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Rhodopes Classic

 Days 6    Distance 90 km    Ascent 5160 m   Descent 4400 m  Difficulty level 3/5 

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.

What to expect:

Six-day hut to hut hike passing along a high mountain ridge, natural phenomena, 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 visit to the natural phenomena Wonderful Bridges;
  • A walk along 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 point Hrabrino village is easily reached from Plovdiv. The finishing point Smolyan town 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 5 nights in mountain huts or guest houses. Each night the accommodation is in a different hut so it is important to pack light. 
  • Walk 6 days (4-8 hours) up to 21 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. The walk on the Day 3 is prolonged, 21 km due to the visit to the Wonderful Bridges. 

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 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: in some huts the beds are in common rooms, no hot shower in each hut and shared WC.

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.
  • From the finishing point: The town of Smolyan is served by buses to 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. The area is served by the mountain rescue teams.  

Itinerary
Ask for more information here:
Prices per person for 6 days / 5 nights:

179 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
Plovdiv town
ENDS
Smolyanresort
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 179 EUR*
* per person in self-guided option.

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Day1one

Start of the trip

Hrabrino - Varhovrah

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.

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Day2two

Varhovrah - Persenk
Varhovrah - Persenk

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.

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Day3three
Persenk - Izgrev
Persenk - Izgrev

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.

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Day4four

Izgrev - Pamporovo
Izgrev - Pamporovo

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.

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Day5five

Pamporovo - Smolyan
Pamporovo - Smolyan

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.

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Day6six

End of the trip
Canyon of the waterfalls

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.

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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 179 EUR*

* per person in self-guided option.

Book your Trip Here

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