Luda Reka

The Luda Reka, in English translates as crazy river, is a small river that flows in the south of Bulgaria.

The Luda Reka starts off its life at its source high up in the Rhodope mountains in the county of Pazardzhik not far from the border of the neighbouring country of Plovdiv.

The river flows down the mountains through the foothills below where it traverses through the small village of Kozarsko before meandering eastwards into the county of Plovdiv where it finishes its life as a tributary to the Reka Vucha in Kurtovo Konare.

The Luda Reka is a total of around fifteen kilometres in length and is not navigable by boat.

River Osam

The River Osam, known in Bulgaria as Осъм or Osam Reka start of life in the foot hills of the Levski peak found in the mountain range of Stara Planina nearly two thousand metres above sea level.

The river Osma travels for a length of three hundred and forteen kilometres before flowing into the River Danube as a tributary. On its journey the river passes through the important cities and towns of Lovech, Troyan and Levski.

In ancient times the River Osam was called the Assamus.


Image attributed to Nikola Gruev

Maritsa River

The Maritsa river (known as Evros in Greece) is a river that is four hundred and eighty kilometres in length and starts its life in the Bulgarian Rila Mountain range.

The Maritsa river starts its life close to the border of the Bulgarian province of Blagoevgrad before moving east, travelling through the Bulgarian provinces of Sofia, Pazardzhik (travelling through the central city of Pazardzhik), Plovdiv (travelling through the central city of Plovdiv) and Haskovo. Upon leaving Bulgaria the Maritsa is renamed Evros by the Greeks and acts as the border between Greece and Turkey where it flows into the Aegean Sea.

The Maritsa river is quite wide and is prone to flooding in the low lying areas around the Greek and Turkish border at and around the city of Edirne.

In the late fourteenth century, 1371AD, there was a famous battle at the Maritsa river where the Turkish Ottoman Empire won a decisive victory against a colaition of Serbians and Bulgarians.