Touring the Rhodope Mountains

It was late in the day and we were really tired from riding four sizable hills on our second day in the mountains. We could see the bright red roofs of the town we were going to spend the night in just around a turn and down a small hill. Coasting towards the final turn, eager to get the last mile over with, we suddenly slammed on the brakes. A couple dozen feet in front of us a large flock of sheep was crossing the road, guarded by a group of dogs. The dogs looked at us and took a few steps in our direction. There was barking coming from somewhere downhill. In a panic, we raced straight back up the way we came until the barking could barely be heard. Rocks, grab some rocks. I had a stick tied to my bike so I took it in one hand and pulled out my small can of pepper spray in the other. Should we wait it out? We could but how long does something like this usually take? Suddenly a man appeared from up the hill, walking in the same direction we were going. I told him we were scared of the dogs barking down the road. I didn't know the Bulgarian word for dog so I said "woof, woof." He got the idea and let us follow him heading down the hill towards certain doom. The barking was getting louder but we still couldn't see the dogs that were doing it. Rounding the turn the second time we saw that the herd had passed along with their guard dogs and the road was totally clear. The man leading us seemed perplexed by our fear. He got into the passenger seat of a passing vehicle and told us to get going. Barely five minutes later, now in the safety of the town, we laughed about what city slickers we were. Riding unfamiliar country roads makes you feel vulnerable to all sorts of things but in a way that's what adventure is all about.

The Rhodopes are a mountain chain stretching along Bulgaria's southern border with Greece. Their history, like much of the history of the region stretches back several centuries to the ancient Thracians and includes the Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, and Communists amongst others. The mountains themselves are not very tall, not even one of the tallest in Bulgaria, but they are full of natural beauty, charming small towns and are perfect for exploring by bike. Of all the excellent blogs out there on traveling through Bulgaria, I found Bob's especially thorough and incredibly helpful in planning my ride. I ended up riding routes 2, 4 and a little of 6 for those keeping score at home.

A fantastic way to get into the Rhodope mountains is to take the narrow gauge railroad that runs between the towns of Septemvri and Dobrinishte. It takes a slow, meandering climb into the hills, stopping in a variety of small towns including Velingrad, a town known for it's natural hot springs and spa hotels. You'll immediately be greeted by the cool, clean mountain air. Velingrad is also a great place to try Bulgarian cooking. The ride heading south from Velingrad, going deeper into the mountains is a tough one. The major pass on the way to Sarnitsa is short in distance but involves at least 2800 feet (800 meters) of climbing. It's completely worth it, though, because after a short descent the ride takes you onto a flat road with stunning conifer-covered mountains on both sides. There are rest areas all along the way with potable water fountains and a few tiny towns to get a bite to eat. Arriving in Sarnitsa you're greeted by a charming small town on a large reservoir formed by the Dospot dam. There are several choices for accommodations in town as well as excellent restaurants to sample classic Bulgarian dishes and some Rhodopean specialties. The elevation difference is noticable and you'll want to be wearing long sleeves after sunset.

Taking the paved road towards Dospat from Sarnitsa involves a bit climbing again but the views of the bay and the mountains are fantastic. Much like Sarnitsa, Dospat is a small but attractive town of red roofs with beautiful views of the reservoir. It makes for a great place to get lunch and a coffee. Shopska salad is a must try and is pretty ubiquitous at any restaurant around the country. It's just tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers and a chopped white cheese which is not unlike Feta. Another can't-miss is parlenka which is a hot bread similar to pita, ideally smothered with butter and garlic. After taking in some views from the dam, it's back in the saddle for a few more climbs. The first of the three hills between Dospat and Borino is the toughest but the vistas from the top are incredible. Coming down the first hill you'll encounter an old Roman bridge that once connected ancient trade routes in the area. A few of the road stops have instructions on what you should do if you encounter a bear, which is supposed to be a real possibility in these mountains. The instructions didn't come in handy for us on this trip but we could have used some advice on how to survive a few barking poodles. Borino is a smaller town than Sarnitsa and Dospat with only a handful of hotels and restaurants catering to visitors. The surrounding area though, is full of things to see. There are gorges, caves, waterfalls, hiking trails and lots more all within a few miles of Borino. An English speaking local I met at a grocery store joined us for dinner. He lived in London but was visiting his family in Borino. He told us most people here trace their heritage to the Ottomans and speak an old form of Turkish. The owner of the hotel/restaurant we were staying in spoke to me mostly in Russian along with some English, he spoke tomy new friend in Turkish and I'm willing to bet he spoke Bulgarian as well. Everyone was so welcoming we could have easily been talked into spending a few extra nights.

If you make it to Borino it pays to make some time to see the sights. Our milage for the day wasn't too strenuous so we rode the few miles downhill towards the Devil's Bridge. There are two places by that name in Bulgaria, one is an actual man-made bridge while the one in Borino is a natural rock bridge with a steep gorge below it. A short walking trail takes you to the rock formation and a small, terrifying wooden walkway leads you below the "bridge." Once back on the road the bulk of the ride to Devin is thankfully downhill after all the climbs getting to this point. Devin is another natural springs spa town in the mountains. It's also famous for having its name on the most popular brand of spring water all around Bulgaria. The town is small but with loads of hotel options and exceptional restaurants. Chicken sach which is a chicken dish with vegetables and cheese served on a sizzling stone plate was one of the most memorable meals of our whole trip.

Riding from Devin to Plovdiv racks up more miles than the other legs but is also mostly downhill after one sizeable climb in the beginning. The ride takes you through a couple short tunnels cut into the peaks. Interestingly the vegetation covering the mountains is completely different from the dark spruce trees you'd find covering the hills around Sarnitsa and Dospat. This section seemed to have a lot more desiduous trees and the hills were also very rocky. Fallen rocks were all over the side of the road, some of them looked like they could do some real damage. The ride takes you past two dams along the Vacha River. The last town in the hills before hitting the plains is Krichim. A few locals advised us to take the roads with less traffic that go through Perushtitsa. The sun was just setting as we got in to Plovdiv. It looked every bit as charming as I was expecting. The Kapana neighborhood is known for it's artsy vibe is a great place to stay. It's full of quaint coffee shops, restaurants and bars. A band was playing funky soul covers in one of the public squares at sunset. The adjacent old town is full of beautifully restored 19th century buildings in the "Bulgarian Revival" style. A Roman amphitheater, rediscovered only in the 1960s, was restored and put back into use to host concerts. The town has several tall hills with amazing panaramic views of different sections of the city. Plovdiv was called Philippopolis for most of its history and is considered the third oldest consistently occupied city in Europe. You might be tempted, as we were to extend your stay in Plovdiv for a few days to soak it all in. A short ride away from Plovdiv agoing back up into the Rhodopes is the town of Asenovgrad with its ancient fortress ruins. The only building left intact is a small church beautifully situated on a cliff with views of the mountains and town below. I got lazy and decided to take the train back to Plovdiv from Asenovgrad. You have to buy a separate bike ticket to take a bike on a train. I walked up to the clerk in the station and asked, in English, for both tickets. She didn't understand. Another woman in the ticket booth didn't hear me speaking English and guessed I must be Russian so she came over to help. I said the same thing, in Russian this time, "one ticket and one for the bike please." The first woman who didn't understand me piped up, "If you had asked in Russian I would have understood you the first time."