THE RODOPES
WALKING IN THE MOUNTAINS OF ORPHEUS
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1: From the Bulgarian capital Sofia, we transfer east through the Sredna Gora Mountains and then across the Thracian Plain to Asenovgrad, a small historic town nestled in at the foot of the Rodopes. Our accommodation for the night is in a beautifully restored 19th century town house.
Day 2: Leaving Asenovgrad, we drive into the Rodopes via the Chepelarska Gorge, beginning the day with a visit to the Bachkovo Monastery, one of the largest and most atmospheric Bulgarian monasteries. We then drive on through the heart of the Rodopes. Having passed through the Pamporovo ski resort and the town of Smolyan, we enter the valley of the river Arda, the longest river in the Rodopes. Following it upstream, we will stop off to visit the beautiful Uhlovitsa Cave, one of the oldest caves in the Rodopes and which contains an interesting variety of cave formations. We then enjoy a lovely walk on the Kainadinski Massif, a remote region that is home to carnivores such as Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), Wolf (Canis lupus), and Wild Cat (Felis silvestris), as well as Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) and Wild Boar (Sus scrofa). Finally rejoining our bus, we have a short drive to the village of Arda where we will be based in a friendly family-run hotel for the next three nights.
Day 3: Today’s goal is the source of the river Arda, the longest and most important river in the Rodopes, which rises in the beech forest at the foot of the Mount Ardin Vruh (1730m). This is the highest peak in the region and rises on the very border between Bulgaria and Greece. Normally it will be possible to obtain permission from the border police to ascend the peak itself. The route follows a path which criss-crosses back and forth over the frontier. In clear weather, the summit offers a wonderful view over the southern part of the Rodopes, the panorama even extending as far as the Aegean Sea. Our trail wil also take us through beautiful meadows and pastures, as well as old mixed forests that are home to birds such as Hazel Grouse (Bonasa bonasia), Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) and White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos).
Day 4: Setting off on foot from the village of Arda, we follow the line of an ancient Roman road, crossing lush flower-filled meadows and small hamlets until we reach the base of Mount Kom (1569m). The peak has a striking domed shaped and is associated with numerous traditions and legends. Close to the foot of the peak is a protected territory that provides a refuge for a small population of Rhodope Lily (Lilium rhodopaeum), a local endemic species which is known only from the Rodopes. We then enjoy a beautiful panoramic trail which finally leads us down to the village of Mogilitsa, famed for its picturesque feudal manor-house known as the Agushevi Konak. A short drive then takes us back to our hotel in Arda..
Day 5: Leaving Arda, we drive via the district town of Smolyan and up to the Prevala Pass, before beginning our walk on the Perelik massif, the traditional Mountains of Orpheus. Our route snakes its way round Mount Golyam Perelik (2191 metres) and a number of the other highest peaks of the Rodopes, before dropping down towards Gela, a picturesque village with close connections to the stroy of Orpheus. The region lies in the heart of "Mursalitsa" prime butterfly area where there are numerous interesting species such as: Apollo (Parnassius apollo), Mountain Small White (Pieris ergane), Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion), Alcon Blue (Glaucopsyche alcon), False Eros Blue (Polyommatus eroides), Eastern Large Heath (Coenonympha rhodopensis), Woodland Ringlet (Erebia medusa), Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis xanthomelas) and Nickerl's Fritillary (Melitaea aurelia). As we walk through Gela's lush flower meadows, we may also be lucky enough to hear the distinctive calls of Corncrake (Crex crex) and Quail (Coturnix coturnix). Also one can also often see Hobby (Falco subbuteo) flying around the fringes of the village. In Gela we will be picked up by our bus and transferred to the remote village of Yagodina where we will be based for the next three nights in another friendly family-run hotel which is famed for its traditional cuisine.
Day 6: We start the day by visiting the Yagodina Cave, one of the most beautiful in the country, and world renowned for its amazing variety of cave formations. The cave system also harbours a unique prehistoric dwelling and we will have the chance to see this and learn more about the surprisingly sophisticated way-of-life of the people who inhabited it more than 6000 years ago. Continuing on foot, we then make our way through beautiful meadows and silent forests that are a refuge for Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), Wolf (Canis lupus) and Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), and also renowned for there many endemic flowers. Finally we drop down into the spectacular Trigrad Gorge, where we will visit the Dyavolsko Gurlo (Devil’s Throat Cave). This is an enormous chasm with a thundering waterfall. According to legend, this was the cave by which Orpheus emerged from the Underworld after his tragically failed attempt to reclaim his wife Euridyce. The cliffs around the cave entrance are home to several local endemic plants as well as the Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria), a rare and elusive bird. For those who wish to extend their walk, it is possible to return to Yagodina on foot following the line of a former Roman road, a route that has been designated as a special botanic trail on account of the numerous rare and endemic plant found growing along the trail.
Day 7: Setting off on foot from the hotel, we climb up onto the ridge that rises directly north of Yagodina. The highest summit of the ridge Mt. Sveti Iliya (1508m) offers wonderful panoramic views over Yagodina village, the Buinovsko Gorge and indeed much of the Western Rhodope. It is also a good point from which to observe a range of interesting birds of prey, such as Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus), Peregrine (Falco peregrinus) and Hobby (Falco subbuteo). Descending from the ridge, we drop steeply down through ancient forests to the “Teshel” reservoir, then follow a picturesque track through the heart of the “Kastrakli” Nature Reserve. Although quite a small reserve, it has a rich flora and fauna. Over 337 species of plant have been recorded here, including several rare and endemic species, as well as 73 species of birds and 48 species of mammal including large carnivores such as Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) and Wolf (Canis lupus), and both Pine Martin (Martes martes) and Beech Martin (Martes foina). The “Kastrakli” Nature Reserve is also world renowned for the variety of butterflies and moths that can be found in the region, with at least 900 species of lepidoptera having been recorded in the region. Finally, on reaching the village of Borino, we will be driven back to our hotel in Yagodina for the final night.
Day 8: A long but picturesque drive through the Vucha Gorge sees us saying goodbye to the land of Orpheus, as it takes us out of the Rodopes and into the Thracian Plain, where we then turn west and make our way back to Sofia for the end of the tour.