The magic of Rhodopes Route: Haskovo - Perperikon - Kardzhali - Monyak Fortress - Kardzhali Monastery St. John the Forerunner - Tatul- Devil's Bridge - Villa Armira - Mezek - Alexander's Tomb
Transport: Bus
Duration: 3 days / 2 Nights
Price from: 155 BGN

The magic of Rhodopes

Haskovo - Perperikon - Kardzhali - Monyak Fortress - Kardzhali Monastery St. John the Forerunner - Tatul- Devil's Bridge - Villa Armira - Mezek - Alexander's Tomb

Dates:

16.04.2021
22.05.2021
25.06.2021
13.08.2021
10.09.2021
08.10.2021

3 days \ 2 nights


PRICE: 155 BGN



PROGRAM

Day 1:

04:15 Departure from Dobrich from Youth Home,

05:00 Departure from Varna to Antim-1

07:00 Departure from Bourgas - OMV gas station to Mirage Hotel in the direction of Haskovo. Visit to - "Monument to St. Mother of God "- the world's tallest statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Infant rises with reverence, love and gratitude to the Mother of God. The monument was unveiled in 2003. In 2005 it was entered in the Guinness Book of World Records, and since 2009 it is in the list of the Hundred National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria. It is made of polymer concrete and weighs 120 tons. The total height of the monument is 32.8 m, and its attractive appearance is complemented by the chapel built inside its base. One of the highest bell towers in Bulgaria rises meters from the monument of the Mother of God. It is 30 meters high, and an internal staircase allows you to climb to the top, just below its eight bells, and admire the unique view of the city. A monument without an analogue in the world is being erected in Haskovo - dedicated to human envy. It is a 3-meter bronze statue depicting the aspiration of the human spirit to rise and the force with which envy lands him and prevents him from flying. Departure for Perperikon. Visiting the archeological complex, which is a spectacular megalithic sanctuary. It is believed that this is an ancient Thracian sanctuary of Dionysus, which became widely known in antiquity. The area of ​​the whole complex is about 12 sq. Km. The sanctuary Perperikon itself rises on a rocky peak with an altitude of 470 m. At its foot is the village of Gorna Krepost. The golden river Perpereshka flows along it, forming a fertile valley with a length of about 10 km and a width of 3-4 km, which has created excellent living conditions since ancient times. Departure for Kardzhali. Hotel accommodation. Overnight.

Day 2:

Breakfast. Visit to the Regional Historical Museum in Kardzhali. It is housed in a beautiful building built in the early 1920s. The cultural values ​​exhibited in it have been collected for almost half a century and are located on three floors with a total area of ​​1300 sq. M. The museum is located in a beautiful park, where you can see about 30 plant species, typical only for Bulgaria.

Departure for the fortress Monyak - located in the Rhodope Mountains, at 586 m above sea level. It is located 11 km east of the town of Kardzhali, near the village of Shiroko Pole. It was built in the XII - XIII century. It is one of the highest and largest medieval fortresses in the Rhodopes with a protected area of ​​over 50 acres. Access to it is difficult because the terrain is steep, in some places almost vertical.

The fortress played an important strategic role, as it guarded the Iron Gate Passage and the approaches of the medieval town, located around the monastery of St. John Prodrom, located in the present town of Kardzhali.

In 1206 the fortress was besieged by the Latins during the Fourth Crusade. It was here that Henry (brother of the late Baldwin of Flanders) was crowned the second and last emperor of the Latin Empire. Once you reach the fortress, before the eyes of tourists is an incredible view of the dam "Studen Kladenets" and the town of Kardzhali. The experience is worth the difficult climb.

Visiting the Kardzhali Monastery St. John the Forerunner - According to archaeologists, the monastery was built during the reign of Tsar Peter (927-969), when there was a long peace in the country. The monastery was located on the right bank of the Arda River and was fortified with strong fortress walls with watchtowers. Its wall was quadrangular in shape, typical of the Athos monasteries from the 10th to the 11th century. The oldest church discovered within the complex is not very large. In the 11th century a monumental temple was built in its place, with an extremely rare type of construction, combining elements from the early Christian Byzantine temples.

Departure for the rock-cult complex near the village of Tatul, (Momchilgrad Municipality) - a prehistoric cult site, on whose territory is located one of the most puzzling megalithic monuments in Bulgaria - a sarcophagus in the shape of a truncated pyramid, which has no analogue among the many megalithic monuments , registered by archaeologists on the territory of Bulgaria and around the world. This is the best preserved temple complex, carved into a monolithic piece of rock.

Heading to Devil's Bridge - (Sheitan Kyupria) - a medieval bridge over the river Arda. It is located in a picturesque gorge about 10 km northwest of the town of Ardino and 4 km east of the village of Galabovo (Banite municipality).

The bridge was built in 1515-1518 by the mouth builder (master) Dimitar from the village (now town) Nedelino on the remains of a Roman bridge on an ancient road connecting the Aegean Sea with the Upper Thracian lowlands through the Makaza pass.


Return to the hotel. Free time. Overnight.

Day 3:

Breakfast. Departure for the village of Mezek (Svilengrad municipality), on the hill Kaleto rise the remains of a medieval Byzantine fortress from the end of the XI century. It is the best preserved defense facility in the Rhodopes. The fortress had the functions of a border guard fortress. It guarded areas between the rivers Maritsa and Arda. Visit to the Alexandrovska tomb - Built of precisely carved stone blocks, there is a monumental entrance with a long dromos (corridor), a rectangular room and a round domed burial chamber. they were usually placed in tombs to serve the deceased on his way to the afterlife. The tomb is remarkable above all for the frescoes in the tomb chamber. Among the usual for the first century BC. geometric and plant ornaments is presented and a unique composition - hunting wild boar and deer. Horsemen and pedestrians, accompanied by dogs, chase the animals. The riders are armed with spears and swords and are dressed in a variety of clothes. The horses have richly decorated ammunition, breastplates and villages.



Departure for the respective city in the early afternoon and arrival in the evening.

The price includes:

✔️Transport with licensed transport


✔️2 nights with breakfast in a 3-4 * hotel in Kardzhali


✔️Insurance

✔️Guide service during the entire route and sites

 

 

The price includes:

✔️Transport with licensed transport


✔️2 nights with breakfast in a 3-4 * hotel in Kardzhali


✔️Insurance

✔️Guide service during the entire route and sites


The price does not include:

❌Supplement for a single room - BGN 30

❌Entrance fees


Perperikon
pupils, students and pensioners - BGN 2

visitors over 18 - BGN 6.00

talk - BGN 30

Discount for groups over 20 people - 50%

Children up to 7 years and people with disabilities - free of charge

Tatul
Adults - BGN 3
Students - BGN 1

Devil's Bridge
Adults - BGN 2
Pensioners, children and students - BGN 1
Bus in both directions - BGN 4

Mezek fortress + tomb
Adults - BGN 6
Children, students and pensioners - BGN 3

Alexander's Tomb
09.00 - 18.00 (April-September)
Prices for visiting:
for pupils, students and pensioners - BGN 2
for all others - BGN 4

Villa Armira
Entrance tickets: for adults - BGN 3;
for students and pensioners - BGN 2;
for people with disabilities and children up to 7 years - free.
ROME Kardzhali

Entrance fee: adults - BGN 3, students and pensioners - BGN 1.