Devil's throat cave

One of the phenomenons in the Rhodope Mountains is the Trigradsko jdrelo where is located a cave called Dyavolsko Gurlo (The Devil's Throat). The name of the cave has derived from the devil head shaped entrance. There is a river crossing underground the cave, with 60m high waterfall, forming a huge hall called the Thunder hall. It is 110 m long, 40m wide and 35m high. There is an artificial gallery through which one can access the base of the water current and from there is 301 stairs with access to the outside in the open. There, the nature demonstrated its magnificence. From 380 m from the cave's entrance, the running river deposits in a siphon gallery. The length of the siphon is more than 150 m the River undergo into another gallery of about 60 m, after which it rushes outside the cave. The cave is electrified, the stair are hand-railed for safety. The biggest colony of cave bats in the Balkans, spend their winter period in this cave. In the past, this natural phenomenon precipitated many legends. One of the legends has it that; Orpheus - the god of music, traveled to the underground world to save his fiancee named Evridika from the god of the death called Hades. Many sacrifice were done in this cave, even young virgin were sacrificed to the god of deaths in this cave. The cave is opened for tourists all year round.

The price includes: transportation , guide , picnic.

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ТРИГРАД

Село Триград е разположено в Западните Родопи, недалеч от Българо-Гръцката граница. Отстои на 26 км южно от общинския център – гр.Девин и на около 40 км западно от областния център – гр.Смолян. 
Намира се на 1240 м. надморска височина. 

Къщите са накацали по скалисти възвишения, заобиколени от внушителни скални масиви. През селото минава р.Триградска, която заедно с р.Буйновска дава началото на р.Въча. Населението на селото е 854 души. 

В околностите на с.Триград има многобройни археологически находки - пещерни жилища и тракийски некрополи, които говорят за древния му произход.Предполага се, че води началото си от три по-малки селища, откъдето идва и името му – Триград илиТриибрия, както е старото му наименование. 


Село Триград е отправна точка на много туристически пътеки и маршрути, водещи до природни, културни и исторически забележителности. Такива са маршрутите: х.Ледницата – с.Мугла – Чаирски езера; с.Триград – с.Ягодина-Ягодинска пещера /Буйновско ждрело/ и др.
Триградският карстов район е един от най-големите карстови райони в България. Тук има над 150 пещери, като седем от тях са били праисторически обитания. По поречието на р.Триградска, по пътя Девин-Триград, на 1,5 км от селото е разположено величественото и впечатляващо с красотата си Триградско ждрело, което е обявено за защитена местност. Триградското ждрело представлява дълбок пролом по течението на р.Триградска, чиито отвесни мраморни скали на места достигат височина 290м. над сухото речно корито. 

Величествената гледка на отвесните скали, върху които на места растат смърчове и борове, придават особена стойност на този природен паметник. Варовитите скали на ждрелото са сред най-богатите местообитания на ендемични, редки и реликтни растителни видове в България. Също така гнездят и много редки птици, като скалната зидарка, различни хищни птици, кълвачи и др. 

Един от феномените на Триградското ждрело е пропастната пещера “Дяволското гърло”. Водите на р.Триградска навлизат в пещерата, където образуват 12 подземни водопада, най-големият от които е с височина 42 м /един от най-високите в Европа/ и се появяват отново след 530 м като буен карстов извор. Местните жители разказват, че нищо влизащо в подземния лабиринт на пещерата, не излиза от нея. Съществува легендата, която разказва, че от пещерата Орфей проникнал в подземното царство на Хадес, за да спаси своята любима Евридика. 

Районът се характеризира с изключително разнообразна флора и фауна. Тук се срещат родопско великденче, родопска теменуга, венерина пантофка, пирински чай, персийска морина, родопска ръж, родопска песъчарка, сръбска минкомия, жълта и македонска каменоломка, гръцки кимион, родопски скален копър, благороден лопен и други балкански ендемити и реликти. Много известен е родопския силивряк, който е рядък реликтен ендемит за Балканите, притежаващ уникалните свойства на амброзията. Местна легенда разказва, че когато Орфей засвирел, вятърът затихвал между клоните на дърветата сякаш заслушан в неговата музика, птиците спирали във въздуха и животните спирали по горските пътеки, а зверовете укротявали. Когато Бакханте разкъсал певеца и го хвърлили в реката, всяка капка от кръвта му се превърнала в красиво планинско цвете, наречено силивряк, чиито нежни цветове са разпръснати по планинските поляни. 

