Your Travel Experience with Finest Journeys
Monastery, Folklore & Rhodope Mountains
Today, you will head south toward the Rhodope Mountains, stopping along the way at Bachkovo Monastery, the second largest in Bulgaria. There is also an option for a short walk in the surrounding forest. Next, you will visit the village of Kosovo for a traditional Bulgarian lunch accompanied by a folklore performance. Enjoy the sounds of the bagpipe, one of the most iconic instruments in Bulgarian folk music. The journey continues to the village of Gela, with a stop at Shiroka Laka, an architectural reserve known for its well-preserved Rhodope-style houses. The village is also famous for its strong musical traditions and the kaba gaida, a distinctive regional bagpipe. In the late afternoon, you will arrive in Gela, a small village with only a handful of residents. Here, you can explore the ruins of an old monastery and two historic churches while taking in the sweeping views of the surrounding mountains—a perfect setting for relaxation.