Gela

Gela sits at about fifteen hundred metres on an open Rhodope shoulder above Shiroka Laka, a small village of stone and white-rendered houses with wide views over ridges of forest, and it makes a claim that it is the birthplace of Orpheus, which rests on tradition rather than evidence but is taken seriously enough to have a monument. What is real is the music: the village hosts a national gathering of gaida players in early August, at which a very large number of bagpipers play together on the meadow, sometimes several hundred at once, which is a striking thing to hear at that altitude. Outside that weekend it is a quiet high village with walking routes and a few guesthouses.

What you actually see

• The August bagpipe gathering - several hundred gaida players on the meadow.
• A village at fifteen hundred metres - open shoulder with long forest views.
• The Orpheus claim - the tradition and its monument.
• Stone and rendered houses - the high Rhodope building style.

When to go

Early August for the gaida gathering, which is the reason to time a visit; May to October otherwise. Half a day. The festival weekend fills the area and accommodation must be booked far ahead.

Honest expectations

The Orpheus connection is tradition with nothing behind it. Outside the festival there is very little in the village. Facilities are a handful of guesthouses. The road up is narrow and winding. Winters are heavy with snow.

Nearby

Shiroka Laka is below; the Rhodope ridges run in every direction.