Walking Holidays | Rodopi Mountains

Balkan Trek's tailored-made mountain walking holidays in Bulgaria's Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains offer you the chance to explore on foot the glorious mountain landscapes of what is one of Bulgaria's most beautiful and unspoiled mountain regions. During your walking holiday in the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, an experienced and qualified Balkan Trek mountain guide will lead you on a daily programme of delightful mountain walks, that will see you walking through an ever changing landscape of ancient forests, flower-filled hay meadows and dramatic river valleys and gorges. For the most part, the grade of a walking holiday in the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains is moderately gentle, however, the undulating landscape through which you will be walking in the Rodopi (Rhodope) does mean that there are likely to be the occasional steeper ascent and descent, as you ramble over rolling ridges or drop down into deep valleys or gorges. However, throughout the holiday, the pace of walking will remain very relaxed and leisurely, as the greatest charm of walking in the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains is to have plenty of time to enjoy the unique landscape and nature of the region. All our walking holidays in the Rodopi (Rhodope) Mountains, are therefore carefully designed to give you ample opportunities to stop and observe the outstanding flora and fauna, to take photographs, and to talk to the local people. As well as walking, during the holiday you will also sample the delicious traditional local Rodopi (Rhodope) cuisine!

Holiday Highlights

- Delightful mountain walking through an ever-changing patchwork of ancient forests and flower-filled hay meadows.

- Outstanding flora rich in rare endemics and an amazing variety of beautiful orchids.

- An exceptional variety of stunning butterflies and elusive birds.

- Rich traditional local folklore, customs and heritage.

- Picturesque traditional villages where time seems to have stood still.

- Warmth and hospitality of the local people.

- Delicious home-cooked Rodopi cuisine and outstanding regional wines.

- An experienced, fully qualified, knowledgeable and highly enthusiastic guide.

NB: Unlike many other walking holiday companies in Bulgaria who attempt to cut costs by making their guides have to double up as drivers, we employ separate professional drivers with licensed vehicles for all our walking holidays in Bulgaria as we believe it is not only safer to have a driver fully focused on the road, but also allows our guides to concentrate fully on looking after you!

Further Inspiration

Stretching 225 kilometres from west to east, and up to 100 kilometres from north to south, the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains straddle the border between Bulgaria and Greece. There are several peaks over 2000m, the highest being Mount Golyam Perelik (2191m). Topographically, the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains can be subdivided into two parts: the Western Rhodope (Western Rodopi) and Eastern Rhodope (Eastern Rodopi). Once the realm of Orpheus, the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains are still a haunting and mysterious place, possessing their own distinctive beauty and grandeur. They are a place of solitude and simplicity, where you are more likely to encounter wild animals than other walkers.

The flora of the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains is exceptionally rich with over 2000 species and sub-species of higher plants, which represents over 50% of the entire Bulgarian flora and makes it one of the most important floristic regions on the Balkan Peninsula. Here one finds an interesting mix of Central European, Boreal, Alpine and Mediterranean species. In terms of the Bulgarian endemic flora, the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains rank second in the number of endemics. Over 80 Bulgarian endemic species and subspecies are found in the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains. Of these 7 are local endemics found only in the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains. Among the plants endemic to the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains are 'Rhodope Lily' (Lilium rhodopaeum) and 'Rhodope Scabious' (Scabiosa rhodopensis).

The Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains is one of the most important regions in Europe in terms of biodiversity. Brown bear (Ursus arctos), wolf (Canis lupus) and wild cat (Felis silvestris) all survive here in significant numbers, as do more species of bat than anywhere else in Europe. Its is also a paradise for birds, particularly raptors. Indeed the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains are the most important place in Europe for birds of prey with 36 species having been recorded here. In particular, the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains are renowned by birdwatchers for elusive species such as wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria), griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), black vulture (Aegypius monachus), Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) and masked shrike (Lanius nubicus).

For those interested in culture and history, a walking holiday in the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains is the perfect choice. The Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains are a living landscape, where encounters with the local people are a highlight of the holiday, and where photogenic daily cameos give the impression one is walking back in time. During a walking holiday in the Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains, your Balkan Trek guide will make certain you have the opportunity to experience and discover more about the rich folklore, traditional way of life, and picturesque local architecture.

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