I visited Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, at the beginning of an interrail trip through the capital cities of Eastern Europe. On arriving in the city the first thing that struck me was the natural landscape in which Sofia is set. Over the wide streets and colourful buildings of the capital loom impressive mountains which are popular ski and hiking destinations. I only spent two days there but, feeling adventurous on the second day, my travel companions and I decided to journey up into the hills.

For a Brit, Sofia is extremely cheap, so we caught a taxi to the foot of the cable car which is about 20 minutes drive out of town. Once we had negotiated the surly ticket woman, we hopped onto the cable car. It has to be said, the 20 minute ascent up to the mountain-top is not for the faint-hearted. Health and safety does not seem to be a priority in Bulgaria and our cabin rocked precariously from side-to-side. Even more disconcerting was the lack of direction as we passed through successive wooden stations where we presumed we should get out, attempted to do so and were greeted by shouts from the Bulgarian operators. Anyway, we eventually reached the top and the ordeal of getting there was worth it!

The day we went was very misty which meant that the views we had been treated to on the way up were no longer viable. However, the mist added to the eerie atmosphere of the deserted ski complex in which we found ourselves. We weren’t brave enough to venture very far, but the area is a haven for hikers. We wandered among the pines and streams, through forests and clearings and breathed in the air which was pure and hugely refreshing.

I would recommend that anyone who finds themselves in Sofia takes the time to visit this area – at the moment it is fairly undeveloped but Brits are becoming aware of the cheap housing here and soon the Vitosha mountains will start to resemble a more mainstream ski resort. Quick! Visit before it’s too late!