Momini Gardi eco-trail and Momini Gardi hills
From every point in Banya, two hills can be seen that look like maiden's breasts, which is why local residents call them “Momini Gardi”. Thousands of years ago Banya was a lake, and on “Momini Gardi” remains have been found of posts and chains with which the people of that time tied their boats. There was a Thracian settlement there, proven by many archaeological finds: coins, vessels, bones.
If you climb one of the two Momini Gardi hills, the view that opens before you is indescribable: all the surrounding villages and towns can be seen — Karlovo, Vedrare, Kurtovo, Levski, Sushitsa, Domlyan, Prolom, Voynyagovo, Dabene, and Gorni Domlyan.
Momini Gardi eco-trail. The marking colour is WHITE-RED-WHITE. Time to walk in one direction is an hour and a half. The trail is suitable for small children and also for mountain biking. The walk is mostly flat, with a slight elevation difference up to 600 metres. There are no fountains along the way, so bring 1–2 litres of water per person. The walk is suitable in all seasons, especially when it is cool. In summer it is good to choose the cooler hours for walking.
Start of the trail: from the apartment blocks in the town of Banya /there is marking/ — across the railway line toward the Cross and the mound. From the Cross, go up the mound and to the right. Look for and follow the marking.
Sights along the eco-trail: the Cross, the Mound, military trenches, tank shelters, view toward the village of Vedrare, a rest place with a wonderful panorama toward the Rose Valley made by residents of the village of Vedrare, and the Turtle Head rock. Another interesting feature is the small holes in some of the rocks, made at equal distances from one another. There are several assumptions about them: they were worked by the Thracians, or people used them to tie boats at a time when this area was a lake.
It is also possible to start the eco-trail from the railway station, across the platform and tracks, along the road that passes on the right side of the vehicle. Walk straight ahead only. On this road you pass a landmark — a centuries-old oak, over 100 years old. Later this road joins the already marked eco-trail that starts from the apartment blocks in Banya.
The route is uploaded on the maps: maps.me, bgmountains.org, openstreetmap.org. More information is available on the “Sanctuaries in Bulgaria” website: http://haiduk-tourist.blogspot.com/2017/04/blog-post_53.html. We wish you a pleasant walk!