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TransRhodopi Long distance biking trail
The TransRhodopi Long distance mountain biking trail is developed in the Rhodopi mountains in Bulgaria. The trail is mainly off-road.
It is built using dirt mountain roads, forest paths and small country roads. Over 70% of the route is traffic-free. The total lenght of the route is around 500 km.
The trail passes through lovely countryside, nature reserves, remote villages, fortresses, churches, rivers, lakes, and cultural heritage. The TransRhodope trail provides both easy and difficult mountain cycling. Some parts might be a challenge to novice cyclists, but a real pleasure for experienced ones.
The route starts at the village of Trigrad (Smolyan area) and runs east through Pamporovo resort, Kardzhali lake, Studen Kladenets area, Ivaylovgrad where it ends in Madzharovo. It is also possible to make an alternative detour which ends in Kardzhali. 
The trail is red color marked in the terrain and each day trip has an easily found start/finish location.
Have in mind that Rhodope mountains are not perfectly well developed for mountain biking tourism and this is the first long-distance bike trail of its kind. Facilities for bikers, as well as routes and signs are basic and stay more on the adventurous side. Local people are very kind though, and local cuisine is exceptional.
The trail is divided in 17 sections (day trails) from 11 to 53 km each.
All daily trips (tracks) can be downloaded from AllTrails.com HERE
Day by day trips:
Day 1: The village of Trigrad – the village of Mugla – length 14 km
Day 2: Mugla village - Pamporovo resort – length 26 km
SEE directions for Trigrad - Mugla - Pamporovo
Day 3: Pamporovo resort – the village of Momchilovtsi (information center) – length 15 km
SEE directions from Pamporovo to Momchilovtsi
Day 4: Momchilovtsi - Banite or Vishnevo (next village) - length 40 km
SEE directions from Momchilovtsi to Banite
Day 5: From Banite to the village of Lyubino (Melanya house) – length 30 km (Alternatively you can stay the night at the house "Pri Mitaka" on the bank of the lake Kardzhali (11 km from Lyubino) or at the hotel "Chamdere" in the village of Borovitsa (16 km from Lyubino). 
See directions from Banite to Lyubino
Day 6: Lyubino village – the village of Glavatartsi - length 31 km
See directions from Lyubino to Glavatartsi
Day 7: Glavatartsi – Letovnik (Happy Hippy hostel) - length 25 km
See directions from Glavatartsi to Letovnik
Day 8: Letovnik – Kroyatsite lodge at Studen Kladenets lake - length 26 km
See directions from Letovnik to Kroyatsite
Day 9: Lodge Kroyatsite - Studen kladenets (guest house is La Place - Studen kladenets) - length 22 km
See directions from Kroyatsite to the village of Studen kladenets (at the dam)
Day 10: Studen kladenets - Padalo (small village on the edge of the mountains, sleep is possible in house Toni - available only on request, call in advance) - length 20 km
See directions from Studen kladenets to Padalo
Day 11: Padalo - Pelevun (Kaloyanovi kashti B&B) - length 45 km
See directions from Padalo to Pelevun
Day 12: Pelevun - Ivaylovgrad (Armira Hotel, Luxor Hotel) – length 21 km
See directions from Pelevun to Ivaylovgrad
Day 13: Ivaylovgrad – the village of Borislavtsi (Trakiyska kashta) - length 46 km
See directions from Ivaylovgrad to Borislavtsi
Days 14 and 15: Borislavtsi - village of Gorno pole ( The Wild Farm) - Rabovo – length 36 km
See directions from Borislavtsi to Rabovo
Day 16: Rabovo - Gnyadovo – length 21 km
See directions from Rabovo to Gnyazdovo
Day 17: Gnyazdovo - Kardzhali - length 23 km
See directions from Gnyazdovo to Kardzhali
Alternative detour to Kardzhali
Day 13А: Ivaylovgrad – Gornoseltsi (accommodation possible in a farmhouse) – length 20 km
Day 14A: village of Gornoseltsi - Madzharovo (nature conservation center of the BSPB or The old nest) - length 36 km
See directions from Ivaylovgrad to Madzharovo
Day 15A: Madzharovo - Strandjevo - Iron bridge (Perpera & Arda complex) – length 30 km
Day 16A: Iron bridge - Kaloyantsi - Gnyazdovo (village at the bank of Studen kladenets lake. Accommodation is possibe at Mihaela Lake Retreat) – length 26 km
See directions from Madzharovo to Gnyazdovo along Arda river
Day 17: Gnyazdovo - Kardzhali - length 23 km
See directions from Gnyazdovo to Kardzhali
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These seventeen sections (day trips) are the "backbone" of the trail. Each one could also be visited as separate daytrips. Besides this main route there are additional local trails, some of them marked as well. So in each region tourists can optionally hike or ride several additional trails.
The trail is marked in red – mainly red triangles with white, but also tourist marking white-red-white, as well as indicative signs along the road.
A TransRhodope map with hiking and biking mountain routes is available. MAp can be ordered from MapFox.de
The trail is described in details on the map, as well as local trails, accommodation places, sites of interest, information centers are pointed. The map gives an overview of other long-distance trails, passing through the Rhodope mountains such as Rudopia, Euro Velo 13 (Iron Curtain trail) and the Sultans trail.
The initiative to develop a long-distance Rodopi route comes from the New Thracian Gold in partnership with the foundation "House for books and adventures."
For more information or help, e-mail us at: mihaela.kircheva [@] gmail.com
If you like what we do, support us by donating to this bank account:
Bulgarian Post bank, office Kardzhali:
IBAN: BG84BPBI81701606513236, BIC: BPBIBGSF
For more information about the association behind the New Thracian Gold network, click HERE.
