Team One – “The Rhodopes”:

Aleksandra

Antonio

Borislava

Vanessa

Vesela

Gabriela

Aleksandra – The Rhodopes: Location

The Rhodopes is a mountain in southern Bulgaria and northern Greece, part of the Rila-Rhodope massif. It is the largest mountain in Bulgaria and occupies about one seventh of the Bulgarian territory. It is about 220-240 km long and up to 100 km wide. The total area of ​​the Rhodopes is about 18,000 km², of which 14,738 km² are on Bulgarian territory, which represents 81.88% of the total area.

Antonio – The legend of Rhodopa

According to ancient legends Rhodopa was a beautiful young lady, adored by all – men and gods. Everybody wanted her for his wife and was trying to steal her for himself. God Hemus was particularly jealous. He did not want anyone else to look at Rhodopa and started throwing stones in order to make hills, which to hide her from humans and Gods. These hills are now the hills of the city of Plovdiv. The news about Rhodopa’s beauty traveled far and wide. Men and gods came to see her and immediately fell in love with her. Fury and jealousy took Hemus and he turned her into a mountain.

Borislava – Eastern part of teh Rhodopes

If you ever plan a road trip in Bulgaria, the Rhodope mountains will be the perfect place to do so. There’s plenty of natural and architectural sites, picturesque villages, breathtaking viewpoints and many hiking and biking trails.

Visit Thracian stronghold Perperikon
The stone city.
The earliest traces of human civilisation discovered at Perperikon are dated to the late Neolithic Period, 6th-5th millennium BC. Fragments of Neolithic pottery were found deposited in the natural crevices of the cliff.

 Borislava  – Karadzhov Kamak
Karadzhov Kamak is another interesting phenomenon – a huge stone stuck between two rocks. You can reach it from Krastova Gora, it takes around 40 min hiking. There is a slightly dangerous wooden ladder that allows you to climb under the rock and see the stone from a different perspective.

Vanessa –

With its beautiful nature, centuries-old mysterious history and traditional food, the Western Rhodopes have repeatedly captured thousands of tourists, both from Bulgaria and abroad. Attractive for tourists are Videnitsa Peak and Leshten.

Videnica Peak/Goztepe

The highest peak in the Western Rhodopes region is Videnitsa. It is 1652 meters high and when the sky is clear you can see the White Sea from its top.
The name of the peak comes from the Turkish language and in translation “gyoz” means eyes, and “tepe” – peak.
An ancient legend says that there was a sanctuary of the god Dionysus, similar to the one in Delphi.
The route to the top is easy at the beginning, and the last 3 kilometers requires climbing.

Vanessa –

The village of Leshten

The village of Leshten is located in the Western Rhodopes. Near it are two other popular destinations for rural tourism – the architectural reserves Kovachevitsa and Dolen. Leshten reveals a beautiful panoramic view of the Pirin Mountains.

The village attracts tourists with its authentic appearance and old houses preserved from the Renaissance. Today in the village are restored about 15 houses that recreate the spirit and atmosphere of the past. Many of them offer accommodation. The hosts will treat you to delicious local dishes prepared from organic products.

The tourists are particularly interested in walking through the narrow streets of the village, covered with cobblestones. Near Leshten is the village of Kovachevitsa, which has also been declared a reserve because of the architecture of its houses.

Leshten offers various attractions and activities – mountain walks, fishing, day trips to nearby attractions, picking herbs and mushrooms.

Vesela Mihova – Folklore songs and music; Folklore costume

The folklore from the Rhodopes is very unique and many folklore songs from this area are famous not only in Bulgaria. In fact, Valya Balkanska’s “Izlel E Delyo Haidutin” was added in the Golden Record of Voyager on the American spacecraft “Voyager 1” and “Voyager 2”, as a message from the Earth to outer space. Valya Balkanska is one of the most famous and loved folklore singers in Bulgaria. More songs from this folklore area are “Bela sum, bela yunache”, “Vecheryai, Rado” and “Subrali sa se subrali”. The melodies of most songs are slow. Some of the traditional instruments from the Rhodopes are kabagaida, tambourine and chans. You can easily find out if a song is from the Rhodope folklore if you hear the magical sound of the kabagaida.

