Bulgaria: Rodopi Mountains

Fly to 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.

*Yagodina Family Hotel or similar*

Day 2

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.

*Yagodina Family Hotel or similar*

Day 3

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.

*Yagodina Family Hotel or similar*

Day 4

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.

*Yagodina Family Hotel or similar*

Day 5

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.

*Yagodina Family Hotel or similar*

Day 6

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, climbing steadily upwards to reach the broad open ridge and then on
towards the breath-taking viewing platform at its western end. Although rough
and stony, the ridge boasts its own unique flora and fauna, as well the
opportunity to observe a variety of interesting birds. However, the panoramic
views would in themselves be reward enough for climbing the ridge, for they
not only stretch out over the village of Yagodina itself, but much of the
Western Rodopi, offering an ideal chance to point out and identify the places
one has walked during previous days of this holiday. Given stable weather, we
can then make a complete traverse of the ridge to its eastern end, before
descending through beautiful meadows into the Trigrad Gorge where our bus
will be waiting to drive us back to Yagodina.

*Yagodina Family Hotel or similar*

Day 7

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*

Day 8

Fly to London.
**