Bulgaria has been inhabited since antiquity, with evidence of some of Europe’s earliest civilizations, including the world’s oldest known gold treasure found near Varna. Thracian culture left rich tombs, treasures, and sanctuaries, later influenced by Greek colonization along the Black Sea. By the 1st century AD, the region became part of the Roman Empire, leaving cities and monuments such as those in Plovdiv.

After Rome’s fall, the area came under Byzantine control until the proto-Bulgarians and Slavs formed the First Bulgarian Empire in 681 under Khan Asparuh. Bulgaria grew powerful under rulers like Krum and Boris I, who introduced Christianity in 864. The creation of the Cyrillic alphabet by Cyril and Methodius’ followers and the reign of Tsar Simeon I marked a cultural “Golden Age.”

Conquered by Byzantium in 1018, Bulgaria regained independence in 1186, forming the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, which peaked under Ivan Asen II. In the late 14th century, the Ottomans conquered Bulgaria, ruling for centuries despite ongoing resistance and a national revival beginning in the 18th century.

Following the failed April Uprising (1876), Bulgaria was reestablished in 1878 after the Russo-Turkish War, though initially divided. It unified in 1885 and declared full independence in 1908. After losses in the Balkan Wars and World War I, Bulgaria aligned with Axis powers in World War II but later joined the Allies. Under communism after 1946, it remained under Soviet influence until democratic reforms began in 1989.

Since then, Bulgaria has transitioned to a democratic, market-based system, joining NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007.

The Southern Rhodopes are the part of the mountain range that is located in Greece. The Rhodope regional unit in the northern part of the country is named after the region. This area includes the Rodopi Mountain Range National Park.^[5]

The Southern Rhodopes are characterized by numerous peaks of relatively low altitude. Their highest peak is Delimposka (1,953m) in the mountain of Frakto, near the Greek-Bulgarian border. Nowadays the Southern Rhodopes is an area almost deserted. After World War II and the Greek Civil War most villages depopulated permanently and their inhabitants never returned. Even the Sarakatsani stockbreeders abandoned the difficult life of the Rhodopes. The depopulation of the region, that has not been grazed for more than 50 years, combined with high rainfall and its geographical location, has contributed to the creation and maintenance of a biological paradise. There grow coniferous trees, such as the Norway Spruce and the Silver Birch, that cannot be found elsewhere in Greece.

In the forest of Frakto there are 300-year-old trees, more than 50 metres high, and the endangered wild goat.

In the eastern part of the region there is the well known nature reserve of Dadia Forest, an ideal habitat for birds of prey, with 36 of the 38 species of birds of prey of Europe, like the rare Eastern imperial eagle and Lesser spotted eagle.