Slowly but steadily communities along the Danube have been waking up to new possibilities over the past decade, and at least partial credit is due to the tireless Boris Begamov and his creation Dunav Ultra — a 740-kilometer cycling route connecting Bulgaria’s northwesternmost point with the Black Sea coast and running along the length of the Danube River.

“I knew there was something there” is the thought that kept Boris’s focus on the region over the years.

Despite its one-time economic and strategic role, with the decline of river transport over the twentieth century, the importance of the Danube and its communities diminished as well. The economic crises of the last few decades hit the Bulgarian North especially hard. In light of that, Boris’s interest in the European Union’s poorest region often meets with bewilderment — among locals and friends alike. Even so, he is undeterred.

Dunav Ultra takes up his every spare minute as well as many personal resources. “In the summer my friends go to the seaside while I am somewhere along the Danube — exploring an area, meeting fishermen, discovering new trails, looking for partners. I give it my all,” he says. His experience as an entrepreneur has helped him keep up with the pace, but Dunav Ultra is far from being just a business. “I would never have gone as far as I have, I wouldn’t have reached the variety of partners I have if it hadn’t been a cause. Working on a platform like this is an incredible opportunity,” Boris says.

Today, a decade after its creation, Dunav Ultra is the #1 cycling route in Bulgaria and is gaining more and more popularity in Europe, attracting hundreds of Bulgarian and international cyclists every year.

To aid cyclists in the adventure of traversing the route, Boris and his team developed The 100 Dunav Ultra Sights, a selection of the one hundred most interesting places to visit along the route, and the Dunav Ultra app, an indispensable companion in self-guided tours, offering maps of the Classical and Adventure route versions and recommendations about the best places to stay, eat, shop, and receive bike service. Visitors will find additional guidance through the information boards along the route, prepared by the Dunav Ultra team.

For people who don’t have a week or more to complete the entire route, Boris and the Dunav Ultra team host events and are developing regional destinations along the Danube. Explore the magnificent scenery and multi-layered history of the area between ​​the Danube towns of Belene and Nikopol by taking part in the annual cycling challenge Persina by Bike.

This year’s edition of Persina by Bike, titled “The Year of the Hoopoe,” will take place on July 19–21 and is suitable for both advanced and beginner cyclists. Along with the cycling adventure, the program includes a visit to the former communist-era concentration camp on Belene Island, fishing boat expeditions around the Belene Islands and the “Bulgarian Maldives” in the Nikopol area, kayaking, birdwatching, and an adventure titled “Little Dinosaurs in the Big River.” You don’t want to miss this!

Support for Dunav Ultra is part of the America for Bulgaria Foundation’s long-term efforts to promote economic development in the Bulgarian North through entrepreneurship and tourism.