Ardino

Ardino Municipality is situated on the border of the Western and Southern Rhodopes and covers an area of 385 sq.km. The administrative centre, the city of Ardino stands at 300 km. from the city of Sofia and 92 km from the city of Haskovo. A region with a plenty of history, traditions and unique nature.

The devil’s bridge is built at the beginning of 15th century above Arda River on remains of a Roman bridge along an ancient road, which connected Thracian region with the Aegean one. The three-vaulted bridge, which is 56 m long, 3,5 m wide and 11,5 n high is situated at 10 km from Ardino, at 420 m altitude. One of the stones from the central vault arch has engraved a small hexagon, named “The King Solomon’s stamp”.
The fortress “Krivus” is situated at 3 km from the village of Bashevo, on an extremely steep hill, around 100 m above the level of Arda river, which surrounds the fortress from its three sides. According to Byzantine annals, the fortress was built in 10 century, in order to protect the people who lived in the region around the stream of Arda river. There are well preserved remains of a citadel, loopholes and the main entrance, remains of a church, situated in the centre of the yard.
The Thracian fortress “Kaleto” is a semi-preserved medieval fortress, which protected in the Ancient times the road Komotini - Plovdiv. The fortress probably was built during XІІ-X century before Christ.
The fortress “Patmos” is situated near to the fortress “Krivus”, at the watershed of Borovitsa river into Arda river. Here was the crossroad of the main thoroughfares which connected the city of Plovdiv with the city of Komotini, Greece and the city of Odrin, Turkey.
Thracian sanctuary "Orlovite skali". On vertical rocks around 2 km. south of Ardino, are hewed out trapezium-shaped 97 niches with different dimensions. It is supposed that there were put items for religious use.

The reserve “Belite brezi” is situated 7 km from the city of Ardino and covers an area of 368 ha. Here exists the only one naturally grown forest of silver birch in the Rhodopes. There could be found other kinds of trees - beech-trees, white pines, black pines, spruces, etc.

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