The "Green Strandzha" hiking club is restarting trips to the Turkish side of the Strandzha mountains. The first trip runs from Friday, 6 November, to Saturday, 7 November, club chairman and founder Vladimir Dimitrov said.

Dimitrov is a professional mountain guide. He said most of Strandzha lies in Turkey. The highest peak, Mahya, and the biggest cave, Dupnitsa, are also on the Turkish side, along with many other natural sights.

"Strandzha is one, even though the border between Bulgaria and Turkey splits it in two," Dimitrov told Bulgarian National Radio.

The first day starts in Kaynarca, where the group will see the ruins of a medieval church and a working mill. The village has many fish restaurants.

The route then goes to Vize, which has an old Byzantine fortress with a well-preserved tower, and the Little Hagia Sophia church, now a mosque.

The day ends by the sea. The hikers will walk through a forest of exotic plants to Pirate Bay, 4 km south of Kıyıköy.

On the second day, the group will hike along the coast and through a forest with many plant and animal species. The programme also includes wide beaches.

The Dupnitsa cave is not on the route. It is partly closed because huge colonies of bats spend the winter there.

Dimitrov believes many of the historic sites in the Turkish part of the mountains are linked to Bulgarian history. He added that many Bulgarians greet the club's groups there.