Rhodope Mountains

In the mountain country east of Pirin, the western Rhodopes spread across southern Bulgaria in a succession of forested ridges and deep valleys. The Mesta River marks their western edge, separating them from the higher peaks of Pirin. Coniferous forests cover large tracts of the western range, where spruce and pine grow among mountain meadows. Rivers rising in these uplands have cut steep gorges through the rock on their way toward the surrounding plains.