Shiroka Laka

During our travel in the Rhodope mountains we stayed in a beautiful house with very friendly and hospitable hosts in Shiroka Laka. The village is an architectural and folklore reserve, famous for its remarkably preserved Bulgarian National Revival houses, featuring white stone facades, wooden overhangs, and heavy slate roofs. 

One of the key sights is the historic Church of the Holy Mother of God, built in just 38 days in 1834

Declared an architectural reserve in 1964, Shiroka Laka showcases the distinctive 19th-century Bulgarian Revival building style with its cobblestone streets and historic stone bridges.

Beyond its amazing visual charm, Shiroka Laka is celebrated as the heart of Rhodope folklore - home to the deep, haunting sounds of the Bulgarian kaba gaida and centuries-old local traditions. The village houses the renowned National School of Folk Arts, making it a vital cradle for traditional Rhodope songs and master bagpipers.

The local taverns offer authentic Rhodopean specialties like patatnik (a seasoned potato dish) or klin (a local pastry wedge).

Our hosts treated us to a traditional Rhodope dinner with several appetizers, main course dish with wild bore meat, wild mushrooms and other local delicacies, that made the evening absolutely unforgettable. 

Our Trip In the Rhodope

We were for three days in the Rhodopе mountains and it was wonderful :)

We usually do hikes for a day or two, but this time Gaby had organized it as a sightseeing excursion with hiking, so we had everything - short hikes, beautiful places and cultural monuments.

The road took us by Krichim Dam and the emblematic Vucha Dam. The weather forecast for the three days was heavy rains and  thunderstorms and we were prepared with back plans, but we were actually in luck - we had rain only the first day and it was quite acceptable light drizzle, so none of our initial plans had to be dropped.

Our first hike was along the Devil's Ecotrail from Borino.

The trail runs by the river, through forests, rocks and extreme stairs. The ecotrail was a huge attraction a few years ago, but has been in bad repair and needs urgent reconstruction.

The river, a tributary to Buynovska river, was very full-watered. The high humidity in the air, the mist and the light drizzle made this hike extremely atmospheric!

 The Devil's bridge - a stone formation

We crossed along these wooden stairs, but the state of the constructions is very precarious and the passage is too risky

The views, however, were breathtaking

Hike info:

Date: 2 July 2026

Destination: Devil's ecotrail

Mountain: Rhodope

Total length: 6 km

Elevation gain: 100 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 2 and a half hours

Average difficulty: 2 / 10 

It was late in the evening and the crossing of the river along the slippery stones was out of the question, so we turned back here. I really hope they repair the trail soon, as we'd love to hike the entire trail, as it was originally constructed.

A robin on a branch and the protected Orpheus flower, endemic for the Rhodope mountains, on the rocks behind it.

The mist over the Rhodopе hills was magical

We ended the day in Shiroka luka with one of the most delicious dinners I've tasted, cooked by Gaby and Vali :)