The group cycling tour along the “Black Sea Route” tourist route from the city of Constanta to the village of Rezovo, Bulgaria, organized by the “Black Sea Route” Association, Veloweekend, Cycling Club “Ustrem” and TA “Rodni Balkani”, has successfully ended. The event was organized on the principle of “by friends for friends and people supporting the cause”, with the aim of promoting the initiative for creating a tourist hiking and cycling route along the Black Sea coast of Romania, Bulgaria and Türkiye, similar to the international transcontinental hiking routes E3, E4 and E8, as well as the system of trans-European cycling routes EuroVelo 6 and EuroVelo 13, passing through the territory of Romania and Bulgaria. In its overall form, the route connects the Danube Delta, Constanta, Varna, Burgas and Istanbul, and in the future it also predisposes its development to a complete tour of the Black Sea. The ambition of the organizers is that the initiative will significantly contribute to the development and protection of coastal areas and communities, and also the establishment of the Black Sea region as a year-round alternative and sustainable tourism destination.
Starting on 26.04. from the center of the largest Romanian Black Sea city of Constanta, the group of over 30 cyclists covered a distance of a little more than 600 km and 9000 m of positive elevation gain in 10 days, reaching on 05.05. the small Bulgarian village of Rezovo and the emblematic view of the Rezovska River with the Bulgarian and Turkish flags. The route was specially selected as a combination of paths that are used for the bicycle and pedestrian version of the “Black Sea Route” Tourist Route developed by organizers – coastal forest, field, rocky and sandy paths, and very few asphalt roads, where there are no other alternatives and in the settlements itselves.
The group passes through the emblematic places for the Romanian and Bulgarian Black Sea coast – the promenade and the old town of Constanta, the wooden “Sfintul Mina” church by the lake at Park Tabacariei, the Constanta Casino, the ruins of Tomis and “Ovidiu” square, the Danube-Black Sea canal, Techirghiol Lake, Cape Tuzla, the half-sunken ship near Costinesti, the coastal resorts of Neptune, Olimp, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, the Saturn swamps, the town of Mangalia – ancient Callatis, “Esmahan Sultan” mosque, Mangalia lake, the cult village of Vama Veche with The “Door”, the cycling border-crossing, Durankulak lake with its Neolithic necropolis, Shablenska Tuzla lake, the oldest lighthouse in Bulgaria near the fishermen’s village of Kariya, the Tyulenovo Rock Arch, the “Fire” at Kamen Bryag, the fabulous reserves of Yaylata and Taukliman, the bay of Bolata, Kaliakra Fortress, Cape Chirakman and Bisone fortress near Kavarna, the pearl of the northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast – Balchik, Albena resort and the “Golden Sands” Nature Reserve and “Aladzha rock monastery”, the forests and beaches between Varna, Pasha dere, Kamchia river and resort and Karadere, the Byala fortress, the steep hills between Obzor, Banya and Irakli, the Cape Emine, the southern Emona ridge and the Unesco Old Town of Nessebar, the Pomorie Sand Spit, the Pomorie and Burgas salt pans, the “Poda” Nature Conservation center and the fisherman’s village of Chengene Skele, the picturesque towns of Chernomorets and Sozopol, the Bakarlaka Peak with its incredible Black Sea panorama, the Cape Agalina, the Alepu swamps, the mouth of the Ropotamo river and Begliktash reserve, the magical sea coast between the southern Bulgarian towns of Primorsko, Kiten, Lozenets, Tsarevo, Varvara, Ahtopol, Sinemorets, Silistar beach and Rezovo…
In addition to the main group, people from the respective settlements also participated for a short riding in the individual days. The event was also supported by quite a few municipalities along the Black Sea coast, with the deputy mayors of Varna and Burgas personally participating in the daily sections passing through their cities, and on the final day the group was personally accompanied by the mayor of the village of Rezovo, as under the pylon with the Bulgarian flag by the Rezovska river, the group was welcomed by the deputy mayor of Tsarevo according to the old Bulgarian tradition with a homemade bread-cake and Strandzha honey – a wonderful surprise for a “sweet” end to the cycling adventure!
“We had also time to briefly look ahead, to the south, to the future of the “Black Sea Route”, namely – a continuation to Türkiye, where in the Fall our friends from Kirklareli, Kesan, Kayakoy (Midiya), Canakkale, Istanbul, will be waiting for us for a joint transition, and then we had to set off back to our hometowns. We hope that we have left good memories in the eyes and hearts of everyone who in one way or another participated, supported and followed this adventure – share the final words of the organizers from the Cycling club “Ustrem” – Varna. “We also plan another event in the Fall only for pedestrians/hikers along the same route from Constanta to Rezovo and will arrange the bike tour again next year. We hope more Romanians will join us at these events”.
More about the initiative and the event you can learn from:
– facebook event – Black Sea Route Epic 2025 – From Constanta to Rezovo;
– group day by day itinerary map – Google maps;
– facebook page of the initiative – “Black Sea Route” Tourist Route.
Organizers:
“Black Sea Route” Association;
– Veloweekend;
– “Rodni Balkani” Tourist Association.
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The “Black Sea Route” tourist route is an initiative of the “Black Sea Route” Association, Cycling Club “Ustrem” and “Rodni Balkani” Tourist Association – Varna, for creating a tourist cycling and hiking route along the Black Sea coast of Romania, Bulgaria and Türkiye, similar to the international transcontinental hiking routes E3, E4 and E8, as well as the system of trans-European cycling routes EuroVelo 6 and EuroVelo 13, passing through the territory of Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye. In its overall form, the route will connect the Danube Delta, Constanta, Varna, Burgas and Istanbul, and in the future it also predisposes its development to a complete tour of the Black Sea.
“Black Sea Route” is focused on sustainable tourism, combining natural and cultural features with the opportunity to spend time actively. The aim is to attract a qualitatively new type of tourists along the Black sea coast, the so-called adventure tourists or “adventure travelers”. The route passes through nature, as close as possible to the sea, using forest and dirt paths, with the absolute minimum of asphalt roads, except where there are no other options and in the villages itself, and covers the natural, cultural, historical and archaeological landmarks along the coast and near it. Small and large settlements are connected to the main tourist centers and resort areas, providing access to a settlement every 10 to 20 km. In this way, safe and secure passage of tourists along the coast is ensured, as well as easy access to provisions, places to eat and stay, and attractions.
The initiative was started back in 2012, as in 2018 the first complete GPS tracks for the route from Constanta to Rezovo were published. Currently it already has the support of the European Cyclists’s Federation and Eurovelo for the bicycle version of the route, as well as the European Hiking Federation for the pedestrian/hiking version.
Photo: (source: Black Sea Route)
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