Trigrad - Rodopi Mountains Adventures
The green and 225 km (139 mile) long mountain ridge of the Rodopi Mountains is situated in southern Bulgaria, with 20 percent of the range extending into Greece. The highest peak is around 2,000 m (6,561 ft) high, with the average height around 800 m (2,624 ft). With their pleasant climate the Rhodope mountains are the perfect place for trekking, offering walkers a rolling landscape with pre-historic caves, ancient Roman roads and bridges, fortresses and churches. These walking paths and little villages do not represent a well-trodden route for tourists, however. Goats are not just a part of the scenery, they are an element of everyday life, providing the locals with milk, meat and leather.
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Details |
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Price Includes |
(HK-9651-P) |
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accommodation in a family pension |
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transfer to/from Sofia and Plovdiv airport to Trigrad |
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transfers for the 3 trekking days (Trigrad-Yagodina, Mougla-Trigrad) |
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English-speaking guide for the 3 trekking days |
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entrance fees for “Yagodina” cave and The Devil’s Throat cave |
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VAT and all local taxes |
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Price Excludes |
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map (could be requested in advance when booking the tour), guidance and transfer for the rest days outside the program; lunches/lunchpacks; tips; alcohol drinks; other personal expenses. |
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Suitability / Level |
Moderate |
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Minimum Age |
10 |
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Theme |
Activity Days
(Click to Search All) |
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Max Group Size |
20 |
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Itinerary
& Highlights |
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Departure dates for 2008:
01 May - 30 September - every day
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival at Sofia or Plovdiv airport and transfer to Trigrad in the Rodopi Mountains for overnight.
Days 2-4. Three trekking days with a guide are planned for this period. These are:
1: After breakfast we travel to “Yagodina” cave where within an hour a cave tour will be performed. After that we have about 3-4 hours of walking through Yagodina village to Trigrad village and additional trip to Trigrad Gorge and The Devil's Throat cave (uphill walk: 250m; downhill walk: 600m).
2: In the morning we head southeast to the peak of the ridge by Trigrad and further on to the villages of Vodni Pad and Kesten. It takes about 4-5 hours of walking to get there and two more for the journey back along the Trigradska river, which is a real delight (uphill walk: 600m; downhill walk: 650m).
3: This is a real trekking day – starting from Trigrad village past the Chairski lakes to Mougla village(around 5 hours walk). There are no possibilities for getting lunch en-route during that day so be prepared with a lunch pack for the trek (uphill walk: 600m; downhill walk: 450m)
Day 5-7: There are several options for spending the rest days of your stay (please note that guidance and arranged program are not included in the package price and they are to be paid additionally in advance or to the guide on the spot depending on the services requested): Additional hiking tours in the mountains (to be decided on the spot, payable to the guide); Sightseeing Shiroka Luka (to be decided on the spot, payable to the guide); Swimming in the mineral pools of Devin (to be decided on the spot, payable to the guide); Cycling tour (to be purchased at least 2 weeks in advance, payable in advance prior departure)
Day 8: Early transfer to Sofia or Plovdiv Airport for departure.
Highlights:
- Trigrad is a small village in the central part of the Rodopi Mountains. Being a border area, Trigrad has been closed for tourists for many years. As a place, Trigrad is famous for The Trigrad Gorge and the nearby limestone caves Yagodina and The Devil's Throat.
- Mougla village is located in the immediate proximity of the Bulgarian - Greek border.
- Gela village is one of the most ancient settlements in the Rodopi Mountains, being more than 3300 years old. Gela is believed to be the birth place of the legendary musician Orpheus.
- Shiroka Luka - numerous houses preserving the typical Rodopean architecture, speech, songs and customs of local people have given the village the status of an architectural, ethnographic and folklore reserve.
- Devin - the town is mostly famous for its mineral springs known from ancient times.
- Yagodina cave is among the longest caves in Bulgaria (more than 10 000m mapped so far), considered to be one of the most beautiful in Europe with its outstanding stalactites, stalagmites, columns, ponds and cave pearls in them.
- The Devil's Throat cave has its name from the fact that if you let something flow in the cave river it never comes out again. There is a cave waterfall - one of the highest underground waterfalls in Europe, 42 m high.
- Chairski lakes are formed by land sliding. They are declared protected area due to the presence of some rare plants, growing within the peat.
FOR LOW COST FLIGHTS TO BULGARIA please check: Wizz Air; Sky Europe; Easy Jet; Germanwings; My Air; Flybulgarien; Norwegian Air Shuttle. CONNECTING THE TOUR: in summer time there are loads of opportunities to book a cheap flight to Bourgas or Varna Airport instead of landing at Sofia Airport. We can arrange for you public transport tickets or private transfer to the starting point of the tour. |
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Accommodation
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We stay in a family pension on HB (breakfast & dinner included) in rooms with en-suite facilities. |
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Holidays
Extras |
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