drove the first train to Belitsa.
From Septemvri to Dobrinishte
- SeptemvriStart, connection to Sofia and Plovdiv
- VelingradSpa town with hot springs
- Avramovo1,267 m, highest station in the Balkans
- YakorudaMarket on Saturday
- BelitsaBear park nearby
- Razlog
- Bansko
- DobrinishteEnd point at the foot of the Pirin
A selection of the stations on the line.
Summer and winter on board
With the window open
The window slides down and the scent of pine and hay drifts in. At every station people get on or off, with a bag full of vegetables or a bicycle. Nobody is in a hurry, and neither is the train.
Through a white landscape
In winter the train runs through forests full of snow. The pines bend under the weight and the valleys lie still and white. Inside you sit warm and look out at mountains and gorges you never see from the road.
Boarding in the valley
- 1
Board at the station of Dobrinishte, Bansko or Razlog. A few trains run every day in both directions.
- 2
Buy your ticket in advance via bileti.bdz.bg, or in cash from the conductor on the train.
- 3
In summer it is often busy. Arrive on time and you will get a window seat.
Summer and winter
Active
Hiking
Thermal baths
Culture and events
Nature and wildlife
Sights
Places
How to get here