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.
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