Days 6   Distance 93 km   Ascent 4980 m   Descent 4360 m

This popular six-day walk at the Western Rhodopes follows the third highest ridge in the Mountains- the ridge Chernatitsa. It implies natural, historical and architectural attractions as high peaks, the natural phenomena Wonderful Bridges, thick ancient forests, green meadows, an amazing canyon with many waterfalls and lakes. The trail offers panoramic views towards the small authentic villages that are scattered on the slopes and passes by remote chapels and well-maintained shelters. Due to the proximity of the region with the second largest city of Bulgaria- Plovdiv and the winter resort Pamporovo, as well the hot mineral water at the foot of the mountains, there are built many huts, that provide good conditions for hiking and relaxation.

Day 1: Walk from the Hrabrino village to the hut Varhovrah. The walk passes along broad paths and dirt roads by several huts and chapels and provides views to the valley of Plovdiv.
Day 2: Walk from the Varhovrah hut to the Persenk hut. Gradually the path enters the mountain and after the village of Churen there are fantastic views towards the mountains. It leads you trough forests, glades and small rivers to the area of the peak Modar where the path gets into ancient Roman road. To the hut the path is through a thick forest where many fallen trees make you ease the pace and pay attention to the lush vegetation.
Day 3: Walk from the hut Persenk to the hut Izgrev. Continuing by the ancient Roman road, the path leads you soon to the natural phenomena Wonderful Bridges. Once part of a cave now they remind stone bridges. They owe this shape to the destructive water in the river and possible earthquakes. The walls of the cave collapsed and thus they formed arches or bridges.

Day 4: Walk from the hut Izgrev to the resort of Pamporovo. This walk is a real pleasure as it is trough green pastures and without big ascends and descends. On the saddle Pamporovo is built the winter resort with the same name and this is the place where finishes the Chernatitsa ridge.
Day 5 Walk from the resort of Pamporovo to the town of Smolyan. The walk heads off down from the area of the peak Snezhanka at the Pamporovo resort. It is a pleasant walk down that winds along the Smolyanski Lakes, small lakes scattered along the valley and provides views towards the rocky outcrops known as the Orpheus Rocks.

Day 6 This walk is a type of a side walk, but once in the town of Smolyan,  it definitely deserves to pay a visit to the Canyon of the waterfalls. It is a real surprise for the waterfall lovers. After a long ascend along the valley of the river Gerzovitsa, the path enter the Soskovcheto nature reserve where the eco-trail Smolyan waterfalls canyon was set up recently. The trail winds up along the river deep in the ravine that once was wild and nobody could penetrate without special equipment. Today with the support of the many wooden steps, bridges and signs, the path gives the tourists the opportunity to see more than 46 waterfalls and strange rock formations. The path is circular and the second part leads you high above the river and provides panoramic views down to the waterfalls and toward the town.

Self-guided tour*

• Difficulty: The average difficulty is moderate. The biggest part of the trail is a pleasant walk. The most difficult part is along the eco-trail Smolyan waterfalls canyon, as some of the wooden steps are very steep and walking on them requires a lot of attention, but none of them need of special equipment. 
• Accomodation: The huts are popular and are frequently visited by many tourists and local people. That’s why it is advisable to book a place in them. In the town of Smolyan there are guest-houses and hotels, whereas in Pamporovo there are mainly hotels. There is no lack of choice- some of them offer traditional atmosphere, some are modern. On the event of a national holiday it is possible to be fully occupied and a booking of a room is a must.
• Transport: 
  • To the starting point: There are many buses from Plovdiv that serve the village of Hrabrino, as it is popular summer area among the people of the city.
  • To the finishing point: The town of Smolyan is served by buses from the capital city of Sofia and Plovdiv.
• Security: The trail is totally secure. All parts of it are marked, but at some sections it is possible to miss. Also it crosses many dirt roads and shepherd’s paths that makes the navigation challenging. It is advisable to use some kind of GPS device.  

A note on our self guided adventures