Centre-based Walking Holiday In Bulgaria

This afternoon we transfer to the village of Kosovo in the Rhodope Mountains. Rhodope Mountains are known as the birthplaces of Orpheus and are the most enchanting Bulgarian mountain. You will experience the long kept local traditions and visit some century-old villages with authentic architecture and cobbled streets. Kosovo village has kept  the Bulgarian spirit alive. The guesthouse where we stay is a collection of restored stone-roofed houses, with a  “mehana” - traditional restaurant with rich wine-list and delicious home-cooked food.

Overnight Basic Guesthouse Included meals: Dinner

The day will start with a short transfer to Orehovo village  from where we will start our walk to the Wonderful Bridges. The path passes through deep pine forests and follows the tracks of the local woodsmen and hunters. We will pass by Kabata hut, before reaching the final destination of our walk. The 'Wonderful Bridges' are created by a natural phenomenon of two bridges of solid rock rising up to 45 m, set among the pinewoods. We will then transfer back to Kosovo village. The rest of the afternoon is at your leisure. (Total hike Approx 5 hours)

Overnight Basic Guesthouse Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we drive to Smolyan and hike the area of the Orpheus Rocks and waterfalls. We walk along a nature trail and admire the waterfalls, pristine forest and panorama. The legend of Orpheus is one of the most famous of the Greek myths. The son of Calliope and Apollo, Orpheus was a great musician and poet, whose songs were believed to be able to charm the wild beasts and even inanimate objects. One of the famed Argonauts, Orpheus sailed with Jason on his legendary voyage and legend has it that it was his music that saved them from the destructive charm of the Sirens. When Orpheus’s wife Eurydice was killed by a serpent’s bite he descended into Hell to try and bring her back. It is said that his music charmed even Hades itself and was allowed to return to the surface with his wife. Unfortunately it was under the condition that he didn’t look back, a condition he failed to meet and so his wife was returned to the netherworld. Orpheus was inconsolable and became something of a hermit, spurning the company of others. Eventually his life was ended at the hands of a group of Ciconian Maenads, devotees of Dionysus, who literally tore him to pieces. It is said that his head continued to sing as it floated down the rivers and sea, finally coming to rest on the isle of Lesbos. This afternoon we spend time in the town of Smolyan, to visit the museum of history, which contains an excellent ethnographic exhibition. From here we drive to Ezerovo. (Total hike approx 3hrs)

Overnight Basic Guesthouse Included meals: Breakfast

The Arda River is the largest in the Rodopi, flowing 241 km across the region. Driving out to the river valley today we hike along mountain roads still used by shepherds and goats. The area is rich in fauna, with some 34 species, including wolves, foxes and deer represented. The Rodopi Mountains are some of the oldest in Bulgaria, covering an area of nearly 15,000sq km, and their location in the southeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula has produced a temperate climate that is ideal for the development of tourism. Hike on old mountain roads and paths to the springs of Arda River near “the no mans land” (former border zone between Bulgaria and Greece). Today we include a BBQ picnic lunch, prepared by local people. We learn from them more about the initiatives for developing a new product in this region: active vacations all year round. We will spend some time with the people and perhaps they have a surprise for us? Then we return to Ezerovo to enjoy some more of our hosts delicious home cooked fare. (Total hike approx 4hrs)

Overnight Basic Guesthouse Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This pleasant morning hike sees us walking the hills above Gela. Although inhabited for the past three millennia, the area still exudes a feeling of tranquil isolation and life seems to continue at a pace very much out of sorts with the outside world. The region is also home to a number of rare plants and animals. In the fields the local people continue a rural tradition that has survived the centuries, as they tend to their herds, the silence of the slopes only broken by the occasional cowbells. We will find a beautiful place for a lunch break in this area. In the afternoon en route back to Ezerovo we shall stop at the architectural heritage village of Shiroka Luka. The houses have roofs covered with huge slates and the stone bridges are very romantic. The centre is dotted with small cafés and shops.  (Total hike approx 5hrs)

Overnight Basic Guesthouse Included meals: Breakfast

Today we experience the spectacular landscape of two canyons. Beginning with a transfer to Yagodinska Cave we visit this cave. Regarded as the ‘pearl in the crown’ of the Rodopi Mountains, the cave is part of the karst landscape of the Buynovsko Gorge. Some 10 km long and 5 stories deep it is a network of labyrinths and chasms, filled with stalactites and strange formations that resemble crocodiles and elephants, even Snow White and the 7 Dwarves! From the village of Yagodina we hike to Trigrad, following a mountain track through alpine meadows with stunning views across the surrounding landscape. Originally believed to have been founded from three earlier settlements, hence its name, Trigrad village is a rare commodity in this day and age, where Christian and Muslim cultures and traditions live side by side in an apparently easy alliance. Trigrad Gorge runs for some 2-3km along the Trigradska River, an imposing fissure with sheer marble sides rising 250m above the river. The region boasts more than 150 caves, of which the greatest is the famous ‘Devil’s Throat’. Believed to be the place where Orpheus descended into Hades to rescue his beloved Euridika, the cave leads into a massiveunderground chamber large enough to accommodate the Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia. It also contains one of the highest underground waterfalls in Europe (42m).  (Total hike approx 4hrs)

Overnight Basic Guesthouse Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we have a short transfer to the Devin River where start following Devin loop-trail which follows the river and at certain points crosses the river on scenic wooden bridges. The trail passes through a nature reserve, where if we are lucky we may see the endemic “Orpheus flower” which grows only in Bulgaria. At the end of the trail we will find the remains of an old medieval fortress “Kaleto” perched on a rock with wonderful view to the valley. Devin town is also popular for its hot mineral water. If time allows we may have the opportunity of enjoying a dip in one of the many swimming pools and SPA centers. Later this afternoon we leave the Rhodope Mountains and head to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, where we spend the last night of the tour. This evening we will take a short walk through the streets of this city, one of the oldest settlements in Europe. Sofia is an eclectic mix of architectural styles where the ancient monuments rub shoulders with modem-day edifices of cosmopolitan city life.

Overnight Basic Guesthouse Included meals: Breakfast

The tour ends in Sofia this morning after breakfast.

Included meals: Breakfast