Did you know that Smolyan:
is the only capital of a Bulgarian province where a natural waterfall exists — it is 22 m high,
accommodates the biggest Planetarium on the Balkans for recreation of the star world is in Smolyan;
is the only town in Bulgaria, which accommodates 3 natural lakes.
accommodates the St. Visarion Smolenski orthodox temple, which is the biggest newly built church in Bulgaria in the 21st century (in 2006), a symbol of the union among the three localities of Ustovo, Raykovo and Smolyan.
is the longest town in Bulgaria – 16 km
Did you know that Chepelare is
the only town in Bulgaria, which has Olympic square, famous as winter Olympic capital of Bulgaria;
the birthplace of the only Gold Olympic champion in winter sports for Bulgaria — Ekaterina Dafovska;
the first electrified locality in the Rhodopes — 1921
the first resort town in the Middle Rhodopes — 1937
the only factory for ski and snowboards on the Balkan peninsula;
the only museum for Rhodopean karst on the Balkan peninsula.
Did you know that Velingrad is:
the town referred to as "the SPA capital of the Balkans";
has the biggest karst spring in Bulgaria — Kleptuza;
has 6 mineral baths in operation, the oldest one of which is 270 years old.
has more than 70 water sources from four thermal deposits with different composition and indications
the birthplace of the opera bass Nikolay Gyaurov;
home of the narrow-gauge railway line Septemvri — Dobrinishte, which is one of the engineering miracles in Europe;
near an interesting point - the cross of the geographic coordinates between 24 parallel and 42 meridian.
Did you know that Zlatograd
is the most southern town in Bulgaria located near the Bulgarian-Greek border;
is the town of Delyo Haydouk and the popular performance by Valya Balkanska of the Izlel e Delyo Haydutin song;
has preserved a complex of Zlatograd houses from the period of Bulgarian Revival with distinctive round chimneys in Xanthi and Plovdiv style;
This is the place of the cell school that set the beginning of the enlightenment and educatione in the Rhodopes.
Did you know that Ivaylovgrad
is near two borders: with Greece and Turkey;
is only 8 km away from longest dam in Bulgaria (30 km);
has the most well-preserved villa from the Roman age — Villa Armira;
is a home to the only preserved Albanian settlement in Bulgarian — Mandritsa;
has 100-year tradition of Tahini paste production.
Did you know that in Madzharovo
lives the only one in Bulgaria colony of white-head vultures;
is the only Nature Conversation Centre in Bulgaria for observation of rare and endangered birds;
one can go bird-watching for black vultures in the gorge of Arda River after the Meander of Madzharovo;
is the biggest Cromlech in Bulgaria — a megalithic construction from stone blocks arranged in a circle. The stones are 9, and 3 of them are placed in the middle.
Did you know that Bratsigovo
Sets the beginning of the renowned Bratsigovo architectural school since the end of 18th century, which left a permanent imprint on the architectural heritage and self-esteem of the Bulgarian people during the Bulgarian National Revival.
For 100 years, more than 600 master builders built churches, schools, towers, houses, shops, and bridges in nowadays Northern and Southern Bulgaria, and also in other parts of the former Ottoman empire.
To make their conversations unintelligible, the Bratsigovo master builders created a secret language — the Meshtrovski (from "meshtra" — master).
accommodates the highest separate bell tower in Bulgaria (28.6 m) in the St. John the Precursor church.
Did you know that near Ardino
is located the Devil's Bridge, which is one of the most beautiful tourist sites in Bulgaria built in the distant 1515-1518;
Orlovi skali can be reached not only through a marked tourist trail, but though the Ardino Poetry trail — the verses are engraved with a pyrography pen on wooden boards and the authors are from Ardino;
The bridge has never collapsed since its construction, which is worth mentioning since the Arda River itself sometimes is very turbulent;
Did you know that Madan
Is the place where you can visit a mine museum as a tourist — the Spoluka mine
locates the only mining museum on the Balkans;
locates the Crystal Hall, which has more than 600 unique exhibits — natural specimens of different minerals and precious stones;
The Sharenka cave, which demonstrates how the Thracians extracted ore in the Bronze age.