Erma River Gorge

Seeing it for first time the famous Bulgarian writer and founder of the organized tourist movement in Bulgaria Aleko Konstantinov asks "What? Switzerland?". In the following decades, however Trun Gorge remains hidden from the eyes of Bulgarian tourists as falls within the border zone. In recent years, the access to the natural phenomena is free.
The imposing gorge of Erma River is located 5 km /3.1 miles/ south of the town of Trun. An asphalt road leads to it, but many tourists prefer to leave their cars in the city and make the one-hour hikes among the wonderful nature of Znepolska valley. The length of the gorge is about 100 m /328 ft/ and the width at the narrowest part - about 5 m /16 ft/. On both sides rise sheer walls of stone peaks Zhilav (south) and the Church (north). The hight of the rocks is about 150-200 m /492-656 ft/. In the last two years local mountaineers organize traditional alpiniada of Trun Gorge, a dozen routes equipped with different difficulty.

Вижте по-голяма карта
A wooden bridge was built near the natural phenomenon, from which can best be seen the beauty of the river, glide between the rocks. From the south end of the gorge leading back to Trun eco-trail, which has a length of 13 km /8 miles/ and can be passed for 8 hours. Starting point for eco-trail is the village of Bankya, near which is located Yablanishko Gorge. The path is a series of equal sections, steep ascent and descent, bridges and ladders.
Erma river springs in southeast Serbia. Despite its small length (74 km, 46 miles) remarkable is that it crosses the Serbian-Bulgarian border twice.

The river spring is in thinly populated area Kraishte. It is leaking from Vlasina lake, after it goes northwest on the eastern slopes of the mountain Gramada, crossing the village Klisura then enters Znepole region, border region of Bulgaria. This is where the river crosses the border for the first time, to the point Strezimirovtsi. Continue in the Bulgarian part of Znepolska valley, bypassing east Ruy Mountain, Erma, this is known as Trun River. It takes close to the villages Glavanovtsi and Turokovtsi, which makes turning north through Trun. After the city, the river gorge pass through Trun. Further, Erma reaches its greatest freshet near Yablanitsa just before it comes back in Serbia, after a distance of 26 km./16 miles/ was leaking in Bulgaria. The river crosses the border for the second time in the villages of Bankya (Bulgaria) and Petachintsi (Serbia). Erma thus continue to run north, passing the village Iskrovtsi and spa center Zvonachka Bath. Continuing a comb between the mountains and Wallachia, it goes near the villages of Trun - Odorovtse and power and monasteries St. Jovan, St. Nikolai and St. Mary before comes in Nishava, southeast of Pirot, after passing a total of 48 km /30 miles/ on the territory of Serbia. In this last part, Erma runs in the coal region Sukovo, and is called Sukovska River.
The only place for accommodation in the region of Trun Gorge is Erma Hut.
Hill in the area of the gorge provides great opportunities for tents.

Transportation
Road:
Trun is located at:
74 km, 46 miles of Sofia
522 km, 324 miles of Varna
478 km, 297 miles from Burgas
222 km, 138 miles from Plovdiv
300 km, 186 miles of Veliko Tarnovo
390 km from Rouse
235 km, 146 miles of Vidin