Chepelare ( ) is the principal town in Chepelare Municipality, part of

Smolyan Province Smolyan Province (, ''Oblast Smolyan''; former name Smolyan okrug) is a province in Southern-central Bulgaria, located in the Rhodope Mountains, neighbouring Greece to the south. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre — the ...

in Southern

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

. It is situated in the central part of the

Rhodopes The Rhodopes (; , ; , ''Rodopi''; ) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in Greece. Golyam Perelik is its highest peak ...

, on the banks of

Chepelare River The Chepelare river or Chepelarska reka () is an 86 km-long river in the Rhodope Mountains of southern Bulgaria, a right tributary of the river Maritsa. Name Until 1943 the river was known as the Chaya (Чая), which probably originates ...

. Chepelare is a popular winter resort with one of the longest

ski Skis are runners, attached to the user's feet, designed to glide over snow. Typically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partially secured heel. For climbing slopes, ski skins c ...

runs in

Southeastern Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...

. It is located near

Pamporovo Pamporovo (, ''pronunciation'': /pam'porovo/) is a popular ski resort in Smolyan Province, southern Bulgaria. It is set amongst Norway spruce forests and is primarily visited during the winter for skiing and snowboarding. It is also a popular t ...

, one of the biggest Bulgarian ski resorts. As of December 2009, the town had a population of 5,412.Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - towns in 2009
The town is known for the only ski and snowboard factory in the

Balkan peninsula The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

. The factory cooperates with the ski brand ''

Atomic Skis Atomic Austria GmbH is an Austrian sports equipment company headquartered in Salzburg, Austria. It manufactures and sells skis and other skiing equipment, such as boots, bindings, helmets, ski poles, goggles, bags, apparel and protective equip ...

''. Chepelare is also the birthplace of biathlete

Ekaterina Dafovska Ekaterina Stefanova Dafovska (; born 28 November 1975 in Chepelare, Bulgaria) is a Bulgarian former biathlete. She took up the biathlon in 1990. She made the national team in 1993 and came in 29th in the 15-kilometer competition at the L ...

, Bulgaria's only

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...

gold medal winner. The local Sports School provides good conditions for young winter athletes. Climate table: The natural rocky phenomenon Marvelous Bridges is located near Chepelare.

Honour

Chepelare Peak on

Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetland Islands, South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands north of the ...

in the

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands located in the Drake Passage with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the n ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

is named after Chepelare Town.

References

External links

Official

* Tourism website of Chepelare: i
English
an
Bulgarian
* Municipal website of Chepelare: i
English
an
Bulgarian

Informational

Information in English and Bulgarian
{{Authority control Towns in Bulgaria Cities and towns in the Rhodopes Populated places in Smolyan Province Ski areas and resorts in Bulgaria Tourist attractions in Smolyan Province

Honour

See also

References

External links

Official

Informational