In the Western Rhodopes, villages were not built for the view but for living — stone, timber and heavy slate slabs laid along the slopes that hold the sun longest. The view came anyway: from the upper hamlets you can see the whole of Pirin across the valley. In the latest episode of the Bulgaria From Above mini-series, Bronicable flies for a full hour without commentary over the Mesta valley — from Hadzhidimovo and Dabnitsa to the stone roofs of Gorno Dryanovo and the architectural reserve of Leshten.
The Mesta Valley from a Bird’s-Eye View
The Mesta rises in Rila, crosses the Razlog basin beneath Bansko — where the previous episode ended — and after a long gorge opens out into the wide Gotse Delchev basin. Here the river is the border between two very different mountains: to the west the southern slopes of Pirin, to the east Dabrash, the westernmost section of the Rhodopes. From above the difference is obvious at once — a flat valley floor with small towns and tobacco fields, sharper and drier Pirin ridges on one side, rounded, densely forested Rhodope crests on the other.
Hadzhidimovo — The Southern End of the Basin
Hadzhidimovo is a small town in the southern part of the basin, not far from the Greek border. From the air it looks orderly and quiet — low houses, gardens and fields running almost to the last street, with the road continuing south along the Mesta. The St George Monastery of Hadzhidimovo lies on its outskirts, and to the west the mountain begins. This is the flattest part of the film and therefore the calmest — the drone simply drifts over the valley while Pirin gradually fills the frame.
Southern Pirin near Hadzhidimovo and Dabnitsa
Southern Pirin looks nothing like the marble wall above Bansko. Here the mountain is lower and softer — pine forest, open meadows and slopes that descend gently into the basin. From above you can see how Pirin and the Rhodopes almost touch across the valley, with only the ribbon of the river between them. Dabnitsa sits exactly on that line — at the foot of the Rhodopes, where the roads begin to climb towards the mountain villages to the east.
The Rhodopes near Dabnitsa
The longest part of the film is spent over Dabrash itself. The Rhodopes here have no sharp peaks, only endless rounded ridges, deep hollows and forests where pine mixes with beech and oak. The villages are scattered across the slopes in small hamlets linked by narrow roads, with little but forest in between. From above this landscape has its own rhythm — ridge after ridge, each a little paler than the last, until Pirin appears once more on the horizon.
Gorno Dryanovo — The Living Village above the Valley
Gorno Dryanovo is a high mountain village on the road between Leshten and Kovachevitsa, mentioned in Ottoman records as early as 1660. A few kilometres to the north lie the remains of a Thracian and Roman fortress. Unlike its neighbours, which today live mainly from visitors, Gorno Dryanovo is a working village — tobacco, potatoes and houses lived in all year round. From the air old and new stand side by side: stone roofs among newer buildings, all of them turned towards the valley.
Leshten — The Stone Roofs of the Reserve
Leshten lies about two kilometres south of Gorno Dryanovo and is a protected architectural reserve. In the early 20th century more than 500 people lived here; today only a handful remain year-round, but around thirty Revival-era houses from the second half of the 19th century have been restored as guest houses. They have thick stone walls, wide wooden verandas and inner courtyards, and roofs of grey stone slabs. The church of St Paraskeva dates from 1837, and the old school beside it is now a tavern. From the air Leshten is one of the most beautiful moments in the film — a compact cluster of stone roofs on the hillside, surrounded by forest, with Pirin on the horizon opposite. The village also features in our list of the Top 10 villages to visit in Bulgaria.
The Rhodopes above Leshten
The final chapter leaves the villages below and continues over the forest around Leshten. There is nothing left to explain here — just the ridges, cloud shadows moving across them, and the Mesta valley, which from above looks like the border between two worlds. A fitting end to an hour in which nothing is in a hurry.
Ambient Music and 4K 60FPS Quality
Filmed in 4K 60FPS, this video delivers exceptional image quality with smooth, cinematic motion. Paired with a carefully mixed ambient soundtrack and no commentary, it creates a peaceful viewing experience, perfect for deep focus, relaxation, or simply discovering Bulgaria from above.
This video is perfect for:
- Deep focus, study and remote work background
- Relaxation and stress relief
- A premium screensaver for 4K and OLED televisions
- Calm ambient viewing and sleep
- Discovering the old villages of the Rhodopes from above
Watch the Full Video
👉 Watch the full aerial journey over Leshten, Gorno Dryanovo, Hadzhidimovo and the Western Rhodopes on YouTube:
For the best viewing experience, watch in full screen at the highest available quality.
More Rhodopes from above: see the episode over Devin, Vacha and Krichim.
Discover more aerial videos from Bulgaria on Bronicable and explore the complete Bulgaria From Above series.
Тази статия е достъпна и на български: Старите села на Западните Родопи отвисоко.
