Bulgaria: Rodopi Mountains

Start at Sofia airport (Terminal 2), where we will be met by the leader and

transferred to the remote village of Yagodina, our base for the next 6

nights.  

Setting off on foot from the village of Zmeitsa, we follow the line of an

ancient Roman road through meadows, forests and fields where there are

opportunities to observe the local people engaged in their traditional

agricultural lifestyle. Finally, having descended a broad grassy ridge spur,

that offers stunning views towards the village of Yagodina, we drop steeply

into the Buinovo Gorge where our minibus will be waiting.

We start today's extremely varied walk by first hiking down the gorge of the

Chairska River, and then climbing through ancient forests to emerge at an

extensive area of glorious flower-filled meadows. Having crossed these, and

then an interesting section of karst plateau, we eventually drop down into

the Trigrad Gorge to visit the 'Devil's Throat' cave, 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 Eurydice. The crags around the cave entrance are also very

interesting for naturalists, being home to several local endemic plants as

well as the wallcreeper, a rare and elusive bird that flutters around the

rocks like a butterfly on strikingly crimson wings.

A full day's circular walk starting and finishing in Yagodina. Our route

makes a tour of Mt. Durdaga, a high wooded peak that rises directly above the

village. During the course of our walk, we pass through a large variety of

habitats with an extremely rich flora and fauna. During the first half of the

day, as well as wandering through ancient forests that are home to bear, boar

and deer, we will also cross several flower covered pastures that are

normally enlivened by a spectacular assortment of butterflies. Later in the

afternoon, we return to Yagodina along the line of a former Roman road that

runs high above the Trigrad Gorge, which not only offers outstanding views,

but is also one of the most renowned botanic trails in the country.

After breakfast we set off in our bus for a 90 minutes’ drive east into the

highest part of the Rodopi Mountains. Having reached the end of the driveable

road, we begin a wonderful hike along the main ridge of the Rodopi Mountains.

First we skirt just below the military base on the summit of the Rodopi’s

highest peak Mt. Golyam Perelik (2191m), before ascending Mt. Golyam Snezhnik

(2188m), just two metres lower! Having enjoyed the expansive views from the

rolling open pastures, we then start to drop down into the forest, eventually

making our way down to the tiny, picturesquely situated village of Gela,

which according to legend was the birthplace of Orpheus. Here we will be met

by our bus for the drive back to Yagodina. Occasionally, during May,

late-lying snow makes it impossible to traverse the flank of Mt. Golyam

Perelik, so instead we will attempt a direct ascent of Mt. Golyam Snezhnik

from the village of Gela, climbing as high as the snowline.

 



The focus of today's walk is the imposing Sveti Iliya (Saint Elijah) ridge

that rises up directly north of Yagodina. Our route starts directly from the

hotel, making its way through the meadows at the foot of the ridge. After

this gentle start, we then begin a steep, direct 350 metre ascent of Mt.

Sveti Iliya (1508 m), zig-zagging up the stony sun-baked southern flank to

reach the breathtaking viewing platform known as the 'Eagle's Eye'. Given

stable weather, we then make a complete traverse of the ridge to its eastern

end, first descending a jeep track to a saddle in the centre of the ridge,

before another steep and stony ascent to Mt. Vartkite (1470 m). The ridge

boasts its own unique flora and fauna, offering a chance to observe a variety

of interesting butterflies and birds. However, the panorama would itself be

reward enough for completing what is a fairly strenuous walk over rough and

stony terrain, with views stretching out across much of the Western Rodopi,

offering a chance to point out and identify the places one has walked during

previous days of this holiday. Finally, we conclude our circular walk by

descending back to our hotel.

Setting off on foot from the hotel, we pick up yet another section of former

Roman road, now a beautiful forest trail that is famed for the great variety

of orchids. Suddenly the path emerges at a shelter, perched high on a rocky

viewpoint from which one can gaze down into the Buinovo Gorge below. From

here, the trail steadily descends to meet the river and road beside a

wonderfully preserved Roman bridge. On reaching the bottom of the gorge, we

will then spend about an hour exploring the Yagodina Cave. This is one of the

most beautiful in the country, and world renowned for its variety of cave

formations including stalagmites, stalactites, draperies, flowstones,

dendrites and cave pearls. The cave system also harbours a unique prehistoric

dwelling and subject to permission from the archaeologists, we will hopefully

have the chance to enter this and learn more about the surprisingly

sophisticated way-of-life of the people who inhabited it more than 6000 years

ago.



Having finished our visit to the cave, we then set off on the long but highly

picturesque transfer to the Bulgarian capital Sofia, where we will spend our

final night.



*Hill Hotel or similar*

Our tour ends after breakfast

**