Ponoria Tourist Association has launched its new Ponoria Expedition app for Android devices, revealing the secrets of Ponor Mountain to curious travellers, the Association told BTA’s Veselina Yordanova on Saturday.

The app allows users to discover new places through interactive exploration, log their visits, and view route maps with detailed site information. The Ponoria Tourist Association’s website includes the J.R.R. Tolkien quote: “Not all those who wander are lost.”

The digital guide unveils the mysteries of Ponor Mountain, a section of the Western Balkan Mountains within the Sofia Region. Though close to the capital, it remains relatively lesser-known, boasting remarkable natural phenomena and a unique, unspoilt character.

“The app was developed as a natural extension of our core activities, which include organizing hikes and promoting the region,” Chair of the Ponoria Tourist Association and the Bulgarian Mountaineering Union Radoslav Zarkov told BTA.

The Association seeks to enhance travelers’ experiences by providing a tool that enables users to track their journeys and explore new destinations through an interactive, game-inspired approach.

Ponoria Expedition is a free Android app that enables users to log visited sites. It also functions as a reference guide, providing route maps and details on the timing and frequency of each visit.

Ponoria Tourist Association was established in autumn 2019 at Trastenaya Hut by a group of friends sharing a passion for the mountains. Previously, its founders ran separate projects to maintain hiking trails in Ponor before choosing to unify their efforts. The release of the app represents the next stage, Zarkov said. “The world is moving toward digitalization and new technologies, and we aim to keep pace with this trend.”The concept was developed independently and iteratively, utilizing artificial intelligence. The app has been accessible to users for approximately two weeks, with new features added based on user feedback.