Eastern Rhodopes 1

After Smoljan, we went North of the EV13 route, firstly to Ardino. There were two reasons for this. We wanted to save distance, and there were several POI's on our adapted route.

The Eastern Rhodopes are different. They are still mountainous and from the cyclist's perspective there are still plenty of long hills up (and long descents). The vistas are more sweeping, with less steep ravines - not to say these are absent. There seems to be more in the way of fields and growing of crops.

When we arrived in Ardino, there was time to go to see the Devil's Bridge. There are many Devil's Bridges across Europe - we know the one in Wales. This is Bulgaria's. It is in a ravine, over the upper reaches of the Arda river and is a superb piece of medieval engineering, and beautiful.

After Ardino, we cycled to near Perperikon, and went to see it next day.

Perperikon is quite extraordinary. It is a hillside city carved over many centuries from the rock. In pre-Roman times it was a large Thracian settlement, and included a temple of Dionysius, complete with an oracle. The Romans took this on board and extended and fortified the place. In the middle ages it was an important religious centre. Then it was lost, and serious excavation has only recently uncovered the extent of it.

Next day, we visited the stone mushrooms and stayed the night in a vulture centre.

Central Rhodopes

After Devin, much less high pastureland. The road wound its way up another narrow gorge, with more ascent than the descent in the one we had come down yesterday. It emerged in the village of Siroka Laka, where tourism with accompanying retail outlets was much on evidence.

We stopped for lunch and looked around and I left my mobile somewhere - this fact yo be discovered miles later, far too far on to do anything about it. We continued on, a long way up, to the edge of a ski area, then down into Smoljan. We had accommodation in a place a bit before the town.

Next day, into Smoljan town. We saw the new and impressive cathedral, and cycled on. It was downhill all the way and I got quite cold, so we made a cafe stop just to warm up. Some heavy climbing came later, of course.

We now went off route (off EV13) to the north of that route, to Ardino. This and where we went next is in the Eastern Rhodopes, so details to come.

The Western Rhodope mountains

I had not heard of the Rhodope mountains before coming on this trip. They are stunningly beautiful, quite remote, the home of  lactophilus bulgaricus, the birthplace of Orpheus, and high though not of Alpine height. They border Greece and were in the land of Thrace. Of course I had heard of skiing in Bulgaria. Now we have seen some of the ski mountains, although now with no snow.

After leaving Macedonia, we stayed in an establishment with an Olympic swimming pool. It was also an ordinary hotel and like them all here very good value for money. It is not high up.

So, to get high up. We ascended the Popski pass, more that 1000 metres of climbing, the road often above deep ravines and the views amazing. Near the top, our batteries ran out and we relied on our muscles only. We now really knew the value of electric power! Our bikes do not have a "granny gear" and are heavy. We had to push for most of 2/3 km. At the top a cafe, soup, salad and recharge.

Downhill was spectacular, to Goce Delcev. We had found another place to stay, a bit further, Ogyanovo where there are hot springs. Most hot spring activity had been siphoned off into hotels, but there was a large public hot tub, about 40 C, which was great.

The next day more climbing and fantastic scenery, to Dospat. A mixture of pine forests and meadows. Cows just wander anywhere and it is all rather bucolic. And beautiful.

The next day was another high up. At the end, downhill spectacularly and into the spa town, Devin. We stayed in a more expensive place, for use of a hot swimming pool.  It was only just warm, but there was a sauna. Then found we had left our guide to EV13 where we had had lunch. Not too far back and nice to ride my bike with full electric power and no luggage!

More high Rhodope scenery the next day, to Smoljan.

Macedonia

From Rila we cycled West, then South, then West again, into Macedonia, to the town of Delchevo. The last bit of this journey was over range of hills that involved climbing several hundred metres to a border crossing up on high then a long descent into Delchevo.

EV13 then goes pretty well due South and this took two days. To start with, out of Delchevo, it was easy going. But the countryside became very remote and the road, which was a good one, became steep uphill. Then down to Berovo, even though Berovo is nearly 1000 metres up. Anyway we enjoyed our stay there and had very good wine with a very good supper.

The next day was well in the mountains with 3 mountain passes to cross. After the last the descent to a broad and prosperous-looking valley was a long one.

We stayed in an appartment above a private house. The owner gave us coffee and we chatted a while. Among what he said, Macedonians are looking forward to EU accession, noting that neighbouring Bulgaria was now richer that Macedonia, and before they joined, they were poorer.

Next day was along the valley and back into Bulgaria with the Rhodope mountains ahead.

Rila

Rila Monastery is important in Bulgarian history and culture. It Haas a high UNESCO rating and that sort of thing and nowadays is some sort of a tourist trap. We were quite happy to be trapped.

