The best available Lodges to stay near Smolyan Province

The Castle HORLOG is nestled at the foot of the three surrounding reserves, all of them rich in their biological diversity, and at a nearby distance from some of the 100 National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria /the “Devil’s Throat” cave; the “Haramiyska” cave and the“Yagodinska” cave/. It is completely new Hotel– it is finished in December 2014. The furnishing is in “retro style”. It is located just before the picturesque Rhodope village of Trigrad, at the locality called “HORLOG”, which is where the name of the hotel comes from. At the locality “HORLOG” are situated also the caves “Devil’s throat” and “Haramiyska” cave The Castle Horlog is in fact the nearest tourist site to those caves – at 300m to the “Devil’s Throat” and at 150m to the “Haramiyska” cave. It is situated at the foot of the Trigrad Gorge, between mountains and rocks and right by the river Trigradska. Directly from the balconies of the hotel there can be watched typical for the region animal species /wild goats and roe deers, and if you’re lucky even bears/. Horlog” is also, the only place in the world where one can directly observe an extremely rare animal species- the bird Wallcreeper. It inhabits the cliffs and precipices in the mountains, and a majority of its seats for brooding are at alpine height, therefore the possibility for bird watching in a populated place is not typical and in fact quite unique in the world. Countless eco routes can lead you to peculiar and strange places- the protected area “Chairite’, the reserve “Kazanite”, the reserve “Shabanitza”, the reserve “Kastrakliy”, the locality “Trigrad-Muslaitza”, the village of “Chamla”.. The biggest cultivations of Mursalski tea are on Bulgarian territory, at above 1000 meters of altitude, near the site Mursalitsa in the Rhodope Mountains (hence the name Mursalski tea), the field in Mugla and over Trigrad. This perennial plant is one of the most useful herbs growing in Bulgaria. In the 70s of the 20th century the astronauts have drunk it while preparing for a flight.Japanese scientists, who studied the Mursalski tea, have found beneficial effects on multiple diseases.Besides its healing properties, the herb possesses strengthening, anti-anemic and tonic effect, slows down aging, neutralizes the harmful effects of free radicals and improves elasticity and smoothness of the skin. Due to the massive and promiscuous picking, the troves are threatened and harvesting of the wild herb is prohibited since 1996. The species is included in the Red Book. It is without doubt that the “Horlog” locality at Trigrad is mostly famous with the legend of the underground kingdom, the gates of which are believed to be somewhere in the “Devil’s Throat” cave.The legend tells that “Devil’s throat” cave is the shortcut to Hell. That’s the place from where Orpheus descends to the Underground kingdom of king Hades to save his beloved Eurydice. Many people believe, that the area is possessed by a magical energy of unearthly origin, which helps a man to unlock the power of his energy field and clear his body and soul. It’s not surprising that the region is a preferred tourist destination for Yoga practice. The castle is built on two floors plus а ground floor. On the ground floor there are the reception and the restaurant. On the first and second floor are situated the accommodation rooms. The total capacity of guests in the building is 25 people. The maximum capacity with the use of sofa and chair–beds is 33 people. The accommodations are as follows: - Four double rooms; - One luxury double room with sofas and a dining corner; - Two apartments on two levels; - A luxury two-level apartment with a bedroom and a living room with a fireplace; - - A deluxe one-level apartment with a bedroom and a living room with a fireplace. Each one of the accommodations has its private bathroom and a toilet. The rooms share a common terrace, with a view over the river. The place has an inner common balcony for smoking and relaxation. The restaurant is currently with the capacity of 40 people, and in the ending of summer there will be an enlargement of the covered area with about 40 more seats and a terrace for another 40 seats or overall the capacity of the restaurant is estimated to reach 120 seats by September, this year. In this period it is is expected the construction of abarbeque in the garden of the restaurant, a SPA center and akid’s corner. THE HOTEL HORLOG offers its guests: - А preparation of Rhodope specialties upon request; - A multitude of Eco routes with different levels of difficulty; - An opportunity for direct observation of the extremely rare bird – the Wallcreeper at a distance of mere 500 meters from the hotel; - An opportunity to watch directly from the balcony of the hotel very typical for this region animal species /a wild goat, а roe deer, and sometimes even a bear/; - An opportunity to practice Yoga at the region “Horlog”, which is believed to be an energy portal to unearthly dimensions; - Dazzling nature sights; - Attractive destinations for the lovers of caving tourism; - Extreme experiences: the lift “Tarzan”; a walk by boat at the “Gates of Hell”; off-road trips to localities like “Devil’s Gaze”, “Eagle’s Eye”, “Chairiski ezera” Chairski lakes, etc.; the “Via Ferrata” climbing up a steep stone path to the Haramiyska cave;; - At a nearby distance is the Bear Museum and the Fish Museum; - Rent-a-bike; - Hunting and fishing conditions; - Horse riding; - Delicious Rhodope and other national dishes; - A cozy atmosphere created by the interesting architectural design of the building, which looks like a castle and its ravishing interior.

Hospitality, Traditional and organic home-made food, Bagpipers and one of the best attractions in Bulgaria. Guest House "Milka" is located on a beautiful and panoramic site in the heart of the village of Yagodina. It has 8 rooms equipped with 2 or 3 beds or apartments. We offer a wide range of traditional rhodopean specialities and all of the food is prepared from organic home-made and home-grown products. We also entertain our guests by inviting our bagpipers who play the traditional kaba bagpipe! Our core value is to help people have the best holiday experience and satisfaction and feel our house as their second home.