Towns and villages in the project

Smolyan

Smolyan is the administrative, business and cultural centre of the region.
The municipality covers an area of 879 sq. km, and its population numbers 49 889 men. The residents of the central municipal town number 30 000 men. The municipality itself includes 87 towns and villages. Smolyan is situated in the heart of the Rhodopes and it is the natural capital of the mountain. The three villages of which it is made up – Ustovo, Raykovo and Smolyan- are situated along the banks of the Cherna River (Black River) and Byala River.
The town is located 260 km away from Sofia, 90 km away from Plovdiv Airport and 10 km away from the “Perelik” resort. There are approximately 50 hotels there, offering 2000 tourist beds.

Stoykite

The picturesque village of Stoykite has a population of 420 men and it is situated in the very heart of the Western Rhodopes. This small Rhodope village has preserved its authentic face, its national traditions, customs and culture, which turns it into a veritable open-air museum.
Stoykite is located 16 km north-west from Smolyan, 95 km south-west from Plovdiv and 10 km away from the “Perelik” resort. The village can accommodate about 800 visitors in the hotels and in the private lodgings.

Stikal

The village of Stikal is located 5 km away from the village of Gela. The name Stikal comes from the old Bulgarian word “kale” which means castle, fortress. The village is known for the curious matter that its people are fewer than its houses. According to the official data the residents number 45 men but in the winter less than 25 people remain. Nonetheless almost every house can give accommodation to the tourists. “A house won’t get eaten up if a stranger should sleep in it. You won’t run out of food if you feed him but he will remember the good thing you did for him till the end of his days.” These words are the creed of the Stikalians. The caves Beliat Kamak (the White Stone Cave) and Serdarevata Peshtera (the Serdareva Cave) are located near the village.

Solishta

The village of Solishta is a small village which has scattered its houses about the hills beneath Mount Turlata, 5 km away from Shiroka Laka in the Lukovitsa River vale.
A matter of interest is the village’s church complex, especially the bell-tower of the “Sveta Nedelya” church(Holy Sunday), crafted by the self-taught master Filyu Korbadjiev. The “Chernoka” protected area is located close to the village- the area has a Black Pine forest with over 3oo years old trees.
There is a tourist accommodation office offering accommodation services; there are also chalets offering very good conditions which can be hired separately.

Gela

The village of Gela is situated in the Rhodopes Perelik ridge. The closest town to it is Shiroka Laka - 6 km away from it, and the village of Solishta which is 9 km away from it. The setting up of this settlement is lost in the mists of time but we know that it has been inhabited by the Thracians. According to a legend the village of Gela is the birth place of Orpheus. Each summer the village of Gela hosts a national bagpipe music contest. In August there takes place the “Ilinden” fair, held at the “St. Elijah” Chapel (the first Saturday and Sunday of August). In Gela you can stay at private lodgings or small family hotels offering about 100 beds.

Mugla

The village of Mugla is situated on the upper reaches of the Muglenska River which astounds with the beauty of its picturesque waterfalls and rapids. The Bulgarian- Greek border is near it. According to an old legend the village was founded 5 centuries ago by four unmarried lads each of whom had stolen a maiden from Smolyan. They then hid themeselves in the unaccessable forests of today’s Mugla. The age of the village is indicated by the inscribed tablets, discovered in the surrounding lands; the archaeologists have not yet been able to decipher these inscriptions. The village is popular for its large number of Karst springs, the biggest of which is the spring Yaza. The wooden minaret of the mosque in the village centre is an unique piece of art. Many tourist routes start from Mugla and the village is part of the International European Tourist Route Е8.