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Fauna · Blagoevgrad · 1,419 m

Bear Sanctuary Belitsa

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Sultans Trail - a European Cultural Route

Bear Sanctuary, Belitsa
Photo: Google Street View

The Bear Sanctuary Belitsa is a wildlife rescue centre dedicated to rehabilitating former “dancing bears” that were once used for entertainment. Established in 2000, it provides a natural forest environment where rescued bears can live out their lives in safety. Today, it stands as one of the most important animal welfare projects in Bulgaria.

The Bear Sanctuary Belitsa was founded in 2000 as a joint initiative between international animal welfare organisations to rescue bears that had been subjected to the practice of “dancing,” which involved training and keeping bears in captivity under harsh conditions for public entertainment. This practice was common across parts of the Balkans, including Bulgaria, Serbia, and Albania, until it was officially banned in Bulgaria in 1998. The sanctuary was created to provide long-term care and rehabilitation for these animals in a more natural and protected forest environment.

Set in the Rila Mountains near Belitsa, the sanctuary offers large enclosures designed to simulate natural habitats, allowing the bears to roam freely, forage, and recover from years of captivity. Since its establishment, it has rescued numerous bears, with the last known “dancing bear” being brought to the facility in 2007. The project is managed in cooperation with international organisations, including Four Paws and the Fondation Brigitte Bardot, and serves both as a conservation facility and an educational centre promoting animal welfare awareness.

Opening times

https://www.bearsanctuary-belitsa.org/bg

Consult website for opening times

Price:

https://www.bearsanctuary-belitsa.org/bg

Consult website for ticket pricing and availability

Author

Maria Veronese

Responsible for this content
Sultans Trail - a European Cultural Route

Public transport

Belitsa can be reached by regional bus or train connections from Sofia, typically via nearby towns such as Razlog or Bansko. From Belitsa, access to the sanctuary requires a taxi or organised transport, as it is located outside the town centre in a forested mountain area.

Directions

The sanctuary is located in Andrianov Chark near Belitsa. Visitors typically travel by road from Belitsa town centre, following mountain roads into the forest area where the sanctuary entrance is clearly signposted.

Parking

Parking is available at the sanctuary entrance, with designated visitor spaces provided. From the parking area, visitors proceed on foot into the sanctuary grounds following marked visitor paths.

Coordinates

42.033326, 23.583559

DMS

42°02'00.0"N 23°35'00.8"E

UTM

34T 713860 4656706

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