Dospat’s Tourist Information Center provides interesting and useful information to tourists and the exhibit showcases items from people’s everyday life as well as agricultural tools. Visitors can see how a fleece is made: from the production of the wool through the different processing procedures: combing, spinning, rolling, warping, and weaving. Rugs, slippers, aprons, cloths, towels of various textiles as well as national costumes of the Dospat, Barutin and Zmeytsa regions are also exhibited. All artifacts embody the specifics and history of the respective region. Address: 1 Kapitan Petko Voyvoda Street, Dospat, Bulgaria For more information: mob. phone: +359 (0) 894 43 81 42; Working Hours:...

In November 1986 in Chemerikata area near the village of Ravnogor, during a potato sowing, villagers came upon a stone facility that later became known as the biggest domed Thracian tomb in Bulgaria. The discovery of the Ravnogor tomb urged the senior research scientist Georgi Kitov to excavate the site with a team of archeologists in 1987. The tombs date back to the 4th-6th C BC and are 20 in number. An extraordinary discovery was made in the 9th mound – ornamented horse trappings – bridle forehead plate seven round applications. Six of them grouped in pairs (used for cheek plates on both sides of the horse’s head) are depicted busts of the goddesses Athena, Artemis and Nike. Goddess Athena is depicted with helmet, shield and spear. The seventh application (placed on the chest of the horse) is depicted winged Thracian God with a wreath on his head. The objects are of great artistic value, made of silver and covered with gold leaf. The Ravnogor Thracian Mounds’ Treasure is stored in the Regional Historical Museum of the town of Pazardzhik, (when it’s not on a tour around the world – the treasure is represented in Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, USA and Japan). More pictures of the Western Rhodopes you can find...

The protected area Karadzha dere is located near the town of Dospat and the village of Kusak, with a surface of about 1,000 hectares. It is established in 2008 to protect the habitats of rare and endangered plants and animal species along the Sarnena river /the Karadzha dere River/  and its adjacent areas.  Among the protected species are: /herbs/: Balkan thistle (Doronicum austriacum Jack), Zelenotsveten foxglove (Digitalis viridiflora Lind), Rhodope mountain mother (Lathrea rhodopea Dingler), Mountain valeriana (Valeriana Montana L.); /birds/: Jay (Garrulus glandarius), black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio), tit (Parus ater), great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus major), capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra); /mammals/: otter (Lutra lutra); /reptiles/: European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis); /amphibians/: Tree Frog (Hylla arborea).  Through the Small Grants Program of the Global Environment Fond in the protected Karadza dere area a project for the conservation of globally significant species – Otter (Lutra lutra) is funded .   А dendrology route for ecotourism is also created. More pictures from the Western Rhodopes you can find...

Along The Devinska River in the Western Rhodopes an atractive ecopath is build.  The path impresses with its metal bridges, staircases and rest areas, and is a favourite place for walks for tourists and local people.  The ecopath  starts from the recreation area Struilitsa which is known for its outdoor swimming pools. There are therapeutic pools, a steam bath, sauna, Jacuzzi. The well-maintained eco path takes the visitors to the to the chapels St. George, The Holy Spirit, and St. Elijah. The recently renovated fourth chapel St. Pantaleon completes the spiritual integrity of the village resort.  Actually, The Devin River Valley is the newest protected area in the region. It is forbidden to kindle fire here, except for the spots designed for this purpose. A 3-kilometer long fishing zone is also created in the area that offers excellent conditions for Balkan trout fishing. The protected area The Devin River Valley is particularly appealing to tourists. This picturesque gorge boasts an unusual landscape and remarkable rock shapes and formations and is home to rare and protected animal and plant species, including the renowned endemic Haberlea Rhodopensis and the chamois. The area is also one of the best natural habitats for the otter, the red deer and the bear. The river has carved many beautiful ponds and meanders that reach a depth of up to 2-3 meters.  From here it will take you only 30 minutes by foot to get to the Samodivsko Praskalo Waterfall. The waterfall is exeptional and deserves seeing. The total lenght of the main trail Struilitsa-Kaleto-Lakata is aproximately 4 km. It takes about 2-3 hours to travel the path in both directions. More pictures of the Western Rhodopes you can find...