Mount Haramiyata is one of the best viewpoints near the famous Seven Rila Lakes, yet surprisingly few hikers include it in their itinerary. During this hike we climbed Haramiyata Peak, crossed into the Urdini Circus, and explored three of the beautiful Urdini Lakes – a much quieter part of the Rila Mountains that feels like a completely different world.
We chose to do the hike on a Thursday, hoping to avoid the weekend crowds. Our main goal was to climb Mount Haramiyata, and if time allowed, continue into the Urdini Lakes.
Our group consisted of six people – three men and three women. The women decided to take the Panichishte chairlift, while the three of us hiked to the upper station. The ascent usually takes around 50–60 minutes, depending on your pace. We started walking at 8:20 a.m., just before the lift opened at 8:30. Even that early there was already a long queue, and despite hiking uphill, we reached the Seven Lakes Hut only about 5–10 minutes after the others.
From the upper lift station we walked towards the old Seven Lakes Hut, located on the shore of Fish Lake – the second of the Seven Rila Lakes. The walk between the two huts takes around 30–40 minutes. We passed the southern shore of the lake and stopped at the famous spring near the gathering place of Peter Deunov's followers, where we refilled our water bottles.
The trail to Mount Haramiyata begins about 50 metres past the spring, turning left and climbing steeply almost immediately. It reaches the saddle between the Seven Rila Lakes Circus and the Chanakgyol Lakes. Here the trail splits – the right branch continues to Haramiyata Peak, while the main path descends towards Upper Chanakgyol Lake and then continues to Zeleni Rid. The route is marked with winter poles, making navigation straightforward even in poor visibility.
The climb to Haramiyata is well worth the effort. From the summit we enjoyed spectacular views over several of the Seven Rila Lakes. Directly below us lay Twin Lake and Trefoil Lake, while Fish Lake and Lower Lake were clearly visible farther down. Kidney Lake could also be seen, although The Eye and The Tear remained hidden behind the ridge. On the opposite side, Upper Chanakgyol Lake stretched out beneath the peak.
We spent quite a while taking photos. The weather was perfect for hiking – cool, slightly windy and with excellent visibility. Instead of descending directly to the lake, we followed the small stream above it, which forms the source of the Black Iskar River.
From there we climbed to Zeleni Rid, where the first panoramic views of the Urdini Lakes opened before us. At this point our group split up. Two of our friends decided to continue towards Razdela Pass and return via The Tear and The Eye, while the remaining four descended into the Urdini Circus.
Our first destination was Damga Lake, named after nearby Damga Peak (2,670 m), now better known as Vazov Peak. Continuing along the trail, we eventually left it and crossed open terrain to reach Triangle Lake. After a short photo stop, we continued to Big Panitsa Lake, where we debated whether to continue towards Little Panitsa and Udavnika Lakes. In the end we decided to turn back, but not before climbing a nearby hill with a fantastic view over Big Panitsa and the waterfall flowing down from Little Panitsa.
On the way back Miglena twisted her ankle slightly. Fortunately it wasn't serious, so we slowed our pace and continued back to Zeleni Rid. There our group split once again. Miglena and I returned via Haramiyata, while the other two hikers chose the route through The Tear and The Eye.
By then we were down to just the two of us. We stopped beside the stream that marks the beginning of the Black Iskar River for a very late lunch, well after 2 p.m.
After lunch we climbed back to the saddle above Upper Chanakgyol Lake and decided to try a different trail following the ridge towards the new shelter used by the White Brotherhood. It was obvious the path hadn't been cleared for quite some time. Dense dwarf pine covered several sections, making progress slower and less enjoyable.
The reward, however, was another superb viewpoint overlooking Lower Chanakgyol Lake, the larger of the two lakes. From there we gradually descended back to Seven Lakes Hut and continued to the upper lift station.
The contrast with the morning couldn't have been greater. Earlier we had met only a handful of hikers, while now the trails were crowded with tourists, many of them foreigners. The peaceful silence of the Urdini Lakes felt far away. During our entire visit there we hadn't met a single person – only a herd of semi-wild horses grazing quietly in the valley.
Near the lift we met the rest of our group again. Two of our friends had already started driving back to Blagoevgrad, while the women took the chairlift down. My friend Veso and I decided to walk.
I wanted to measure exactly how long the descent would take, but that plan quickly changed. In the forest beneath the lift we stumbled upon several porcini mushrooms, and from that moment our pace slowed dramatically as we stopped every few minutes to collect another one.
By the end of the day we had covered just over 24 km with nearly 1,500 metres of elevation gain.
Parking at Panichishte cost us €4, while the chairlift ticket costs €16 return or €11 one way.
Although Mount Haramiyata had been our main objective, the Urdini Lakes turned out to be the real highlight of the day. If you're looking for a quieter alternative to the busy Seven Rila Lakes, this route offers spectacular scenery, peaceful mountain landscapes and a chance to experience one of the most beautiful corners of the Rila Mountains away from the crowds.
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