Stays 
Artkostov · CC BY-SA 4.0Област Смолян
Deep gorges, caves, stone villages, folklore and potato-based cuisine make the Rhodopes Bulgaria's slow-travel heartland.
Rumen Evtimov · CC BY 3.0Смолян
Smolyan is not a compact old centre but a chain of mountain neighbourhoods along the Cherna valley, with a major planetarium, Rhodope history and forests and lakes close at hand.
Artkostov · CC BY-SA 4.0Arched bridges, stone houses and the sound of kaba gaida preserve a living Rhodope village culture.
Artkostov · CC BY-SA 4.0Shiroka LakaШирока лъка
Arched bridges, stone houses and the sound of kaba gaida preserve a living Rhodope village culture.
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Evgeni Dinev from Burgas, Bulgaria · CC BY 2.0TrigradТриградското ждрело и Дяволското гърло
Vertical marble walls funnel the road toward a cave where an underground waterfall roars.
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Gogotoooo · CC BY-SA 4.0YagodinaЯгодинската пещера и Орлово око
A long decorated cave and high viewing platform reveal both the underground and panoramic Rhodopes.
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Evgord · CC BY-SA 4.0SmolyanСмолянските езера
Forest paths connect a chain of mountain lakes below the Snezhanka ridge.
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Original author and uploader was Dzverbg at bg.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0ZlatogradЕтнографският ареален комплекс в Златоград
Whitewashed workshops, coffee rituals and Rhodope music fill Bulgaria's southernmost town.
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Chech Explorer · CC BY-SA 3.0Dospat and SarnitsaЯзовир Доспат
A long high Rhodope reservoir reflects conifer forests, rounded ridges and the towns of Dospat and Sarnitsa.
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Vassia Atanassova - Spiritia · Public domainMogilitsaПещера Ухловица
A steeply reached show cave reveals white formations and cascading flowstone in the southern Rhodopes.
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Krisko26 · CC BY-SA 4.0PamporovoОрфееви скали
A rocky viewpoint above dense spruce forest carries Orphic legends and wide views toward the central Rhodope ridges.
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Ралица Вълчева (Ralitsa Valcheva) · CC BY 2.5MogilitsaАгушеви конаци
A fortified 19th-century residential complex with towers, courtyards and painted interiors is unique in the Rhodopes.
Read the guideBuses connect Plovdiv with Smolyan, Devin and Zlatograd. Village/cave connections are limited; there is no mainline railway in the province.
patatnik · klin · Smilyan beans · Rhodope kachamak
K kapustin / Wikimedia CommonsA fragrant Rhodope potato dish with onion and herbs, crisp outside and soft in the middle.
What's in it Grated potatoes, onion, mint or savory, salt and sometimes cheese.Soft, slightly tangy pancakes traditionally cooked on a clay sach and served with sweet or salty fillings.
What's in it Flour, water or milk, yeast, eggs and salt; sometimes yogurt.
Wikimedia Commons contributorsA whole lamb turned slowly over wood fire for a communal Rhodope celebration.
What's in it Young lamb, salt and sometimes a simple herb or butter baste.
Wikimedia Commons contributorsA flattened, air-dried sausage with a dense texture and warm spice, sliced thin as a meze.
What's in it Pork and beef, salt, black pepper, cumin and curing cultures in a natural casing.
Viktorija N. Ivanov / Wikimedia CommonsThe classic first order: tomatoes, cucumber and peppers under a generous snowy layer of white brined cheese.
What's in it Tomatoes, cucumber, roasted or fresh pepper, onion, parsley and sirene cheese.
Biso / Wikimedia CommonsCrisp filo layers wrapped around eggs, yogurt and white cheese—a warm Bulgarian breakfast staple.
What's in it Filo pastry, eggs, yogurt, sirene cheese and butter or oil.Смолян
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