CHEAP SWITZERLAND DUPE — 7 RILA LAKES 🇧🇬✨😍

hello zesties 🍋

didn’t go to switzerland while i was on exchange cos it was just TOO expensive for me 💸💸💸 so here’s a more affordable dupe with equally STUNNING views 🏞️ — 7 Rila Lakes in Bulgaria! add this to your europe bucketlist. really most beautiful stunning nature ive ever seen in my life. also if you’re in rila anyway, drop by the rila monastery, located in the beautiful southwestern Rila Mountains 🏔️ also for other tips tricks 101 guides itineraries for other countries in europe, check out #sarahineurope

i did this through a self-guided tour on getyourguide from sofia, the capital of bulgaria — aka they provide transport between locations, so for the hike at 7 rila lakes, transport was to the chairlift 🚡, we pay for chairlift & go up ourselves and then be back all the way down for the shuttle 🚗. then also transport thereafter to rila monastery, and back to sofa.

on to the reviews & tips!

Seven Rila Lakes

🏞️ very very stunning views of the glacial lakes, and the mountainous landscape of bulgaria — i daresay one of my favourite places in nature forreals! was THAAAAT pretty hence the amt of photos i took hehe…

🏞️ unfortunately u cannot swim in it, looked super inviting cos the water was so clear!! i also filled my bottle from some of the springs there & drank it and it tasted sooo fresh omg

🏞️ the hike was moderately challenging, please wear proper hiking boots (thr was still snowy patches end june literally summer time…) and prepare raincoats cos the weather is v unpredictable on the mountains

🏞️ i alm slipped a couple time (& i also fell a couple times teehee) & also some places i used my hands to climb also & also the markings were not v clear aft a certain point in time

🏞️ legit worth the view. must see in bulgaria (or the entire balkans) forreal. unbelievably stunning.

🏞️ only food at drinks at the chairlift level, beyond that theres nothing so byo food & drinks (can fill bottle from spring water if u dare)

Rila Monastery

⛪️ super beautiful church, inside & outside! lots of history to it but i cant rmbr i only rmbr how beautiful the monastery was

⛪️ vvvv strict about dress code so make sure shoulders & knees are covered, especially for females

⛪️ monastery museum closes after a certain time, and so does the bakery so i was abit disappointed but ya take note!!

⛪️ a lot of cats lingering around the area (it made me happy)

hope this has convinced you to go BEYOND western europe cos there’s just so many nice places lying beyond… and so much more affordable too! ♥️

#travel #hiddengem #europe #exchange