Chepelare

Chepelare is a town and a famous winter resort in southern Bulgaria. The city is the administrative center of Chepelare municipality.

Chepelare is located in a mountainous region in the Rhodopes and with its 1232 m above sea level is the second highest town in Bulgaria after Dospat. The city is located in the Smolyan region, on the main road Plovdiv - Smolyan, 26 km from the regional center Smolyan, 70 km south of Plovdiv, 11 km north of the resort complex Pamporovo and 217 km from the capital Sofia. It has a moderately continental climate. The snow cover lasts between 80 and 120 days a year, and its average thickness reaches 30–80 cm. The Chepelarska River flows through the city and the Kamburska River flows into it.

In the immediate vicinity of Chepelare is the Mechi chal ski area, part of which is the longest and one of the best slopes for alpine skiing in Bulgaria. The constructed tracks have a total length of 20 km. Today, the tracks and facilities are completely renovated and marked according to European standards:

There is a 4-seater lift with a capacity of 2000 people per hour. With it, the distance of 2700 m from the town of Chepelare to the peak "Mechi chal" is covered in just 9 minutes.

The advanced track - "red" is 3250 m long. It is equipped with the most modern artificial snow system in Bulgaria - Johnson Controls, which with 47 guns can cover the track for 100 hours at a temperature of -3 degrees.

For skiers and snowboarders, a "red difficult" track with deep snow and a length of 1.2 km has been built.

For intermediates there is a "green" track almost 6 km long and several shorter tracks of varying difficulty.

For the first time in Bulgaria, in the Chepelare resort, the slopes are equipped with free wireless internet and a special tourist pass system is used, which ensures smooth access to the lift without crowding skiers in the busiest hours of the day.

Museums:

Museum of the Rhodope Karst

Museum of skiing and ski sports

It was created in 1998 after Ekaterina Dafovska won the first gold medal for Bulgaria at the Winter Olympics. It is located in the community center "Rhodopska Iskra". It presents the rich history and development of skiing in the city, the victories and awards of the skiers. Shown are skis, shoes and other sports equipment of the competitors from the "Rozhen" company during its more than 100-year history.

Assumption Orthodox Church

Other sites:

Assumption Orthodox Church.

Church of Saint Athanasius the Great. It was built in 1834 in just 40 days.

Olympic Square and city garden with waterfalls. They are located in the city center.

Hotels and guest houses - about 30 accommodation facilities.

Rozhen Astronomical Observatory - 5.5 km from the city.