Chepelare ( bg, Чепеларе ) is the principal town in
Chepelare Municipality, part of
Smolyan Province
Smolyan Province ( bg, Област Смолян, ''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 ...
in Southern
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Mac ...
. It is situated in the central part of the
Rhodopes
The Rhodopes (; bg, Родопи, ; el, Ροδόπη, ''Rodopi''; tr, Rodoplar) 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 ...
, on the banks of
Chepelare River. Chepelare is a popular winter resort with one of the longest
ski runs in
Southeastern Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (al ...
. It is located near
Pamporovo
Pamporovo ( bg, Пампорово, ''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. I ...
, one of the biggest Bulgarian ski resorts. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 5,412 inhabitants.
[Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - towns in 2009]
The town is known for the only ski and snowboard factory in the
Balkan peninsula
The Balkans ( ), also known as 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 throughout the whol ...
. The factory cooperates with the ski brand ''
Atomic Skis
Atomic (officially Atomic Austria GmbH) is an Austrian company that manufactures and sells skis and other skiing equipment, such as boots, bindings, helmets, ski poles, goggles, bags, apparel and protective equipment.
Atomic is a subsidiary o ...
''. Chepelare is also the birthplace of biathlete
Ekaterina Dafovska, Bulgaria's only
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) 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 h ...
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 Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60� ...
in the
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 195 ...
,
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest co ...
is named after Chepelare Town.
See also
*
Bogutevo, a village in Chepelare.
References
External links
Official
* Tourism website of Chepelare: i
Englishan
Bulgarian* Municipal website of Chepelare: i
Englishan
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