It started with a monk and Saint called Ioan or Ivan or John Rilski, in the ninth century. He started as a monk in a monastery in the neighbouring town of Bobosevo, then went to live as hermit in a cave way up the valley. But followers emerged and together they founded a monastery near the cave. As the movement grew they moved to the present site. Pilgrims came over the years and gave gifts. They included the king who made the whole valley a royal reserve for the monastery.

It burned down in the early 19th century and the present buildings resulted.

What is a "tourist trap"? There were plenty of people there when we went. There must have been plenty when it was a centre of pilgrimage. Is the difference that the pilgrims were religiously motivated? We arrived at the end of the morning mass (which had started at 08.00; we arrived a bit before 11.00; it was Sunday) and there were many in the church at mass. We went to the evening service and there was a good attendance.

We were moved by the evening service. In the Orthodox way it was entirely sung and chanted. It had a numinous quality that enveloped us.

Apart from going to church, we went to the small but excellent museum, for which we had a guide who spoke English, and other exhibitions. We spent time looking at the frescoes that entirely cover the church. And we went to the restaurant.

The monastery is high up, along a long and climbing road. We stayed in a hotel complex about 7 km down, so cycled up in the morning. The downhill ride after the evening service was peaceful and wonderful.

Into the Balkan mountains

After our visit to Magura, we cycled, downhill all the way, to Dimovo and a train to Vratsa. Then a day off cycling, with our friend Petar who among other things chose a fabulous red wine on the second evening with him.

Which does not say anything about mountains. Vratsa is at the base of part of the Balkan mountain chain, and we had to be within the chain. I won't say on top of the mountains as that implies mountaineering, whereas we just ride bikes. But we had to get ourselves plus bikes up there. We now began to grasp the meaning of the word "uphill" in Bulgaria. The road up was a main road and not too steep, up a river valley. We stayed on a pension not yet fully "up" and the next day arrived in Dragoman, pretty much on top as towns go. Next day, a fabulous down - one of the joys of cycling  is such a descent - followed soon after by a grinding up - one of the reasons ebikes are essential for our age group.

We travelled through Dragoman, Tran and Kyusyendil, eventually getting to Rila Monastery. The was much going up, and much going down. The descent into Kyusyendil I will always remember. The mountain scenery is magnificent. The ride down the gorge of the river Strumika was wonderful.

Rila Monastery in the next posting.

Getting loaded ebikes on an old-type Bulgarian train

...or a Hungarian one for that matter.

We travelled from Dimovo (near Magura) to Vratsa by train. Dimovo station has low platforms and the train consisted of carriages where one mounts steep steps to get on.

Ebikes are quite heavy, weight being more because of the motor and battery. One can take the battery off, but we didn't.

When the train came on, a quick scan on case there was a door marked for bikes. This time there wasn't so we chose a door near us. Quickly take all the bike bags off and sling then into the carriage; the floor level is about chest high. Then one of us gets on and the other (just about) lifts the bike and shoves the front wheel onto the carriage floor and the other pulls it in. Repeat for the other bike. One now wants to collapse exhausted but it is now necessary to arrange the luggage and the bikes so as not to prevent people walking up and down the central corridor.

The instructions are to do this at either end of the train but one does not know in advance if the end will be first class.

People getting on at following stations seem to gravitate to the door with the bikes behind it.

Well, one arrives and takes the bags and the bikes off the train.

Magura Caves

At this stage, the fact that we have not (yet) found out how to add photos to a blog using the Android app, is a bigger nuisance. The caves, which are immense, contain some fascinating neolithic wall paintings. Duly photographed but there we are.

We left Vidin in good time and got out on put chosen minor road with only a couple of mistakes. This let us put via the village of Bukovets where we paused for some fruit juice seated next to an old Soviet field gun. Then the road climbed continuously before settling down to being straight, apparently endless and against the wind. Still, it was sunny and the views were superb.

A small diversion on to the subject of Bulgarian minor road surfaces. At their best they are superb, but they can also be riddled with potholes and general irregularities. Cycling the latter entails almost continuous attention to where one is going on the next few metres or ..... Bang.

We eventually got Rakovitsa village, with a fine descent to cross a river and s fine ascent the other side. Various twists and turns and we got to the caves. Viewing party in half an hour......

From the Iron Gates to Vidin and the Danube

In the "road peace" mentioned before, we started by passing the Roman Diana fortress. The Romans had a presence here; the Danube had been the boundary of the Empire but from here they invaded Northern Thrace the other side. The fortress is very large and only partly excavated. It had a varied history of violence and rebuilding and we were lucky to encounter a resident archeologist who told us quite a lot.

Then to Kladovo where we stayed the night. We were in good time, so went to see the ruined Turkish fortress. But there was very little one could actually get to.

