Landscape and habitats of the Eastern Rhodopes?

The Rhodope Mountains form a long mountain chain across southern Bulgaria and northern Greece. Their eastern part is very different from the higher, wetter and more densely forested Western Rhodopes. Towards the east, the mountains become lower, warmer and drier, gradually giving way to the lowlands of the Maritsa Valley.

This position is one of the keys to the extraordinary biodiversity of the Eastern Rhodopes. Central European, Mediterranean and more easterly species meet here. Dry, south-facing hills can have a distinctly Mediterranean character, while cooler slopes and higher ground support forests and species more typical of central European mountains.

The landscape itself is equally varied. The Arda River and its tributaries have cut deeply into the mountains, creating a succession of valleys, rocky gorges and cliffs. Volcanic rocks are widespread and in places form spectacular rock faces, such as those around Madzharovo. Elsewhere there are rolling hills covered by a mosaic of grassland, scrub, open woodland and traditional farmland.

Steppes

The larger areas of steppes are found in the eastern part of the region, especially in the Sakar mountains. The winter cold and summer heat make tree growth difficult, except along water courses. In rocky places, the grasslands are mixed with shrubs, but where the soil is deeper, the ‘true steppes’ occur. The keystone animal here is the Suslik, an adorable ground squirrel that makes elaborate underground burrows. It is the favourite prey of a large number of predators, such as the Eastern Imperial Eagle and the Marbled Polecat. Many of the most sought-after birds inhabit the steppes: Roller, Isabelline Wheatear and Calandra Lark for example.

Scrub and open woodland

Much of the characteristic landscape of the Eastern Rhodopes is neither closed forest nor completely open steppe. Instead, it consists of a patchwork of dry grasslands, thorny scrub, scattered trees, small fields and open oak woodland.

This mosaic is tremendously important for wildlife. Flower-rich grasslands support butterflies, grasshoppers and other insects, while shrubs provide nesting sites for warblers  (with rarities like Olive-tree Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler and Eastern Subalpine Warbler) and shrike (with Red-backed Shrike being very common and Lesser Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike and Masked Shrike being more localised). Open areas are hunting grounds for eagles and other birds of prey, including large numbers of Eastern Imperial Eagle in Sakar Mountains. Hermann’s and Spur-thighed Tortoises wander through this warm, dry landscape, while lizards and snakes are particularly diverse.

Traditional grazing has played an important role in creating and maintaining these open habitats. Where grazing disappears, scrub and eventually woodland return. Maintaining a varied landscape of grassland, scrub and forest is therefore important for much of the characteristic wildlife of the Eastern Rhodopes.

Rivers and wetlands

The Arda River is the ecological backbone of the Eastern Rhodopes. Its valley cuts through the mountains from west to east and combines riverside woodland with enormous cliffs, rocky slopes and reservoirs.

These cliffs provide nesting sites for some of the region’s most famous birds. Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Black Storks, Golden Eagles and Peregrine Falcons are among the species associated with the rocky valleys. Rock Nuthatch, Blue Rock Thrush and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear are characteristic smaller birds.

The river itself and the large reservoirs add a completely different range of habitats. Riparian forests fringe stretches of the Arda and its tributaries, while quiet bays and wetlands around the reservoirs attract waterbirds and provide habitat for amphibians, dragonflies and other aquatic wildlife. Locally, there are breeding colonies of Night Herons and Pygmy Cormorants. Little Bitterns breed in the reedbeds, both White and Dalmatian Pelicans occur on passage. Levant Sparrowhawk prefers the riparian forest.

Beech forests

The beech forests take a secondary position in the western Rhodopes. As they need a damp environment, the beech does well in the higher and rainier western Rhodopes, but here in the east they are limited to the higher and steeper north slopes.
Beech forests support many wildflowers and insects that are present elsewhere in Europe, such as Black, Grey-headed and White-backed Woodpeckers. They are also the site for the endemic, yellow-flowered Rhodope Lily.

Rewilding Rhodopes

In recent years, people are moving out of the mountains. Tending sheep is becoming an increasingly unattractive means of living. In an attempt to bring back biodiversity and increase ecotourism as a viable and sustainable economic model for the local people, the Rhodopes are being ‘rewilded’. Native grazing animals that have disappeared, such as European Bison, Red Deer and semi-wild Konik horses were brought back to the mountains, where they maintain the grasslands, are food for the wild predators and add to the tourism potential of the region.

The naturalist top 10

Ten highlights of your visit to the Eastern Rhodopes.

Like much of Eastern Europe, access into the field is easy. Fencing and barbed wire is the rare exception, not the rule like so many places in the west. However, there are very few trails although good habitat is everywhere right along the roadside. This makes an exploration of the Eastern Rhodopes at once both easy and difficult. The few roads that connect the villages in these sparsely populated mountains are the most logical points of departure, and the few protected sites the obvious first stops on a visit.
Fortunately, there are guides and a visitors’ centre in Madzharovo that will help you on your way. And of course, the best routes, both car and walking routes, are described in our Crossbill guidebook on the Eastern Rhodopes.

Sustainable tourism

Nature-based tourism is actively encouraged as a means to create a sustainable future for both people and the environment in the Eastern Rhodopes. Threats to the area are mainly related to land abandonment. Much wildlife is associated with old forms of land use that are disappearing. Also, large infrastructural projects such as damming of rivers and the erection of ill-considered wind turbines on bird migration routes are a danger.
Your visit to the region is in and of itself supporting of nature conservation, as it gives a sustainable economic value to nature and wildlife, which is an incentive for its preservation.

Do’s

• Buy local products from the shepherds, farmers and other locals. It is easy, always surprising and it supports traditional land use.
• Support the local ecotourism community by staying in their guest houses, hiring their guides, booking a bird hides, etcetera.
• Visit the nature conservation centre in Madzharovo, talk to the people there and see in what other ways you can support.
• In general, show that you have come for wildlife and always be friendly to local people, in other words be an ambassador of nature tourism.

Don’ts

• Obviously, don’t disturb wildlife. Especially the larger mammals and raptors are easily spooked, so keep a low profile.
• Be careful when driving. Tortoises, snakes, lizards commonly rest on the road and are easily run over. Driving slow helps you to avoid collision and will also offer good viewing options. An added advantage is that the many potholes are easier to avoid.

The book

The Crossbill Guides are the most comprehensive nature travel guides available. Each Crossbill Guide covers in depth descriptions on landscape, habitats, geology and all the species groups, and links these to routes where this can be seen.

These routes are typically a mixture of walking routes and car routes with stops and short walks. Combined, these routes cover all the sites for birdwatching, butterflies, dragonflies, plants, mammals and reptiles. They are also set out to give you the finest examples of the ecosystems and geological features. In short, everything for nature lovers.

The Crossbill Guide that covers the Eastern Rhodopes also describes the adjacent region of Thrace in North-East Greece. In short, it contains:

• 256 pages
• 10 detailed routes and 13 additional sites in the Bulgarian Eastern Rhodopes (plus 8 routes and 10 sites in Greece)
• detailed information on landscape, ecology, geology, landscape history, flora and fauna.
• Where to watch birds information
• Tips for wildlife watching and finding orchids