5 days: Mysteries in the Orpheus lands

Difficulty:

75%

The legend of the Rhodopes was told by the Thracians to Herodotus, the father of history, and he recorded it. It tells the story of the mystical king Hemus, who loved his wife Rhodope so much that he called her by the name of the deity Hera. She, in turn, called him Zeus. In their love game, they unconsciously mocked the gods. Understanding, Zeus decided to punish them. He turned the sinners into mountains that were forever separated by miles. Love like a flower, torn off forever … but not dead, because their memory remains eternal!

The fame of the musician Orpheus spread over the territories of Thrace and Greece. On his wedding day, his wife Eurydice was bitten by a snake and died. He embarked on a long journey to the Underworld, the kingdom of Hades, to save his beloved and bring her back to the world of the living. With his sad songs, he captured not only Hades but also his wife Persephone, who asked the king to make an exception. The king of the dead agreed on one condition – Orpheus must not turn to see Eurydice while they were within his kingdom. The singer broke the stipulation – he wanted to make sure Eurydice was following him, he wanted to see her face – the next moment her shadow disappeared.

Orpheus was left alone in the world of the living. With his music and poems, Orpheus became a reformer for his time, creating a doctrine. The Orpheus Mysteries competed with the Dionysus.

Тoday the Rhodopes are an attractive place for archaeologists, adventurers, poets, wine lovers, people looking for love, and harmony of nature.

BECOME A PART OF THE LEGENDS!

Day 1

Day 2

Devin- Borino-The Devil’s trail- cave Yagodina- Trigrad

7:30. Breakfast. 8:30. Leaving the hotel. Transfer from Devin to Borino – 40 minutes. 9:20. We are located in front of the Devil’s Eco-trail, where our program will start.

Option 1: Devil’s eco-trail – Yagodinska cave – Yagodina – Trigrad Duration: 7 hours. Elevation: 400 m.

Option 2: Devil’s eco-trail (small circle) and transfer to Trigrad with a stop for the Yagodinska and Devil’s Throat caves. Duration (on foot): 4 hours. Elevation: 400 m.

Today we will be in the Devin Mountains and we will pass through several gorges – Buynovo and Trigrad; caves – Yagodinska and Devil’s Throat, and we will see the museum of the tar. All the area is full of karst rocks. We will be among coniferous forests of pines, firs, and spruces. In the beginning, we will walk along the river Chitak Dere, which flows into the Yagodinska River, where the Buynovo Gorge is located. Above us will be the Eagle’s Nest, a peak known for its panoramic site and successful marriage proposals.

We will see the landscaped Yagodina Cave, known as the pearl among Bulgarian caves. We will see cave formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, stalactites, and cave pearls. In the afternoon we will have a marked route of about 7 km to the village of Trigrad, Rhodope Tyrol. Arrival in the late afternoon in Trigrad. Accommodation at the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Day 3

Day 4

Shiroka Luka- Pamporovo-Bachkovo monastery- Marziganitsa hut-Bezovo hut- Bachkovo village- Assen’s Fortress- Plovdiv

7:00. Breakfast. 8:30. Leaving the guest house. Transfer from Shiroka Laka to Bachkovo Monastery – 1.5 hours.

Option 1: Bachkovo Monastery – Martsiganitsa hut – Bezovo-Gonda Voda – Bachkovo village. Duration: 6 hours. Elevation: 1120 m.

Option 2: Bachkovo Monastery – marked road on the eastern slopes of the Chernatitsa ridge to Assen’s fortress. Duration: 2 hours.Elevation: 140 m.

Today will be filled not only with natural beauty but also with remarkable cultural sites of national importance dating back to the Middle Ages.

The Bachkovo Monastery is the second largest in Bulgaria. The catholicon of the monastery consists of two churches – “St. Archangels” and ” Dormition of the Mother of God”, which today represent a complete ensemble. The monastery was built by the Georgian Bakuryani family in the XIth century.

Walking tour of the monastery – 30 minutes. Visiting the old refectory, which with its frescoes from the XVIIth century is a candidate for UNESCO heritage.

Our circular route starts from the ossuary of the monastery and we enter the reserve “Red Wall”, which is the largest in the Rhodopes. If you are not tired enough from the previous days, this is your challenge – it’s time for a short Via Ferrata with metal stairs and ropes! We will go through different plant belts – from deciduous forests of oak, hornbeam, and beech, to coniferous forests of pine and fir. The “Red Wall” reserve is known for its animal wealth of amphibians and reptiles, but large mammals such as the brown bear can also be seen.

Transfer to Assen’s Fortress and sightseeing – 30 minutes. If there is time left – a stop at the Asenovgrad Paleontological Museum and a tour of the exhibition, which has fossils of animals that inhabited the Bulgarian lands 8 million years ago.

Transfer to Plovdiv – 40 minutes. Accommodation in a boutique hotel in the center. Dinner in a traditional Bulgarian restaurant. Overnight.

Day 5