Bordering Greece, the Rodopi Mountains are known as the home of Orpheus and Dionysus - a land of myth and legend, but also of remarkable natural features, little-visited villages, monasteries and friendly people. This easy/moderate walking tour seeks to get off the beaten path, walking between villages for an insight into this unique area's landscapes and people, with an emphasis on great walking and lots of local contact.

Ezerovo & the Arda River Valley
We stay in a family-run guesthouse in Ezerovo for this centre-based week - just perfect for our exploration of Bulgaria's Rodopi Mountains. Locally owned by a family with a passion for the region we are assured of a friendly welcome and can look forward to enjoying traditional Bulgarian hospitality and some great food each night as we return from our walks! We explore using old mountain paths, typical of the area and still used by shepherds today. This whole region is one of only a few wild places left in Europe, where man thankfully still has to compete with brown bears, wolves and eagles, and where a wide variety of rare wild-flowers, found nowhere else, still manage to survive - including the symbol of the Rodopi, the Orpheus flower (Haberlea rhodopensis). Almost untouched by tourism, cameo images of a fast disappearing Europe lie around every corner - each a wonderfully refreshing view into a life far removed from our own.

Rocks of Rodopi
From Yagodina we walk to the village of Trigrad with fine views along the way. We'll enjoy one of several lunches on this tour that we take with a local family - Rodopi food is superb local fare with Greek, Turkish and Slavic elements to it - before setting off to explore the impressive landscape around the village. Trigrad Gorge provides one of the most impressive views in the country, its huge walls rising up from the Trigradska River. The famous Devil's Throat Cave is just one of many caves that dot this karst limestone region and is possibly the most impressive, one which in addition has links with the legend of Orpheus. The regional centre of Smolyan has an interesting ethnographical exhibition which we'll also see during our stay.

Bachkovo Monastery & Sofia
Next we take a route to what are locally called "wonder bridges" - unique formations that result in huge archways of rock rising from the ground, and after a visit we set off north t

Itinerary:

Day 1 Join Sofia airport. 2 Hikes above Ezerovo. 3 Drive Arda River valley and walk old mountain roads and paths to Mogilitsa. 4 Transfer to Gela for walks above village to Stikal, visiting chapel en route. 5 Drive Smolyan for hikes in the region of the Orpheus rocks and waterfalls; PM visit the History Museum in Smolyan. 6 Drive Yagodina and walk to Trigrad, visit gorge and cave. 7 Drive and walk to "wonder bridges" and Orehovo; visit Bachkovo Monastery before driving to Sofia; evening walking tour. 8 End Sofia.

Accommodation: 7nts guesthouse; 7 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 6 dinners included.
Transport: Bus/On foot
Comment: A great opportunity to explore an area we are sure will soon become a magnet for walkers. Being centre-based all walks are optional. Bring comfortable walking boots.
Group: 12 to 16.
Staff: Explore Tour Leader plus driver(s).
Trip Reference: LBG