Hiking the Phodope Mountains, Bulgaria

More about Rhodope Mountains

We can start either from Plovdiv, the most common starting point for treks in the Rhodope, or from Smolyan, a peculiar charming town. There are a host of places related to our history and culture, and the local cuisine is another feature you can discover with my help.

From Plovdiv we can reach Pamporovo, an outstanding mountain resort attractive in wintertime and in summer. For the purpose we can get to Hrabrino, a common starting point from where the Vruhovruh locality can be reached. Then we can take the trek to Pamporovo. From the resort, there are a host of spots to reach, including a trek to the Snezhanka peak over the resort.

Another town from where to immerse in the mountain’s greenery and rolling verdant slopes is Chepelare. From Chepelare we can take treks to both Pamporovo and to Smolyan. Smolyan has a peculiar location, it stretches to unite three former villages. Everywhere the pine forests delight with their greenery. In the autumn the differently colored tree leaves of deciduous trees form a profusion that begs to be snapped. Smolyan deserves separate mentioning as a location, as it shows off local cuisine and customs, but also owing to the Smolyan lakes, near the town, a locality from which treks can go up the mountain.