In the distant 1876, on the night of May 17, a group of Bulgarian revolutionaries started their way from the Romanian Danubian town of Giurgiu to Bulgaria suffering five centuries of Ottoman rule. The revolutionary band was headed by poet HristoBotev. The aim was to help the Vratsa Revolutionary District after the outbreak of the April Uprising - a turning point in the liberation struggles of Bulgarians. Onboard the Austrian passenger ship of "Radetzky", they arrived at the Kozloduybank and headed for StaraPlanina. In heavy battles with the numerous bashibozuks and the regular Ottoman army, the revolutionaries were defeated and the young poet found his death.

This year, tourists, enthusiasts and patriots leave for the 71st time in the footsteps of the rebels in the traditional national tourist campaign Kozloduy - Okolchitsa, which is organized annually in the period May27 to June2. In 1901, a committee with the participation of Botev rebels who were still alive drew up an official protocol about the fighting of the band in the Vratsa Balkan and theOkolchitsa peak was designated as a place "visible, personal, accessible and close to the last battle". A monument of HristoBotev was also erected there. More about the initiative fromZornitsaRadonovaof the Bulgarian Tourist Union that has been the main organizer of the campaign during the years:

"The idea for this march came into existence in 1946. It belongs to three veterans of tourism. One of them was writer and scholar Pavel Deliradev, who occupies an important place in the history of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Under his leadership in 1923, the first ascent of Mount Musala (2925 m) took place, and in 1933, together with Pavel Tsvyatkov, he traveled on the famous and challenging route from Mount Kom to Cape Emine. The other two were historian Ivan Velkovand writer DimitarOsinin. They were unitedby Botev'sfight for freedom and the love for their native land."

They started the hike in May, marking the route on the map. In 1947, the first organized march to Okolchitsa was held by a small group of tourists, a total of 17 people, who gathered at the Kozloduy coast from different places, Mrs. Radonovasays.

Gradually, the campaign gained popularity, reaching its peak in 1976, when 8,600 people took the path. After the democratic changes, the figure sharply declined - in 1990, they were only a few hundred tourists, then again patriotism revived and the number of tourists these days is over 1000 annually. About 70% of the enthusiasts today are students, the most active being those from VelikoTurnovo and Vratsa. The district authorities of Vratsa has taken all the necessary measures to make the route more comfortable, providing food for the students and drinking water, as well as mobile bathrooms. ZornitsaRadonovatold us more about the main challenges this year:

"The road is the same, but for the people involved it is a real challenge to walk it again and again. During the march there are also games and competitions focusing on discipline. Each evening there is entertaining program.”

When passing near one of the hundred national tourist sites, they do not miss visiting it. Besides, there is a guide from the Vratsa Historical Museum, who tells them interesting information about the places where they pass through and about the battles that were held. The last lecture takes place on June 1at the place where poet HristoBotev was shot.

"On June 2 the march is officially closed and the winners in the various competitions receive awards from the Bulgarian Tourist Union and the Vratsa authorities."

English: Alexander Markov