The next day set off on EV13, which went past what is left on this bank of Trajan's bridge. One pier: a similar one the other side, but nothing else. Then it was cycling on, much of the journey being by the Danube, held back here by the second dam. Quite windy against and we are noting how fast a wind against uses up the bikes' electricity, which can be a matter for concern 

Ee were going to Negotin. For the last ca25 km EV13 diverted off the main road took to minor road close to the Danube, about as far as the second dam. The road surface was highly variable, but we got through and saw some lovely river views.

Overnight in Negotin in a faded hotel and a very good meal elsewhere. The next day to Vidin in Bulgaria. This not very far and we got there in time to see the medieval castle and the ruins of the beautiful synagogue and then a good supper by the Danube. Lest you think this trip is a gastronomic exercise, well it isn't.

The Danube gorge and the Iron Gates

The Danube is a big river. Where we came to it, it had more than 1000km to its delta by the Black Sea to run and had come at least that much from Baden-Wittemberg. And it is already wide.

We met it the upper end of the stretch where it runs between the end of the Carpathian mountains and of the Balkan mountains.

EV13 runs along the Northern bank in Romania and EV6, the Donau Radweg, along the Southern one in Serbia. We were on EV13 and stuck to it. The whole section is about 130km (80 miles) long and it is backed up behind a hydroelectric dam, so forms a very long lake. Before the dam was constructed, about 70 years ago, there were strong rapids.

To start with the road surface was poor. After merging with another road it got better. At the start of this section there was quite a bit of land by the river; later, it got much more narrow and formed a gorge, leading to the Iron Gates. This day we covered the more open part. On the next day, we were in the narrower section all day. I am not sure where the Iron Gates are exactly, but there were quite narrow bits and the flow would have been fast before the dam was built. The hills and cliffs on the side were impressive.

On the third day we joined a main road with heavy traffic, many trucks, which in the narrower gorge and not- very- wide road was quite scary. This took us to the dam itself where we crossed into Serbia and road peace.

Szeged to the Danube

We left Szeged after a needed two days there.  It was not far to the Serbian border then South over (by now) the usual flat country. In Kanjiza, we saw a sign to a fish restaurant; it was lunch time, so off we went for an excellent lunch. We were next to the river Tisza  which flows down from Szeged and the Carpathians originally.  This was a hotel complex and an open field to the riverside, and it was warm and nice, and you really ought to go there next time you are in that part of Serbia.
Then on, and after a long day to Kikinda. This town had a lovely feel, lots of cafes, a museum with a mammoth and the place we stayed in was fine. The next day to Zitiste, a smaller place. We made a navigation mistake on this bit saved 10km.
All this had been over pretty flat countryside on beautiful sunny weather with only a light breeze. The next day was different. The wind was strongly from the South-East and we had a big distance in just that direction, to Vrsac. We needed two cafe stops - well, we do these anyway - to recharge the bikes' batteries. They are normally good for more than 100km, but we learned that a strong wind against has huge effect on range.
After Vrsac it was more hilly. Just as windy but less distance. We stayed the next night on the home of a cactus enthusiast right on the Romanian border, which we crossed the next day, with 20km to the Danube.

Szeged

We spent two days in Szeged. During that time I (Tom) managed to get fairly ill. I got better before we needed to leave.

We rented a pleasant appartment about 20 minutes walk from the centre. My illness was not that bad and we did get in to see things and just wander around. Szeged is an old university town. It has a nice relaxed feel. Excellent weather helped.

If I had to choose one thing to see it would be the new synagogue, which is a truly remarkable building. There are also interested art nouveau buildings around some of which are brilliant.

A bit of Serbia, then to Szeged in Hungary

We entered Serbia when we crossed the Danube. It was not far to Bezdan where we stayed in the Anna, Cafe which was good. It was located in an old and formerly grand house.

The next day, it was not far to enter Hungary again. One had heard how Hungary has re-made the border fence against Serbia, and we had seen a section in the museum earlier. No immediate sign of a fence here, but a few kms into Hungary we saw a rather new or forbidding compound surrounded by a high security fence. It did not look military.

Our route took us through more rolling countryside to Madaras village where we had reserved accommodation.

This started some problems. We have used the website booking.com for getting places to stay and it has proved very good. It gives you a postal address and a map to find the place booked. This time the map showed the place next to a track in the middle of a forest. It did not exist but we took the best part of an hour to find this out! The postal address was fine and the place was excellent.

The next day we resumed our progress Eastwards. More trudging across endless flat countryside. About 1/2 way to Szeged we ended up on a big trunk road that had absolutely superb segregated cycle tracks. This did not last, but we did finally get there. We had booked an appartment for 3 nights, to have two full days there, which we appreciated greatly.