Местното население е съхранило богато културно-историческо наследство. Интересна туристическа атракция са изпълняваните от векове “Прогонване на змията/зимата”, “Предсой”, “Сределето” и честването на фестивала “Орфически мистерии”. 

Със своята уникалност село Триград е едно от най-забележителните места в пъстрата карта на селата на Република България. 

The price includes: transportation , guide , picnic.

The Church in Batak

 Batak is a town in Southern Bulgaria. It is located in Pazardzhik Province and is close to the town of Peshtera.
This town relates to one of the most epic events in the history of Bulgaria. Practically the whole population of Batak took part in the April Uprising of 1876. The will of the Bulgarian people, the heroism and self-sacrifice in the name of freedom are most strongly expressed here. The people of Batak rebelled on 22 April under the leadership of the revolutionary committee with main voivoda Petar Goranov. On 30 April the settlement was surrounded by an Ottoman army of many thousands. The unequal and heroic battles were carried on for five days.
The last stronghold of the rebels was the St. Nedelya Church. Five thousand people were killed and the settlement was burned down to ashes. The world was horrified by the atrocities of the Ottoman oppressors and a powerful wave of protest in defense of Bulgarians arose. The Russian people were at the head of this movement of protest. On 20 January 1878 the people of Batak who had survived the uprising enthusiastically met the liberating Russian armies.

The price includes: transportation , guide , picnic.

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The Tsepina Stronghold

The Tsepina Stronghold is located in the north-east corner of the Chepina Valley, 6 km away from the village of Dorkovo. It was built upon a high rocky peak with an altitude of 1136 m. During the Middle Ages it was one of the most famous Rhodopean fortresses. It was included within the confines of Bulgaria in the middle of the 9th century. In 11th century it was conquered by Byzantium, but under the rule of Kaloyan (1197-1207) it went back into the territory of the Bulgarian state.

The outer fortress walls spread over an area of 25 dca, and in the highest part a Medieval castle was built on an area of 5 dca. Three churches and four precisely constructed water depositories have been explored within the fortified territory. The two marble altar relieves of the apostles Peter and Pavel were found in one of the churches. They were taken to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, where they are exhibited today. The bases of the fortress walls, both inner and outer, as well as the bases of the churches and the four water depositories, have been restored and attract a great number of tourists.

At the foot of the stronghold there is an exposition with materials from the archaeological excavations and researches. There is also a tourist hut nearby.

The price includes: transportation , guide , picnic.

Snezhanka cave

Snezhanka is a rather small cave (only 145 m long), but it is exceptionally rich in speleothems. Elevation is 860 m, displacement 18. It is located 4km south-west of Peshtera on the left bank of the Novomahalenska river (Western Rhodopes). It is named after a stalagmite in the Magic Hall, which is snow white and resembles a woman’s figure (snow white). In the last chamber there are some 10 to 20cm long curtains which sound when they are hit softly. Still, in order to avoid breaking them, it is better that you let the guide do this. Moreover, he knows which ones sound best.
In excavations that took place soon after the cave was discovered officially (1961), remains of Thracian cave-dwelling were discovered in the Big Hall and the Dwelling - bones, pieces of earthenware, made without the use of aotter’s wheel

The price includes: transportation , guide , picnic.

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Perperikon

Perperikon is a sanctuary rising high on a rocky peak at 470 m of height. It is situated in the eastern part of the Rhodope Mountains. In its foot is the village of Gorna krepost (Upper fortress), and close to it flows the river of Perperikon ,which runs into an artificial lake called “Cold spring”. Along river’s valley there are a lot of archeological places, dating from different ages, which are scattered in the chaos and well set around the real centre of Perperikon.
It includes four main parts which represent a brilliant composition of the New Stone Age:
-a massive fortified wall
-Acropolis- an enormous stone blocks, situated on the highest part of the hill.
-A palace- hewn into the rock with 10 000m2 of size.
-Northern and southern suburbs- represents a kind of short streets right into rocks, buildings and tombs.

