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Rhodopes Panoramas

 Days 5    Distance 52 km    Ascent 3560 m   Descent 2910 m  Difficulty level 3/5 
 

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.

What to expect:

Five-day hut to hut hike passing by the highest peak, ancient forests, green pastures, impressive canyon with many waterfalls;
To be leaded by experienced guide (if guided option is chosen);
To spend the nights at warm and cozy huts or guest-houses;
Breakfast and dinner provided by the hut-keepers;

Trip Highlights
  • A rise to the highest peak of the mountain;
  • A visit to the Waterfall Canyon near Smolyan town; 
  • Panoramic and open-air walk along the main ridge with fantastic views to the nearby valleys and ridges;
  • The starting/finishing point Pamporovo resort is easily reached from Sofia and Plovdiv.
Trek Suitability
For those who want to join, should be:
  • Fit and active traveller. Some of the trail's distances are big that makes the hike more challenging.
  • Ready to spend 4 nights in mountain huts or guest houses. Each night the accommodation is in a different hut so it is important to pack light. 
  • Walk 5 days (4-6 hours) up to 15 km each day.

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..

Accommodation: 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. Please, have in mind that these are high mountain huts and the conditions are basic: beds in common rooms in some huts, no hot shower in each hut and shared WC.

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. The area is served by the mountain rescue teams.  

Itinerary
Ask for more information here:
Prices per person for 5 days / 4 nights:

169 EUR per person /self guided trail

What Is Included In The Price:

 

OPTION
SELF-GUIDED 
GUIDED TRIP
Accommodation in the huts
Detailed Itinerary
GPS Track of your trail
Time tables of public transport
Taxi companies contacts 
Phone and e-mail assistance
English speaking guide
X
Intermediate transfers 
Meals and drinks
X
X
Travel insurance
X
X
Travel to and from Bulgaria
X
X

 

In Brief
RANGE
Active
TRIP TYPE
Self Guided Tour
STARTS
Pamporovo resort
ENDS
Pamporovoresort
DEPARTS
June - October
GROUP SIZE
Min 1 / Max 20
ACCOMMODATION
Common rooms
TOUR GUIDE
Yes/No - guided/self guided
MEALS
Yes, against payment
COUNTRY
Bulgaria
Book here:

The Prices Start From 169 EUR*
* per person in self-guided option.

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Day1one

Start of the trip

Pamporovo - Shiroka laka

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.

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Day2two

Shiroka laka - Lednitsata
Shiroka laka - Lednitsata

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.

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Day3three
Lednitsata - Perelik
Lednitsata - Perelik

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. After the hut Perelik, you should continue to the area of Tuzlata, where is arranged a transfer to the town of Smolyan.

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Day4four

Waterfall Canyon, Smolyan
Waterfall Canyon

Walk along the Waterfall Canyon near the town of Smolyan. The walk starts with a transfer to the trailhead. 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. The walk ends with a transfer back to the guest house in Smolyan.

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Day5five

End of the trip
Smolyan - Pamporovo

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.

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How the “Self-guided trip” option works:

If you prefer to explore the mountain at your own pace, than chose the option “Self-guided trip”. In this case we will provide you a package of materials, including a written hike description together with a customized travel itinerary, GPS tracks of your trail and local information. In order to make your independent hiking tour a success we will do all of the necessary arrangements. That is why the accommodations in the package are prepaid.

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The prices start from 169 EUR*

* per person in self-guided option.

Book your Trip Here

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