THE RHODOPES ARE ONE OF THE BEST TOURIST DESTINATIONS

The Rhodopes are among the Top 10 of Europe’s Best Tours for 2011 of the American edition of National Geographic Traveller news magazine, reported Radio Bulgaria. The mountain of Orpheus was ranked together with the Swiss Alps and the Caucasus.

“Southern Bulgaria’s Rhodopes mountain range is wonderland for hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding and spelunking.” With these words the magazine invites tourists to adventure tours and family holidays in one of the most exotic places in Bulgaria and the region. The Rhodopes, the Swiss Alps and the Caucasus are the only mountainous destinations in the Top 10 ranking of National Geographic Traveller. The Rhodopes is described as one of Europe’s best mountain destinations.

The magazine describes the possibilities for cultural tourism - visiting of shrines with which the Rhodopes are especially popular, as well as the opportunities for hiking and horseback trips. Each year, hundreds of fans of extreme tourism, under the guidance of certified instructors in alpinism, head to some of the most inaccessible peaks of the Rhodopes. For many, this is a way to raise their adrenaline, but also to move into a reality enveloped in myths and legends, says the publication. The owners of local equestrian facilities do not complain of a lack of tourists.