Days 5  Distance 62 km   Ascent 3740 m   Descent 3740 m

This emblematic five-day walk at the Western Rhodopes explores the highest region of the mountain. It encompasses the most attractive for the tourists features: the highest peak, ancient forests, green pastures, impressive canyon with many waterfalls, beautiful rivers. The trail passes by authentic villages and chapels built on remote places. Part of the magic is that it provides not only a calm walk among a preserved and pristine nature, but also it meets you with the local people that are known for their hospitality. They prepare delicious food from the products that grow at their land.

Day 1: Walk from the Pamporovo resort to the village Shiroka Laka. The walk is along the river Shirokolashka, whose valley is scattered with authentic small Rhodopean villages as the Stoykite and the Shiroka Laka. The Shiroka Laka village itself is architecture reserve and offers good quality accommodation and opportunities for relaxation in an atmosphere from hundreds years ago.
Day 2: Walk from the Shiroka Laka village to the Lednitsata hut. The start of the walk is behind the musical school in the village of Shiroka Laka. With zig-zags through a shady forest, it climbs up to the picturesque village of Gela. Then along a dirt road, meadows, farm buildings, chapels and magnificent panoramas reaches the hut Lednitsata.
Day 3: Walk from the hut Lednitsata to the hut Perelik. This amazing walk is an open-air ridge walk that is full of panoramas. It climbs up the ridge Mursalitsa that drops from the highest peak of the Mountains - Golyam Perelik (2191m). Despite this fact, the walk is pleasant and the terrain is mild. Unfortunately, the path skirts the fence of a military base, which is built on the very top of the peak and you are not allowed to reach it either from curiosity either for the record.

Day 4: Walk from the hut Perelik to the town of Smolyan. This walk is a real surprise for the waterfall lovers. After a long descend to the valley of the river Gerzovitsa, the path enter the Soskovcheto nature reserve where the eco-trail Smolyan waterfalls canyon was set up. The trail winds down 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.
Day 5: Walk from the town of Smolyan to the resort of Pamporovo. The walk heads off from the town of Smolyan up to the area of the peak Snezhanka and Pamporovo resort. It is a pleasant walk that winds around the Smolyanski Lakes, scattered along the valley and provides views towards the rocky outcrops known as the Orpheus Rocks.

Self-guided tour*

• Difficulty: 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 centrally located and are visited by many tourists and the local people. That’s why it is advisable to book a place in them. In the village of Shiroka Laka and the town of Smolyan there are guest-houses and hotels. There is no lack of choice- some of them offer traditional atmosphere, some are modern. On the event of a national holyday it is possible to be fully occupied and a booking of a room is a must.
• Transport: 
  • To the starting/finishing point: The resort of Pamporovo is served by buses with to and from the capital city of Sofia, Plovdiv and Smolyan.
• 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