Velingrad
Accommodation in Velingrad
In the Chepino Basin, in the western part of the Rhodope Mountains, the municipality of Velingrad combines natural mineral features with history and opportunities for active days. Kleptuza, the Historical Museum’s exhibitions and routes that start and end in Velingrad offer different highlights. Yundola is also one of the places you can consider when planning your trip.
Mineral Water and Kleptuza
Velingrad has three mineral water deposits: Chepino, Ladzhene and Kamenitsa. There is also a deposit in the village of Draginovo. The official extraction flow rate of these waters totals 124.28 litres per second; their temperatures range from 25 °C to 97.3 °C. Velingrad’s mineral water is hyperthermal and weakly mineralised. It contains bicarbonate, sulphate and sodium, as well as fluoride, silica and radon.
Kleptuza is a karst spring in Velingrad’s Chepino district. Its flow rate is 600 to 1,200 litres per second. Kleptuza Park has two lakes of the same name; the first was created in 1933. Together with the marble outcrops between Beglika and the Chepino district, which are considered to have high tourist value, Kleptuza adds to the destination’s natural appeal.
History and Crafts at the Museum
The Velingrad Historical Museum preserves and studies more than 19,000 objects and documents. These include archaeological finds, items from everyday life in the past, icons and old printed works, as well as personal belongings and archives of well-known figures, photographs and documents. Visitors interested in different perspectives on the history and culture of the area can also explore four permanent exhibitions: a memorial exhibition about Vela Peeva in her birth home, the ethnographic exhibition “The Mountains – a Hospitable Home,” an exhibition about painted Easter eggs, and one about bass singer Nikolay Gyaurov.
The museum also offers tourists a workshop on decorating Easter eggs with wax. So, alongside viewing the exhibitions, a visit offers the chance to discover a traditional craft. For planning your trip, the museum provides a different focus from the routes and natural attractions around Velingrad.
Hiking and Activities around Yundola
In the area around Yundola, the coniferous forests are suitable for summer walks and hikes. Hiking routes lead from there to Belmeken in the Rila Mountains, whose summit is 2,626 metres high, and to Chernovets in the Western Rhodope Mountains, at an elevation of 1,834 metres. The two destinations are in different mountain ranges; their names and elevations give you a clear reference point when choosing your hiking focus.
In the centre of Yundola, the Chapel of St. Petka stands in a meadow. It is an important stop for tourists visiting holy sites in this part of the Rhodope Mountains. The chapel was built with the support of the local forestry administration and donors. Yundola also has ski runs with ski lifts.
Cycling Routes Starting and Ending in Velingrad
Six cycling routes start and end in Velingrad. Their itineraries pass over the peaks of Strazha, Kaleto and Vrani Kamak, and to Draginovo; via Peyova Polyana, Kladova Hut, Arapchal Peak and Lokvata; via Yundola and Lokvata; via Kachakov Chark, Pashino Burdo and Tsigov Chark; via Avramovo railway station, Veliytsa Peak and the Sofandere forestry base; and via the access to Lepenitsa Cave, Removo, Blattsa and Brezi. If you want to make cycling the focus of your trip, you can consider Velingrad as the starting and finishing point for these routes when choosing the focus of your holiday.
Getting There and Finding Your Way
The Septemvri–Dobrinishte narrow-gauge railway line runs through Velingrad. Today it carries passengers only; in the past it also transported freight. At Freedom Square, the Information Centre for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises provides information about attractions and accommodation in Velingrad.
If you are looking for a holiday apartment, the locations described here can help guide your decision: Velingrad is the starting and finishing point for the cycling routes, while hikes, the chapel and ski runs are associated with Yundola. Which of these activities you want to shape your stay is therefore a useful starting point for choosing the focus of your holiday.
Other places in the municipality: Sarnitsa, Pobit Kamak.
Back to the regional travel overview: Pazardzhik Province.
More Destinations
Other places in the same destination:
