Hiking In Vitosha, Pirin & Rodopi Mountains (Guided)

An easier tour compared to the hiking in Rila & Pirin mountains, well balanced with more sightseeing and culture elements in addition to the pure walking stages. The hiking takes place in Vitosha – the most popular Bulgarian Mountains due to their immediate proximity to the capital Sofia, in the most challenging and inaccessible Bulgarian mountain, named after the highest god of the Slavic pantheon – Perun, as well as in the oldest Bulgarian mountains – Rodopi, famous for its serenity and famed for being the birth place of the mythical musician Orpheus. As a part of the trek we will explore some of Bulgaria's most remote and forgotten regions and border villages that have been closed for foreigners not so long ago. In recent days these are considered as some of the most authentic Bulgarian settlements, where everyone is welcome to experience traditional Bulgarian culture and country life. Sinister caves, deep gorges, alpine meadows, glacial lakes, monasteries and museum-villages will be visited as a part of the tour.
This trek is optimized for people who do not feel comfortable trekking and climbing for hours in the alpine parts of the mountains but still would like to taste the best of these landscapes. An average hiker with some experience in mountain trekking should be able to cope with the daily walks.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- Vitosha Mountains are the oldest Nature Park on the Balkan Peninsula and the most favourite place for hiking for thousands of inhabitants of the capital, exploring either the two nature reserves or ascending the highest peak Cherni Vryh (The Black Peak) – 2290 m a.s.l.
- Pirin Mountains are the second highest in Bulgaria after Rila Mountains and the third on the Balkan Peninsula (Mount Vihren - 2914 m a.s.l.).
- Rodopi Mountains (highest peak – Golyam Perelik, 2191m a.s.l.) are the oldest mountains on the Balkan Peninsula.
- Yagodina Cave is among the longest caves in Bulgaria (with more than 10 km 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.
- Shiroka Lyka is an architectural, ethnographic and folklore reserve, preserving numerous houses with the typical Rodopean architecture.
- Bachkovo Monastery is the second largest Bulgarian monastery.
- Plovdiv ranks as the second Bulgarian city in population and size being also one of oldest in Europe, contemporary to Troy and Mikena. The settlement has been existing here for 8000 years now.