In The Steps Of Orpheus

Impressive trail exploring some of the most hidden and authentic parts of Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, known as the birth place of the legendary musician Orpheus. Along with the pleasant climate the mountains are the perfect place for walking and exploring the pastoral sceneries with rolling landscapes, open valleys dotted with tiny villages, green meadows with grazing goats and sheep, dense century-old coniferous woods, ancient Roman roads and bridges and a large variety of nature phenomena, namely The Trigrad Gorge with its 250m vertical cliffs, Yagodina Cave (considered one of the most beautiful caves in Bulgaria and also among the longest ones with more than 10km mapped so far), The Devil’s Throat Cave (housing one of the highest underground waterfalls in Europe - 42m), The Miraculous Bridges etc. Unlike a typical inn-to-inn walking tour where people are responsible to work out their own way to the starting point and from the last place of the trek, this self-guided holiday is fully inclusive of all transfers and luggage transportations from airport to airport meaning that clients will not have to look for public transportation or private transfers elsewhere.
Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains are probably the best place in Bulgaria for unguided walking vacations not only due to their natural and cultural merits but also because of the mentality of the local hoteliers, known for their hospitality and acquaintance to foreigners travelling without a guide.

Highlights
The oldest land on the Balkan Peninsula – Rodopi Mountains; Diverse landscapes untouched by the modern way of life; Hidden mountain border villages that have been closed for the public until very recently; The famous Rodopean hospitality of the locals; Traditional accommodations with organic food of very high ecological value; Trigrad Gorge with its 250m high cliffs; Cave tours in two of the most interesting Bulgarian caves; The rocky phenomenon “The Miraculous Bridges”; The second largest monastery in Bulgaria – Bachkovo Monastery; Possibility to explore Sofia - the capital of Bulgaria

Itinerary
Day 1. Welcome meeting at Sofia airport and transfer to the town of Devin for overnight (3-3,30hrs drive).
Day 2. In the morning you will make your first walk in Rodopi Mountains – a delightful trail following the new eco-path with a number of bridges along Devinska River, taking some 2 hrs. Having walked this stage you will be picked up and transferred to the entrance of Yagodina Cave, where you will be able to take a cave tour of appr. 1 hr and have lunch at the restaurant by the river nearby (be prepared for a temperature of 6C inside the cave). From the cave short ascent brings you steadily to a nice scented pinewood, followed by the traditional tranquility of Yagodina village. Right after the village you will be able to walk through potato fields, barns, old farms, grid of lands under cultivation, which delivers a thorough impression of the local agriculture. From now on following the upper edges of Trigrad Gorge the trail continues through shady coniferous forest to the village of Trigrad (1250m a.s.l.), where you will be accommodated for the next 3 nights.
(15km; uphill walk: 700 m; downhill walk: 350 m)
Day 3. Trekking to the remote tiny village of Vodni Pad that has been closed for visitors until not so long ago due to its proximity to the Greek border. It has been famous in the past as a base used by many people trying to escape in Greece through the mountains during the communism. This circular trail is well graded, again passing through pine forests dotted with glades, revealing on the other hand in the best way the typical rural way of life in this part of the mountains. The return hike is a real pleasure as you follow the riverbed of Trigradska River back to the village of Trigrad.
(20 km; uphill walk: 400 m; downhill walk: 450 m).
Day 4. More charming landscapes await you today as you take a new circuit walk, exploring another magnificent area around Trigrad. Once on top of the hill above the village you will have a great chance to enjoy vast meadows full with orchids in summer. Then a dirty road, heading upstearms of Livadnishka River will bring you to the ancient Chairski Lakes. Then you continue clockwise around the hill and through the village of Zhrebevo you end up in Trigrad again from the same place as you did the previous day. From here you can either continue to The Devil’s Throat Cave or just relax in your hotel.
(22km; uphill walk: 800 m; downhill walk: 800 m)
Day 5. An early morning transfer takes you to Beden village which is the starting point for the day. While you walk your luggage will continue to your next overnight place – the village of Liaskovo, and will for you there. Today is probably the most panoramic day. As you walk up towards the Dry Peak ridge the trail weaves through rolling hills and meadows where you will find yourself facing a dilemma whether to enjoy them or the superb views of the mountains and the neighbouring ridges. The trek ends in Liaskovo.
(24 km; uphill walk: 350 m; downhill walk: 315 m)
Day 6. Another quite dirty road, where you can easily spot a startled deer, will take you up and then down to the rocky phenomenon The Miraculous Bridges. The walk traces old coniferous woods dotted with tiny green meadows, where semi-wild horses graze. Once arriving at the nature wonder you will be picked up and transferred to the village of Kosovo, where you will stay overnight in a traditional and cozy mountain stone house.
(13 km; uphill walk - 635 m; downhill walk - 200 m).
Day 7. In the morning you will have some free time after breakfast for a stroll along the charming cobbled streets and ancient houses of the village. Before noon you will be picked up again and transferred to Bachkovo Monastery where you will have appr. 1 hr for sightseeing before continuing further to Sofia, where you will be presumably around 15-16.00. The afternoon is free (also dinner is not included). A normal sightseeing tour on foot normally takes some 2-3 hrs and we highly recommend you to go for this option (you will get a map of the city with short notes on directions and what to see first).
Day 8. Transfer to the airport for departure (30min drive).

Accommodation and luggage transportation
Days 1 and 7 - 3 star hotels with en-suite facilities. Rest days - small family-run pensions and guesthouses with en-suite rooms. Mealplan is based everywhere on halfboard (breakfast and dinner included) except for Day 7, when no dinner is provided. Luggage is taken care of throughout the tour.

Group size: Min. 2 persons

Single supplement: 85 Euro

The price includes: a trip, fully inclusive of all ground transfers from airport to airport (pick up/drop off at Sofia Airport); detailed roadbook in English with maps; luggage transportation; accommodation and boarding as mentioned above; VAT and all local taxes.

The price does not include: tips, lunchpacks and other meals, entrance fees, alcohol drinks, cigarettes and other personal expenses.

Tips: Possible extensions for a relaxed sea holiday at the Black Sea coast and its sunniest resorts (Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Nessebar etc.) - cheap packages with transfers and hotel accommodations; Low cost direct flights to Sofia from the UK - please check: Wizz Air http://www.wizzair.com and Easy Jet http://www.easyjet.com . The supplier of this trip can book your flight ticket (ask for quotation)

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