Rozhen Meadows

The Rozhen saddle connects the Perelik and Prespa ridges of the Eastern Rhodopes. It is the climatic boundary of the Mediterranean influence. Since ancient times, important bridle paths have passed through Rozhen. From here is the road from the Upper Thracian lowland to the Arda Valley and the Belomorje. The meadows of Rozhen remember many historical events. For the freedom here fought Momchil’s heroes, Capt. Petko Voyvoda. Levski also passed through Rozhen to found a revolutionary committee in the village of Momchilovtsi. In 1912 the heroes of Col. Serafimov to liberate the suffering people of Rhodope from Ottoman rule.

At that time the border of Bulgaria with the Turkish Empire passed through Rozhen peak. A border stone from 1912 has been preserved to this day, reminding generations of the historical events. Some time ago it was at the crossroads to the famous village of Zabardo, but it has been returned to its historical place – Rozhen. Until the Liberation the surrounding villages of Progled, Sokolovtsi and Momchilovtsi were artificially divided. Progled remained on the Bulgarian side and Momchilovtsi and Sokolovtsi on the Turkish side of the border.

Rozhen became the place where relatives and friends met once a year to mingle, exchange news, roast chevermeets, sing songs to the accompaniment of the magic Rhodope bagpipe and console their sorrow. Over time, Rozhen became the biggest stage of the Rhodope song. Here the unique bagpipe orchestra “Hundred Kaba Bagpipes”, a symbol of the festival, was born. From Rozhen, the song “Delilo haidutin” performed by Valya Balkanska takes off to land on board the Voyager space station in search of alien civilizations in space.

To the northeast of the pass, a paved road leads under Mount Karamanitsa, where the National Astronomical Observatory is located. It is the largest observatory in southeastern Europe. Tourist routes to Pamporovo, Perelik Peak, the Orpheus Rocks and the Smolyan Lakes, etc. pass through the beautiful Rozhen Meadows. In order to preserve the Rozhen Meadows from development and other investment intentions, the Smolyan Municipality has started a procedure to declare the Rozhen Meadows a cultural landscape.