Лъкавишки рид

Off road on the ridge of the Lăcăvișki ridge northwest of Novacene.

You can reach Novacene by the asphalt roads through the fields. You head towards Boženiţa. You leave the asphalt just at the large left turn, where the road begins to descend into the valley of Bebreș. Our path begins on the left. At first, it runs along the southern slope of the ridge, but gradually gaining altitude it turns inward (to the right) along the slope of a creek and climbs up to the ridge. The ridge is very jagged, and there are many paths, so it’s easy to lose the correct direction. The rule is to follow the ridge and not to descend from it. The ascent is stepped, and there are occasionally short descents. On an open meadow, you can see the rocks near the hamlet of Preslavets in Lipnitsa, and shortly after that, you reach a hunter's shelter. After that, the ascents continue, and the path is easy to follow. Views of Ržana and the Vračanska mountain begin to appear. Finally, before descending from the ridge, the path splits on a meadow. The right side is initially grassy, but then forms into the forest. It leads down to the main road E79, just above Luti Dol. Our path is the left one, which is better outlined. The descent is steep and I did most of it on foot. With a few steep switchbacks, you descend to E79, just above the sign for the beginning of the Mezdra municipality. You head up E79 for no more than a kilometer. You must be careful as traffic is heavy, cars can’t overtake bicycles, so if unavoidable, it’s best to stick to the right side. You pass by a lake and after a while, you leave E79 at a right turn. From here starts a place called Ravnâ. The dirt road connects E79 with the old road to Mezdra by some dirty and ugly sheepfolds with nasty dogs. You pass by several houses, followed by a short climb to a meadow. On it, there is a fork – straight continues the road to Belčovo, and on the left, a dirt road begins. You go to the left. The way is obvious, and it’s hard to get lost. With a slight climb you reach a meadow with a small hill (as if it were a Thracian mound). There’s an oak tree and a cross, but the place is neglected. Note: To reach this oak, you have to go back a bit on the path (200 meters) and you may not need to go there. From where our path merges with the path from the oak, you continue forward (south-southwest). After a small climb, there’s a gentle descent that leads to the asphalt of the old road Mezdra - Botewgrad, just at the saddle between Raškovo and the hamlet of Belčovo. From here onwards, it is clear and easy: Raškovo with a nice fountain, which is the first after leaving Novacene (if you do not count the few houses after leaving E79); Radotina, Litakovo, Botewgrad. Regarding water. Throughout the off road distance, there is no water. The last water is at the establishment in Novacene at the junction for Boženiţa. The next reliable water is in Raškovo. Regarding the ridge path: Overall it is clean, but here and there, especially up high, it is overgrown, and in some places, it is also blocked by stones. Caution is advised for the tires. Currently, the satellite image on Google is outdated and in one part, the road is missing. In reality, it is there. For the same reason, there may be deviations from the actual track.