Day 16: the Sultans Trail from Belgrade to Sofia

#throwback September 20, 2025

silence by the river and a second breakfast

At 8 AM I leave Sanja’s place, and she doesn’t even come out to wave goodbye. Her curtains are still tightly shut, but the town of Pirot is already wide awake. It’s a real hustle and bustle, and the little shops are doing great business on a Saturday morning.

The route starts along the Nisava River and it gets quieter and quieter. At first I still run into joggers, but after a while there’s no one left to see, except for a shepherd. After over an hour, I spot a table under a tree on the bank, where I have my second breakfast. I’m hungry again—I often get that way when I’ve walked a lot the day before—and it’s important to give in to that hunger. The fresh bread with typical Balkan spreads (a kind of pâté) tastes delicious. Meanwhile, I write my little piece.

Today involves a lot of climbing. Repeatedly, dripping with sweat, I have to stop for a moment, cursing what I’m doing in this heat and wondering why I’m putting myself through this. I promised myself a break when I reach the highest point. The view isn’t as beautiful as hoped, but there is a tree. The only one in the wide area. I sit down in the shade, happy and for far too long.

Boiled grapes and an echo of happiness

In my bag I find a forgotten Snickers; I bought it a few days ago but completely forgot about it. I let out a euphoric shout that echoes through the mountains—this is pure bliss!

To stay well-hydrated, I snack on my by now boiled grapes every chance I get; even though they’re warm, they still provide sugar and moisture. Besides that, I use powder from Decathlon to turn my water into an isotonic sports drink, which is really ideal in this heat. At least I never feel weak or shaky.

To Dimitrovgrad in the pitch dark

Then I make a huge mistake. I see a slightly shorter route on my map and decide to take it. The climb is incredibly steep and I almost collapse. Once I reach the top, half-dead, I run into an impassable, overgrown path. I have to go all the way back… I could just cry!

Meanwhile, it’s getting dark and my booked room can no longer be canceled. I decide to keep walking instead of camping. I just never expected it to get so dark; I really can’t see a thing, but with my headlamp I arrive safe and sound in Dimitrovgrad, located near the Bulgarian border.