Millenniums ago Perperikon sheltered various generations who left their stamp on the rocks. In the New Stone Age (the end of the VI century- the beginning of the V century B.C.) Perperikon was an outcrop. People did not use tools so the nature was to model the rocks. Perperikon was recounted to have been not a settlement, but a deified rock. Later, after perfecting the tools Romans and Thracians engraved much more surfaces from the rocks and turned the stone into fortified walls, built without using any connecting materials. The first vigorous growth of Perperikon was at the time of Troy and Mycenae. Thousands of historical records, representing altar bays, drainage, and tombs date back to that period of time. Some of the sanctuaries were used for animal sacrifice, others for humans as well.
Archeological discoveries in the excavations of Perperikon conceal mysticism for the temple of Dionysius in the Rhodope Mountains.

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The Yagodinska Cave

The Yagodinska Cave is the “pearl in the crown” of the Rhodope Mountains. It is situated near Buynovska River, 3 km from the village of Yagodina. The cave is a part of the unique Karst of Buynovsko Gorge.
It is 10 km long, and 5 stories tall, with many labyrinths and abysses inside. Visitors enter the cave through an artificially dug opening, while the natural entrance is 30 m above.
A special path through the cave offers the opportunity to see the wonderful underground world formed in the course of millions of years. Electric lights make the mysterious formations: draperies, pipe-like stalactites, cave pearls, “leopard’s skin” and hanging stalactone visible along with many others. Some of the formations inside resemble the well- known "Santa Claus", "Snow-White and The Seven Dwarfs", "Virgin Mary and her newborn child","Pizho and Penda"(2 characters from a typical Bulgarian tradition celebrated on the first of March ),"The Elephant","The Crocodiles" and hundreds more. The New Year’s hall is of great intеrest too. Every year the local spelaean club meets the New Year. The upper floor was well-known to ancient Eneoloithic inhabitants. The cave-dwellings are situated 10 min from the artificial entrance

THE VILLAGE OF YAGODINA

The small village of Yagodina is situated in the West Rhodope Mountains not far from the border between Bulgaria and Greece.
The road to Yagodina runs through the precipitous Buinov Gorge, past the mouth of a side-canyon that's great for hiking and caving. Only 2km long and 2-4m wide, the Haidushki dol (Outlaws' Ravine) ascends in cascades to its watershed between two peaks connected by a natural rock bridge called the Devil's Bridge , after a legend that only he can cross it. The countryside is famous for its more than 120 caves and that is the reason why speleological expeditions are carried out every year.
People here are very friendly and you can enjoy the traditional Bulgarian hospitality. The 3 small hotels and houses provide breakfasts and dinners and they offer traditional local dishes.
The Yagodina cave is an unique landmark situated 2 km west from Yagodina village and 8 km from Trigrad. The Yagodina Cave ( Yagodinska Peshtera ), is an established attraction, with 45-minute tours covering 1km of the 10km labyrinth, the largest cave-system in Bulgaria.There one can see the three levels, formed by the elements in the course of hundreds of years. In the cave 21 weddings have taken place between Bulgarian caving enthusiasts, who also host an annual Speleologists party in the cave on January 1.

The price includes: transportation , guide , picnic.

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Kovachevitsa

The village of Kovachevitsa stands 1020 m abov sea level and is situated in the remotest southwestern part of the Rhodopes, in the valley of Kanina River (the Bloody River).
Evidence of life origin from the late Iron age was found on the territory of the contemporary village of Kovachevitza. Legends recount that the first settlers were refugees from the Tarnovo kingdom, routed by the Turks. The village rapidly developed thanks to the abundance of drinking water, the mild climate, wide pastures and fertile lands. The village is tucked away in the mountain and this fact also made it in an attractive place for the refugees. Kovachevitsa grew and became famous for its self- taught master builders.
The first monastery school was founded in 1830, the church "St. Nicolas" was built up in 1848 and in 1873 was founded the first professional builder’s association in the Pirin’s region.
Today the village is unique and unesteemable, in 1977 it was declared a historical and architectural reserve.

The price includes: transportation , guide , picnic.

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The Village of Leshten

The village of Leshten one of the most attractive and authentic eco resort in Bulgaria. It is situated on the south slope of Rodopi mountain, 200 km from Sofia, with an amazing view to Pirin mountain.
The village of Leshten contains of about 30 houses. All of the houses in the village are build in old Bulgarian architect style, which style was typical for this region of the country. Houses are with very big terraces, inner courtyards and own taverns, in which the guests of the village can prepare their own food.
There are a  rich variety of choice for a memorable holiday includes opportunities for hunting, fishing, riding, mountain walks, spa treatments and many more.

The price includes: transportation , guide , picnic.

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