Eastern Rhodope Guidebook reveals the beauty of a little known tourist destination

published on 2/22/12 12:58 PM

Photo: imagesfrombulgaria.com

There are only few places across Europe able to surprise travelers with almost pristine nature, with villages hardly touched by time and with authentic local traditions surviving in 21 c. Do open Bulgaria’s map and move your eyes to its lower corner where the soft slopes of the Rhodope Mountains unfold. In their eastern part bordering on Greece there lies one of the wildest nooks in Europe waiting for you! The Eastern Rhodopes are still terra incognita for mass-market tourism. Now a Guidebook has been released to take us to the unbeaten trails of this lovely region.

The first Eastern Rhodope Guidebook has become a fact owing to the Bulgarian-Dutch project The New Thracian Gold aimed to promote the sustainable development of the region. The nice booklet that includes detailed information and a rich selection of visuals, has been released in Bulgarian and English and will be distributed in bookstores, hotels and information centers across the country. In this way the curious travelers will find it easier to find their way in mountain recesses, dotted with remote villages, ancient shrines and nature sights.

“This is a practical little book about nature and cultural heritage sites, as well as about accommodation options, various routes and recreations tips in this part of Bulgaria”, explains Mihaela Kircheva, coordinator of the Bulgarian-Dutch project.

“The guidebook follows the way of tourists in the region. It starts from the town of Kurdzhali and proceeds to the archeological site Perperikon, a unique cult center displaying cultural strata from various epochs. Then we direct tourists to the Womb Cave found in a picturesque mountain locality. An eco-trail takes visitors to the cave. We advise travelers to make a stopover in Momchilgrad and the nearby village of Tatul to see the holy place that is linked to mythical singer Orpheus. One of the region’s attractions is the town of Zlatograd. It has a splendid old town with an ethnographic complex displaying some traditional local crafts. The valley of the River Krumovitsa is a must-see in the region of Krumovgrad. The valley boasts of breath-taking nature and well preserved biodiversity. Passing by Ivailovgrad, it is worth seeing the Armira Villa dated to the classical Antiquity (1-4 c. AD), as well as the ruins of Lyutitsa, the largest medieval stronghold in the region. In Madzharovo tourists are invited to visit the Nature Protection Center offering a good vantage point to observe birds of prey.”

The ancient sancturary of Perperikon

The Eastern Rhodope Guidebook provides addresses of guesthouses and small family hotels that offer warmth, hospitality and good traditional food to the fans of the Rhodope habits and ways. Local hotel-managers have longtime experience and are ready to provide options for full recreation amidst wild nature. The booklet displays a few routes to little known but lovely places in the mountain. Old stone bridges, nature reserves, monasteries in the folds of the mountains, old surviving neighborhoods, crystal-clear lakes and other sights tempt travelers to leave behind civilization and take up the paths of the Eastern Rhodope Mountains.

Translated by Daniela Konstantinova

По публикацията работи: Veneta Nikolova

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Eastern Rhodope Guidebook reveals the beauty of a little known tourist destination

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