The name of the Rhodope mountain was known since antiquity. It was mentioned by Homer, Virgil and Ovidius and many other legendary authors of epic poems.
The Rhodope is a mountain which delights all senses with his crystal clean air, the untouched beautiful landscapes, the incredible natural phenomenons formed thousands of years ago and of course the echoing sound of the wonderful Rhodope songs.
According to a Thracian legend - Rhodope was a mythological queen and Hemus – her brother. Their father was a sea god. The brother and the sister were very happy. They used to play a lot in the vast fields until one day when they decided to pretend being the oldest gods. In their game Rhodope and Hemus became husband and wife. Hemus made himself a big, white beard while Rhodope let her beautiful blonde hair down.
That made the gods - especially the main god Zeus very angry. He was so annoyed that he turned Rhodope into a mountain. Seeing this, her brother - Hemus was so scared that he petrified and became a mountain as well. Since then the brother and the sister are rocky mountains. Hemus is the Thracian name of Stara Planina, while his sister is the Rhodope Mountain. The two mountains are away from each other and there is the spacious Thracian Plain between them.
Have you heard the legend of Orpheus? The mythical singer who enchanted everyone with his music - people, beasts and birds. He was born here in the Rhodope mountain and his whole life passed in these lands.
These ancient lands are ‘the green heart of Europe’. The people who live here care a lot about their roots. They are known to live long and be really hospitable. The secret for people’s longevity is the food they eat. Healthy, natural and delicious food. It is impossible to visit a place in the Rhodope Mountains and leave without tasting some of the mouth-watering dishes, such as ‘patatnik’ and ‘cheverme’. That Rhodope mountain has many small villages and towns huddled up in his heights. Almost all of the places in the mountain are Architectural reserves because of the amazing architecture of the Revival Period (XVIII – XIX c.).
The Rhodope mountain is ecologically pure and there is no heavy industry at all. The most of the business is small and ecologically and environment friendly.
