Mazalat State Hunting Area
The State Hunting Area Mazalat is named after the Mazalat Peak in the Balkan Mountains and is located near the town of Kazanlak.
The distance to Sofia is approximately 220 km, while Burgas is about 200 km away. The terrain is typically mountainous, with elevations ranging from 1,524 meters at the highest point, Mount Ispolin, to 150 meters at the lowest point near the pheasant farm in the village of Trankovo. The total area of the reserve is 29,884.4 hectares.
Its boundaries include the southern slopes of the Troyan-Kalofer and Shipka sections of the Central Balkan Mountains, as well as the northern slopes of the Sarnena (Eastern) Sredna Gora.
The forest vegetation is diverse, predominantly consisting of beech forests with the main species being Fagus silvatica L.
In the Mazalat Hunting Area, hunters can pursue red deer, wild boar, roe deer, and predators. The area is one of the few places in Bulgaria where brown bear hunting is allowed. The small game areas provide opportunities for hunting hares, pheasants, partridges, and migratory birds. The reserve also has a breeding farm for pheasants, partridges, and wild North American turkeys.
The hunting area offers two hunting lodges for its guests. The luxurious Trankovo Hunting Lodge features two apartments and four double rooms, accommodating a total of 14 people. It is located 25 km from the city of Stara Zagora and is accessible by an asphalt road. The Leshnitsa Hunting Lodge is situated in the mountains by the river of the same name and can accommodate up to six hunters.
In addition to hunting experiences, the reserve offers activities such as fishing for Balkan trout, photo safaris, horseback riding, educational tourism, and therapeutic treatments at the renowned spa center in Pavel Banya.
For archaeology and history enthusiasts, the area’s Thracian tombs are of great interest, contributing to the Rose Valley’s alternate name, the Valley of the Thracian Kings.
Visitors can also explore the Iskra Museum at the cultural center of the same name in Kazanlak, the Rose Museum at the Institute of Essential Oil Plants, the Shipka Memorial Church, the Reforestation Museum in Shipka, and Mount Shipka.