Kirkovo () is a village in
Kardzhali Province
Kardzhali Province () is a province of southern Bulgaria, neighbouring Greece with the Greek regional units of Xanthi, Rhodope, and Evros to the south and east. It is 3209.1 km2 in area. Its main city is Kardzhali. It is Bulgaria's sout ...
, 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 ...
, near the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
border. As of 2021 the population stood at 685 residents with 337 males and 348 females.
Landmarks
The Veykata mountain top, the southernmost point in Bulgaria, is located in the Kirkovo region. To reach the summit, it is possible to begin from the
Hvoynova Polyana mountain hostel, located roughly 5 km (3 miles) away from neighboring village
Gorno Kapinovo, the southernmost village in Bulgaria, via a cobblestone road.
Nearby, the
Gyumyurdzhinski Snezhnik massif covers 9.26 square kilometers (7.4 square miles) and has been protected since 2003. This large area aims to conserve ancient forests of
beech
Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...
,
fir
Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus ''Abies'' () in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The genu ...
, and mountainous
sycamore trees, as well as various threatened plants and animals. Visitors may see
golden eagles
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of p ...
and
black woodpeckers here, and 11 plant species and 5 animal species are listed in the
Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria
''Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria'' () consists of detailed publications that catalog the status of endangered and threatened species in the country. These books play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity by identifying ...
(Bulgarian Red Books). The village of
Mazhentsi offers
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
tourism and recreation with its reservoir and four bungalows. A restaurant is planned for the future.
Close to Kirkovo, there is a mineral spring. The water, with temperatures between 22°C and 24°C (72°F and 75°F), is low in minerals but contains
potassium
Potassium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol K (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number19. It is a silvery white metal that is soft enough to easily cut with a knife. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmospheric oxygen to ...
,
sodium
Sodium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Na (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 element, group 1 of the peri ...
, and
magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 ...
. It is used for therapeutic purposes, bottling, and making soft drinks.
In the area, old bridges built by local craftsmen can be seen, with the best-preserved examples in the villages of
Drangovo,
Shumnatitsa,
Gorski Izvor,
Lozengradtsi, and
Tihomir Tihomir ( Bulgarian, Macedonian and ) is a South Slavic male given name which means "quiet" and "peace" (South Slavic: ''Tiho'' = quiet, ''mir'' = peace). In Russian however the word “mir” мир also means world. So in Russian language, the ...
.
External links
Kirkovo municipality
Villages in Kardzhali Province
References
{{Kirkovo Municipality