Rural development through nature: The potential of hiking trails on the mountain Stara Planina

Jovanović, Radmila and Datta, Debajit and Michalijos, Maria Paula (2025) Rural development through nature: The potential of hiking trails on the mountain Stara Planina. In: V International Scientific Conference "Sustainable agriculture and rural development". Institute of Agricultural Economics, Belgrade, pp. 821-830. ISBN 978-86-6269-141-5

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Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the existing hiking trails leading to the falls at Stara Planina, identifying gaps in the mapped trails, specifically waterfalls in the basin of the Jelovac River. This study aims to propose an optimal route using a minimum cost route approach through integration of GIS and digital elevation models (DEM).The proposed route connects unidentified waterfalls from different river basins. It stretches for 5.04 km with an elevation difference from 1,356 to 1,769 m, effectively linking the Orlov Kamen waterfalls in the basin of the Dojkinci River and the waterfalls in the basin of the Jelovac River. The method involves calculating distance and slope to determine possible walking trails. Analysis shows that many micro-watersheds in the basin of the Jelovac River in particular is often unmapped and disconnected from nearby watersheds. The maximum distance measured between the Orlov Kamen and the adjacent waterfalls is 2.3 km. This study emphasizes the importance of developing a trail network not only to promote public health and recreation, but also to enhance the quality of life. It also tried to bolster rural development by promoting the natural heritage of the area. This can lead to economic sustainability and community cohesion since investing on infrastructure and community engagement is critical to improving Stara Planina’s accessibility and conserving its natural resources.

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