Day 2 leaves Montana quickly and finds the quieter side of north-west Bulgaria. The first kilometres feel open and easy, then the road becomes rougher, hillier and closer to the Balkan foothills. Small villages, fields and wooded slopes lead towards Prevala and Falkovets; the route keeps climbing, but never loses its travel rhythm. Just before Belogradchik, the day turns cinematic: red rock towers rise out of the green like stage sets. The finish brings fortress walls, stone giants and the kind of sunset that makes you want to stay.
