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EXPLORE BULGARIA
EASTERN RHODOPE (RODOPI) RAMBLES

Holiday Profile

Holiday Highlights

  • Rambles through stunning Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountain landscapes with spectacular gorges and rugged rock outcrops that are home to a unique flora and fauna.
  • Visit the mysterious Thracian rock sanctuaries of Tatul, Perperikon and Momina Skala, as well as the unique “Rock Womb” Cave.
  • Observe outstanding bird life, including three species of vulture and a large variety of other rare birds of prey.
  • Explore remote rural settlements preserving vernacular architecture and traditional ways of life.
  • Spend time at the Bachkovo Monastery, one of the most beatiful and atmospheric Bulgarian monasteries.
  • Enjoy delicious traditional local cuisine

This unusual nine-day nature holiday in Bulgaria provides the opportunity to explore the amazingly rich cultural and natural heritage of Bulgaria's remote Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains. Here the local people maintain a traditional rural existence, working the fields by hand and tending their livestock on the surrounding meadows and pastures. The Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains are also a paradise for lovers of nature, the region's biodiversity internationally recognised as amongst the most varied and valuable in Europe. Due to its remoteness and the extensive range of habitats, the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains boasts an amazing number of endemic plants, large stable populations of wolves, bears and other rare mammals, as well as an outstanding mix of birds that includes 37 species of raptor. Thankfully, great efforts are now being made to preserve this priceless biodiversity as well as the traditional way of life of the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, and this holiday offers a unique chance to experience and help in this process.

Having started on the Dobrostan massif of the Western Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains, a beautiful limestone karst region, we then begin a series of rambles amidst the rugged volcanic rock massifs of the Eastern Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains. As well as offering some wonderfully wild rambles and plenty of outstanding nature watching opportunities, this holiday also provides a unique opportunity to discover more about the mysteries of ancient Thrace (recently featured in the December 2006 issue of National Geographic). The Thracians, a collection of fiercely independent tribes who were the original inhabitants over much of what is present day Bulgaria, were not only warriors, shepherds and farmers, but also extremely skilled craftsmen creating some exquisite golden treasures, as well as a unique complex of rock-cut cult centres and temples. This tour visits several of Bulgaria’s most important and intriguing archaeological sites associated with the Thracian period, which lie hidden away within the recesses of the Eastern Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountain's stunning landscapes.

Balkan Trek is at the forefront of responsible tourism in Bulgaria, and recognised as one of Bulgaria's leading mountain adventure and eco-tourism operators. We are specialists in small group walking holidays, trekking holidays, snowshoeing treks, cultural tours, monastery tours, village holidays, wildlife holidays, natural history trips, birdwatching holidays, botanic tours and flower photography holidays. We operate trips in Bulgaria's Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, Rila Mountains, Pirin Mountains, Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains), Strandzha Mountains, Sredna Gora Mountains, Vitosha Mountains, as well as at Bulgaria's Black Sea coast.