Kardjali

Kardjali is a small town in Bulgaria. It is located in the very heart of the eastern Rhodope mountain, along the two river banks of the Arda river, 100 km southeast of Plovdiv. 6000 year-old remains of human life as well as ample examples of the presence of Thracian, Roman, Byzantine, late-Ottoman and Bulgarian culture have been found on the territory of the town. After the town's liberation from the Ottoman yoke in 1912, Kardjali became the "tobacco warehouse of the eastern Rhodopes", because some of the best quality tobaccos are grown on the special soils in the region.

What would be of special interest for the visitors are some landmarks, among which are the 11th-12th century Bulgarian basilica "St. John the Precursor", the Historical Museum, housed in a vast mosque-like building and containing picturesque collections from prehistoric ritual objects to ethnographic costumes and crafts. The two big dams on both sides of the town are perfect places for tourism, water sports and entertainment. Kardjali is the starting point for visits to the numerous rock formations in the region - the Stone Wedding and mushrooms, the Stone Forest, the Rock Widow, the Rocks at Ustra, and the medieval fortress of Perperek.