EuroVelo 13 - Iron Curtain Trail - part Bulgaria West: which way and when to ride
The best month for EuroVelo 13 - Iron Curtain Trail - part Bulgaria West is October: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.5 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Also passes through Serbia
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10% | 18% | 59 | 4 °C | 0% | 90% | 9.4 † |
| February | 29% | 18% | 45 | 7 °C | 0% | 69% | 10.5 † |
| March | 47% | 25% | 72 | 11 °C | 0% | 44% | 11.8 |
| April | 64% | 30% | 70 | 15 °C | 0% | 14% | 13.3 |
| May | 62% | 37% | 81 | 19 °C | 0% | 2% | 14.6 |
| June | 57% | 37% | 79 | 24 °C | 7% | 0% | 15.3 |
| July | 58% | 21% | 48 | 27 °C | 23% | 0% | 15.0 |
| August | 64% | 16% | 43 | 27 °C | 21% | 0% | 13.9 |
| September | 76% | 20% | 49 | 22 °C | 4% | 1% | 12.4 |
| October | 77% | 17% | 63 | 16 °C | 0% | 11% | 11.0 † |
| November | 52% | 16% | 58 | 11 °C | 0% | 40% | 9.7 † |
| December | 12% | 18% | 59 | 5 °C | 0% | 86% | 9.1 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind near Dragoman → near Delcevo, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Dragoman → near Delcevo | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Delcevo → near Dragoman | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +0.2 | 1% | 1% | either |
| February | +0.1 | 1% | 2% | either |
| March | +0.5 | 2% | 2% | either |
| April | +0.9 | 1% | 2% | either |
| May | +1.0 | 1% | 1% | either |
| June | +2.1 | 0% | 1% | near Dragoman → near Delcevo |
| July | +2.8 | 0% | 1% | near Dragoman → near Delcevo |
| August | +2.3 | 0% | 0% | near Dragoman → near Delcevo |
| September | +1.4 | 0% | 1% | either |
| October | +0.5 | 0% | 0% | either |
| November | −0.9 | 1% | 0% | either |
| December | +0.2 | 0% | 1% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | S | +0.2 |
| 25–50 | SW | +0.3 |
| 50–75 | SW | +0.5 |
| 75–100 | SE | +1.1 |
| 100–127 | S | +0.9 |
| 127–152 | SE | +0.6 |
| 152–177 | SE | +1.1 |
| 177–202 | SW | +0.3 |
| 202–211 | W | −1.5 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.