Vesela

 The traditional costumes of the Rhodopes are very attractive and many people that live in northern Bulgaria buy them, because of how beautiful they look. There are different costumes for men and women. Women’s costume has a jacket which is normally white, black, dark green or red and its length depends on the region, the season and the holiday. The costume also has an apron, a shirt, a belt and “pafti” which are the traditional shoes worn with the costume. The costumes that men wear are normally black. The costume is a shirt with a vest with embroidery on it, a belt and pants in a dark colour. These costumes from the Rhodopes are part of many traditions and the folklore of the local areas. Nowadays folklore costumes are worn by folklore singers, but are also given as a gift to people who love and appreciate the Bulgarian culture.

 Gabriela  – Folklore/Traditional dishes

The Rhodopes are a magnetic mountain that impresses not only with its nature but also with many other things. She hides her secrets in ancient myths and legends, in human destinies and stories, and even in the recipes of her traditional dishes. If you are one of the people who love to travel, then tired but happy to embark on a culinary challenge – the Rhodopes are your place for rest and relaxation. The Rhodope cuisine is legendary. Many of the tourists who visit the mountain point to the culinary traditions of the region as the main reason for their visit there.

The king of cuisine in the Rhodopes is “Kachamak”. The well-known porridge is made from corn flour boiled in salted water. There are many variations in its serving, but the most popular are the garnish with cheese, fried butter with paprika, or with greaves. Everyone who has tried it once, does not forget this nutritious taste, bequeathed by our ancestors.

Team Two – “Orpheus rocks”:

Galina

Gergana Yankova

Gergana Gologanova

Gizem

Daniel

Gizem

“Orpheus rocks” – Location

Orpheus rocks are located at the foot of Mount “Snezhanka”. They are easily accessible, and in order to get there, you need to make a 30-minute walk from Ski centre 3 (Studenets) or a 15-minute walk from Mount “Snezhanka”. The trail to the rocks is marked and inclined. A unique panoramic view is revealed there toward the valley of Cherna River and the Smolyan Lakes.

Gergana Yankova- How to get there?

The Orpheus Rocks are located about 15 minutes from Snezhanka Peak in Pamporovo and half an hour walk from Studenets.

The first route is on the asphalt road, if you come from Chepelare you will cross the whole of Pamporovo and at the last turn right. For the Orpheus Rocks there is a wide road divided into two parts and you go on the left road. There are signs and yellow markings all the way. After 10-15 minutes of walking you come to a new wooden gazebo. The rocks are to her right- there is a sign again.

The second route is Pamporovo-Studenets- The Lake-Orpheus Rocks-Tower-Pamporovo.

Gergana Gologanova- What else can you see from there?

From “Orpheus rocks” you can see a lot of things, but today I am going to present to you the Smolyan Lakes. In the past, there used to be around 20 lakes,but now only seven of them have remained as the others have become swamps. During the spring and the autumn, small lakes are still formed in the places of some of this swamps. The first lake is Keranovia gyol Lake. It is one of the biggest lakes. Another smaller lake called Milusheviyat gyol Lake lies right above it. The last three lakes are the most beautiful ones: Trevistoto Lake,Bistroto Lake and Matnoto. They are also the highest. The view is breathtaking,but tourists must be careful while climbing towards the highest lake.

 Daniel – What else can you visit in the region?

The Rhodope peak Snezhanka raised 1,926 meters in height. A television tower rises on the Snezhanka peak, where a wonderful view opens to the entire surrounding area. The beautiful nature in the region attracts tourists all year long.

Smolyan Fortress is located 5 kilometres from Pamporovo in the direction of Smolyan. It is located just a few hundred meters from the main road. Smolyan Fortress “Kaleto” was built during the reign of Justinian I, with the function of a military fortress, whose task was to control communications and traffic on the Central Rhodope Road through the Middle Rhodopes.

Galina Guzeleva – Orpheus rocks: What else can we do ?

Electric Orpheus is a music festival in Bulgaria where people present what they love. From edgy Rock’N’Roll to hard hitting contemporary Electronics.That’s right there is a wide spectrum of awesomeness.

The summer editions are at the vineyard of Villa Yustina, near the Rhodope mountains.They also do club nights and daytime dream parties at unexpected city locations.

Team Three – “The Devil’s Throat Cave”:

Eva-Mariya

Elena

Emiliya

Ivayla

Ido

Ivayla – The Devil’s Throat location

The Devil’s Throat is located in the Western Rhodopes, 1.8 km north of the village of Trigrad and 17 km south of the town of Devin. This is one of the few caves that does not shine with exquisite formations. What attracts and enchants people is the opportunity to touch a real element, a part of the mysterious and scary underground world. The entrance to the cave, resembling a devil’s head, in the throat of which pours a huge roaring waterfall, from ancient times nourishes the human imagination and creates many legends.