Popovi Livadi Hut was built in 1964. It’s a massive building with a few shared bedrooms, a canteen on the ground floor, indoor toilets and a few bathrooms with hot water. The condition of the rooms is normal for a hut but what’s missing in terms of luxury is made up for thanks to the efforts of Mitko, the keeper. You can always tell when people do what they love and put their heart and soul into their work. There’s something else which you can’t fail to appreciate if you’re coming from afar and you’re hungry – Mitko is also a great cook and most of the things he’s going to serve you are homemade – jams, compotes, yogurt and even homemade bread and pastry. A kind of things I believe is much more valuable than the luxurious packed piece of butter, honey from a plastic box and three slices of salami. To me, Popovi Livadi Hut is one of the huts where I’ve had my best meals.
There’s a football playground on the clearing in front of the hut and enough playing space as well as a few interesting walking options – to Sveshtnik Peak (3 hours), Mutorog Peak (3 hours) or Orelyak Peak.
The hut keeper's phone number is +359 896 722 557. His name is Mitko Pirnarev and he speaks Bulgarian and some Russian.
Popovi Livadi Hut is located on a vast clearing surrounded by coniferous forest in the locality of Popovi Livadi (Papaschair), on the border between Middle and Southern Pirin. The hut is 17km away from the town of Gotse Delchev and can be accessed by car. It would be much more interesting, however, if you reach it on foot, starting from Pirin Hut on the red-marked path which is part of the E-4 European long distance path and follows the Middle Pirin ridge, passing through many interesting and beautiful forests as well as across the highest peak in this part of the mountain – Orelyak.