Exploring The Eastern Rhodopes

Living so close to Rhodopi mountain I've been there many times but mostly in the Central,Sounth and West parts in Bulgaria. I know pretty well the regions around Assenovgrad and Smolyan but I had never been in the Eastern part of the mountain. It was in late spring when we finally decided to take a trip and knowing more about that area.

Our day started early in a Saturday morning and soon we found ourselves on the route Assenovgrad - Kardzhali. The road was OK with turns from time to time,sometimes more frequently,other times it was a straight mountain way. Trees were green and the sun was creeping along the branches,just so beautiful and warm.Our first aim was the sactuary above Tatul,a village 30km south from Kardzhali.In the last ten years archeologists found a Thracian tomb and a sactuary on a hill that belong to an important leader. Even it is believed it could be the tomb of Orpheus but it is still a hypothesis.The feeling on that hill,watching the green beauties of the mountain is indescribable especially on such a holly place for the Thracians.

Then we came back to Kardzhali where we visited the History museum.It is located in an interesting building from the beginnig of the last century. The museum has 3 departments situated on the 3 floors - Archeology(exponants from Neolithic to the Middle ages),Nature(minerals founded in the region) and Ethnography(showing people's life of the area around in the last 2 centuries).

Our next stop was 5 km east of the city,just after Zimzelen village at the "Stone wedding". This is one of the most interesting rock phenomenons I've ever seen.Some stones look like human figures. There is a legend telling a story: in the past no one should have seen the bride’s face during the wedding and if somebody sees it, The Gods turned him into stone. On this wedding there was a strong wind which blew away the bridal veil and everybody saw her face. Therefore, they all were turned into stones.
For the second time that day I just loved the nature around.

It was already 3 o'clock and it was time to proceed to the next place in our plan,to wit Perperikon. It has been an ancient Thracian city that has been inhabited around 5000 years BC. Also Perperikon is the largest megalith ensemble in the Balkans. 
There is a parking area at the foot of the hill and then it's about 20 min walking to othe top.(Be careful to take comfortable shoes cause there are steep rocks to climb especially when you're already on the top).We were lucky to follow a group of students and there were inreresting things we learnt from their guide.

After 2 hours of walking,watching,exploring and sighing we were on the road to Haskovo.We passed around 15km and stopped by the amazing stones we saw - The Stone Mushrooms,another rock phenomenon.They really look like mashrooms,2 meter high and it is amazing how they're thrown in the fields.We made some photos under the setting sun.

Already in Haskovo we were starving because we haven't eaten anything after the breakfast.The truth is that we even haven't thought about eating - we were so excited of what we were seeing  during the whole day.We found a restaurant where we had some tasty food and soon after that we were already in Plovdiv. It was a long great day. 
I am still wondering how it is possible to see so many beautiful places at a distance of no more than 30km. And is it accidentally that rock phenomenos and Thracian tombs and cities are so close to each other?

Some interesting facts about Velingard

Few days ago I accidentally found myself in Velingrad,a town in Rhodopi mountain in Bulgaria. I had few hours to spent by myself so I took a nice walk from the center to the Historical museum.Here is what I learnt there by the keeper of the museum,really nice lady and an young archaeologist I met there:

The Historical museum

Forming of the city
Velingrad was formed in 1948. They have united 3 villages - Chepino,Ladzhene and Kamenitsa and now there are 3 neighbourhoods with the same name.

Name

Vela Peeva

Velingrad is named after Vela Peeva(meaning the city of Vela) who has been a partisan in the fight against the fascism.Her father has worked in The USA in mines between 1914 and 1920.When he has come back and he has built a house in Kamenitsa village (where is the Historical museum now) and two years later Vela was born.She has grown up in a rich family but she couldn't accept the poorness of the others and that Bulgaria has taken the side of Germany in the the WWII. So,she has become a member of the Bulgarian communist party and has started her fight for equality for people.In the spring if 1944 she has fallen under siege and after 5 hours skirmish she has died by her own bullet.


The Thracians
The Bessi,a Thracian tribe have lived there 5-6 thousand years b.c. It is belived that their language was sacred so they haven't written but they have elaborated specific ceramic vesseles and they have decorated them by different drawings and pictures.Parts or whole vessels that were found in more than 100 tombs around Velingarad could be seen in the Historical museum.

Tsepina Fortress
The fortress is located around 10 km far from the city.It was found in the Middle ages and in the beginning it used to be a self Kingdom.Later in IX-th century it became part of Bulgaria. In 1373 it was one of the last fortresses that fell under Ottoman slavery. This is where comes the name of village Chepino from and also the valley around - "Tsepina - Chepino"

Scheme of the fortress

Chark
This is the name of a sawmill that people used to use in the region of Velingrad years ago.It has been activated by water and then the knives cut the wood. There is a small maket in the museum. The name of the popular resort in Bulgaria - Tsigov chark comes from that machine. In the past there have lived a man who owned such sawmill,whose name was Tsigo.

Mineral springs

Kleptuza park

Velingrad is known as the SPA capital of Bulgaria. This is because of the mineral springs in the town. There are more than 80 springs of hot water and that is why many hotels with SPA centers were built in the last years. Even in the past(long time ago) the thracians and romans have known and used the mineral water. Then in 1937 the mayor of Velingrad decided to built a beach with mineral water.He also ordered to bring sands from Varna(at the Black sea) with waggons - 500km!!! At this time it was not only the first mineral beach in Bulgaria but also,in Europe only Karlovy vary in Czech Republic had existed.

The great opera singer
Nikolai Gyaurov was a great opera singer,born in Velingrad. He's told to be the bass number one on the planet. People in Bulgaria and especially his fellow citizens are so proud of him.There is a peak in Antarctica called after him!

Easter eggs
An interesting technique for colouring  eggs is using wax. It is typical for Eastern Europe. In Bulgaria,in the region of Velingrad they use some specific instruments to do it. In the Historical musem there is a hall dedicated on that art. Every year in Velingrad there is a competition among the students for painting eggs. Last year there were more than 500 eggs participating.

Painted eggs

I was surprised to learn so much about that town only for few hours. I have to admit that I have never had so much interest in it even I've been there several times. But it's amazing when you come upon the right place and people to tell you some story.