RHODOPE
 The Rhodope mountains whilst relatively low have their own unique and distinctive beauty and grandeur and were the home of Orpheus. Whilst the Rila and Pirin offer excellent walking and climbing, the Rhodope are best for the walker, the naturalist, and those particularly interested in folklore and history.
The Rhodope straddle Bulgaria and Greece and extend for 225 and 100 kilometres west to east, and north to south, respectively. Encompassing a total of 14740 square kilometres of which 12235 square kilometres are Bulgarian with an average altitude of 785m asl. They are bordered to the north by the Upper Thracian Lowlands; to the south by the Aegean Lowlands; to the east by the Maritsa river valley; and to the west are separated from the Pirin mountains by the river Mesta and from the Rila mountains by the Avramova (1295 metres) and Yundola saddles (1375 metres).
The Rhodope can be divided in two with a western area and an eastern area. The division follows a line extending north from the Tri Kamuka Saddle (550 metres) along the Vurbitsa and Borovitsa river valleys, the Kitkata Saddle (735 metres), and the Kayaliika river valley. The Western Rhodope encompass 8735 square kilometres, with 8060 kilometres within Bulgaria, and the average altitude is 1150m asl., with Mt. Golyam Perelik the highest peak at 2191m asl. The Eastern Rhodope encompass 6005 square kilometres, with 4175 square kilometres within Bulgaria and Mt. Orlitsa at 1482m asl., is the highest peak.
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