Rock tombs in Bulgaria attract tourists from around the world
Tourists from all over the world are fascinated by ancient rock tombs located in the southern region of the Balkan Peninsula near the Bulgarian village Pchelari in Stambolovo Municipality. This year, local authorities developed jointly with neighboring municipalities Haskovo and Dimitrovgrad a tourist package, thanks to which the access to the unique landmark is now a wonderful experience. The project “Development of regional tourist product: Haskovo - Dimitrovgrad - Stambolovo” is a reality under the Operational Programme “Regional Development” 2007-2013, financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the state budget of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Guests of the three municipalities will be impressed by the hundreds of tourist and cultural attractions of the area, called in ancient times Thrace. Some of them are Thracian rock tombs near the village Pchelari in Stambolovo Municipality. Surroundings are full of monuments of antiquity and the Middle Ages. In the “Hambar Kaya” there are signs of six tombs carved vertically into the top of the array and covered with large stone slabs. In the “Ak Kaya” and “Kara in” there have been preserved two tombs carved into sheer cliffs, and one of them is particularly impressive. It is located in the “Kara in”, and is the most picturesque of all. It is carved in the cliff 2.5 km southeast of the village. All tombs in the vicinity of the village Pchelari date from the Early Iron Age (II-I millennium BC.) and are declared monuments of culture.
Pchelari village is easily accessible and is located 40 km away from the town of Haskovo, 57 km from Dimitrovgrad and only 19 km from the municipal center Stambolovo. From Bulgaria’s capital Sofia it is about 250 km away. The same is the distance from Sofia to the Thracian Cult Complex near the village of Dolno Cherkovishte, Stambolovo municipality, Haskovo region. One of the largest megalithic Thracian religious complexes in the Eastern Rhodopes mountains is located in the “Kovan Kaya” near the village. Here in the sheer cliffs of the volcanic massif more than 100 trapezoidal niches were cut on a dizzying height. It is supposed that they were used for burial purposes, as they were placed urns containing the ashes of the cremated dead people.
The unique landmark “Devil’s Bridge” is located near Stambolovo. Near Rabovo village, under the wall of the dam “Studen kladenets” in the valley of Arda river, interesting rock formations covered with sparse vegetation impress tourists. Devil’s Bridge is a natural rock formation, to which the region is named. At bottlenecks sheer cliffs are with a height of 5 to 10 m. Before the construction of the dam there have always been heard terrifying great noise. Today the gorge has a considerably less water but nevertheless is impressive with its size. The landscape is unique. This fantastic natural phenomenon is unique in Europe.
The protected area is located in the village of Rabovo. Protected areas are declared to be typical or remarkable objects from inanimate matter such as rock formations, pyramids, caves, waterfalls, fields of fossils and minerals, sand dunes and more. The protected area is declared as such to protect the natural habitat of the Rhodope silivryak, preserved through the ages and has become a symbol of the Rhodope Mountains. Unspoiled countryside in the valley of Arda River will give you a chance to feel the closeness of various animal species and birds. Its banks provide suitable conditions for ecotourism and water sports.