Plovdiv & the Southern Mountains - Romania and Bulgaria - page 745

RODOPI MOUNTAINS
Vast stretches of serene pine forests, perilously steep gorges and hundreds of remarkable
caves characterise the enthralling Rodopi (rod- oh -pee) Mountains, which cover some
15,000 sq km of territory, spilling across into Greece. Much of the border between the two
countries is determined by the Rodopi range (85% of which is Bulgarian).
Being relatively remote compared with the Rila and Pirin mountain ranges further west,
the Rodopi Mountains see far fewer foreign visitors, with the exception of the ski resorts of
Pamporovo and Chepelare, and the spa town of Devin. Outside these areas, however, the
region remains one of Bulgaria's wildest, an endless expanse of majestic, thickly packed
conifer forests where more than 200 bird species and brown bears, wild goats and wolves
dwell. The Rodopi Mountains are exceptionally rich in wildflowers, including indigenous
violets, tulips and the unique silivriak - a fragile white flower said to have sprung up from
the blood of Orpheus, the semidivine father of music, after he was torn to pieces by the
frenzied Bacchantes.
Despite being sparsely populated, this mountain range named after a Thracian god,
Rhodopa, is dotted with hundreds of tiny, traditional villages. This is particularly so for the
Muslim villages populated by Turks and Pomaks (Slavic Christians who converted to Islam
to win benefits during the Ottoman occupation). The Rodopi area fell to the Turks in 1371
and suffered harshly under their rule, which saw a massacre at Batak in 1876. Today, rela-
tions between the various ethnic and religious groups are normal, though Bulgarians are
nervous about rising Turkish nationalism.
Along with winter skiing, summertime outdoor activities such as hiking, horse riding and
caving are all excellent here. There are more than 700 mapped caves in the Rodopi Moun-
tains, the most spectacular being near Trigrad and Yagodina, though others, such as the
partly underwater Golubovitsa, are still being discovered. While the range's average height
is only 785m, the highest peak - Mt Golyan Perelik, near Smolyan - rises to 2190m.
HIKING IN THE RODOPI MOUNTAINS
Exploring the idyllic forested region around Chepelare, Smolyan, Shiroka Lûka and Devin is the high point for nature
lovers here. First, get the English-language West Rhodopean Region or Western Rhodope Mountains maps