RHODOPE MOUNTAINS
The Rhodope Mountains are the most lyrical of Bulgarian mountains combining the relief of mild oval forms, the colourful “rugs” of nature animated by the architecture of picturesque villages, by the hospitality of the people and the legendary songs of Orpheus.
Top places to visit:
Shiroka Luka
This is a village museum /an architecture and ethnographic reserve/ well known for its original Rhodope architectural style, musical traditions and history. It is the centre of a region of 5 villages /Stoikite, Gela, Stickal and Solishta/ populated by Christians and Muslims. It was founded after the most massive forceful conversion of the population of the Rhodope mountain to the Islam during the Turkish domination /17th c. /. Shiroka Laka was built amphitheatrically in a narrow steep valley of the river with same name. Walking along the winding narrow-pebbled streets you suddenly find yourself taken several centuries back in the Bulgarian Renaissance period. Numerous houses preserved the typical Rhodopean architecture, typical speech, songs and customs of local people have given the village the status of an architectural, ethnographic and folklore reserve.
Phenomenon Trigrad Gorge
The Trigrad gorge is one of the most impressive places in the West Rhodope Mountain. It is reached from the town of Devin - the village of Teshel. The path is dug out the left bank in the rocks and passes through 80-m tunnel. Here you can see the outlines of the 500-meters gorge with high, above 300 m sheer cliffs. Under grown spreading pines rise in the holes and cracks of the rocks.
The Devil's Throat cave
The Devil's Throat cave is 300 000 years old. Its total length is 1km, and the length of the improved route is 350m. In this Cave you can find the biggest cascade of waterfalls on the Balkan Peninsula, with a total height of 60m. According to the legend this is the place where Orpheus went down into the kingdom of the specters, in search of his beloved Eurydice.
Yagodina cave
Yagodina cave is another interesting cave to be discovered in the region of Trigrad. This is the longest cave on the Balkan peninsula (10km). It is located in the canyon valley of the river Buinovska 2 km to the west of the village of Yagodina. One who dares to explore these caves will be rewarded with a once in a lifetime experience. The cave is of karsts type and it is five stories tall, with many labyrinths and abysses inside. Part of the cave is electrified and reveals mysterious formations: draperies, pipe-like stalactites, cave pearls, leopard skin and many hanging stalactites. Some of the formations inside resemble the well-known Santa Claus, Snow-White and The Seven Dwarfs, Virgin Mary and her newborn child, Elephant, and some characters from the Bulgarian culture and tradition. The New Year’s hall is of great interest too
Kovachevitsa
Kovachevitsa its architecture is naturally impressive, the only one completely coherent ensemble in Bulgaria. Similarly, there is also magnificent Bulgarian-style architecture in Koprivstitsa, Tryvna, Zheravna, Melnik and in the old part of Plovdiv, where people have managed to escape the pestilence of the prefabricated blocks of flats.
Its surroundings are impressively powerful with the dizzy rocky elevations, with the Kanina River gorge cascading down in the rolling hills enveloping the village. Similarly there are so many breath-taking places in Bulgaria. The atmosphere is so charming with the narrow cobbled little streets, stone walls of the houses rising extraordinarily high, greyish slabs covering the roofs, tranquillity, countless swallows perching along the electric lines, goats climbing up the fences, fireflies in summertime. All of which can also be seen elsewhere in Bulgaria.
Gela village
Is one of the most ancient settlements in the Rhodopes Mountain, being more than 3300 years old. The legend says that it is the birthplace of the mythical singer Orpheus. Near the village can be found archeological remains from the Thracian period, as well as remains of Roman road.
Wonderful Bridges
The unique rock formation, covering an area of 40,3 hectares. The bridges are most probably the result of an ancient cave collapsing in an earthquake. The river has carried away most of the smaller rock debris. In time, atmospheric processes have shaped the two natural marble bridges of extraordinary beauty. The bigger bridge is 12-15 m in width and 96 m in length, with an opening 45 m deep and 43 m wide. About 200 m down the ravine, there is the second bridge, which is 60 m long.
The Tatul Tomb
The Tatul tomb is situated just outside the present-day village of Tatul, 8km to northeast of the town of Momchilgrad. The sanctuary lies inside the fortress walls of a Thracian fortress and is believed to have been dedicated to the famous Thracian singer, Orpheus. The sanctuary, deemed to date back to the 12th century BC, represents a big monolithic rock shaped by men into a pyramid. It is 4.5m high and 6m wide at its base. Within its body, worshippers have dug two rocky cemeteries, 8 stairs, and a niche for laying a ritual plate.
Perperikon
Perperikon is the place where was discovered the Temple of Dionysus in Mount Rhodope. The complex was of very great religious importance not only for the Thracians, but for the whole ancient world. According to the ancient legends that was the place where Alexander the Great learned his destiny - to conquer the world and to die 33 years old. The site could be compared with such ancient monuments in Europe as Mycenae
Interesting Events:
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Festival in the village of Shiroka Laka, March
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Bagpipe Festival in the village of Gela, August