The starting point of this section lies on the Serbian-Bulgarian border near Knjaževac, where you cycle through peaceful countryside and attractive scenery towards Dimitrovgrad.
Passing the popular spa town of Kjustendil you head southward and from here it is only 27 kilometres as the crow flies to the tri-border point of Bulgaria, Serbia and North Macedonia. To the west, the Osogovo Mountains provide a impressive backdrop, rising to more than 2,000 metres.