Protected area "Oreshari"

The protected area "Oreshari" is situated near the village of Oreshari in the municipality of Krumovgrad and occupies an area of 55 ha. It is located 30 km north-east of Krumovgrad, about 52 km east of Kardzhali, 47 km south of Haskovo, 30 km west of the town of Madzharovo and approximately 276 km south-east of the capital Sofia city.

The area was declared protected in 1999 in order to preserve the rare flora and fauna representatives whose populations it harbors. One of the rarest inhabitants of the area are animals unknown to most tourists - yew, black stork, Venus hair, long-legged buzzard, Egyptian vulture, long-eared bat and many others.

Some exotic birds which have been in the Red Book of Bulgaria for years along with endangered plant and animal species can also be seen here. Such are the fauna representatives Alpine swift, green neck bunting, lizard, bands, etc.

The terrain in the area is calcic and there are many karst forms. The large number of studied caves in the area are rich in species, most of which are extremely rare and thus legally protected. The representatives of the flora do not fall behind either. On the contrary – the mesophile oak forests that occur in the "Oreshari" area grow alongside the plant species that grow in the dry places.

There are 4 types of relict protected plants - yew, fern, Venus hair and sycamore. Besides these, more than 10 species are included in the Red Book of Bulgaria.

There are many archaeological sites in the area as well, some of which have historical importance. The most famous among tourists and locals is the Cave of Reverend Martin - some people know her as the Arch.

• Medieval rock monastery “Reverend Martin’s hole”, declared a cultural monument of national importance

The rock temple is carved into a rock above the right bank of the Arda River which is difficult to access. Its entrance is located 4 m above the surrounding terrain. 13 rock niches are carved around it. Shaped recesses, grooves and indentations are found inside it. Legend has it that this was one of the legendary hideouts of Reverend Martin during the Ottoman rule. He used to set up ambushes of rich people who he attacked and robbed.

• Thracian rock niches, also declared a cultural monument

The rock niches are carved on inaccessible cliffs high above the right bank of the Arda River. They are situated on 7-8 groups with total of more than 150 niches in the area of the estuary of the River Krumovitsa up to the bridge of the Arda River near the village of Dolno Cherkovishte.

• Caves in the "Bridge" area / The Six caves / - natural landmark

The caves are located near each other and were declared a protected site. Their entrances are 2-3 m wide and their length is 10 to 20 m. They are habitats of protected bat species: big bat, cave long-winged bat, big and small horseshoe bat, gray long-eared bat and others. The object "The caves" is included in the list of the 250 most famous caves in Bulgaria.

TRANSPORT

The "Oreshari" area is relatively easily accessible due to the good infrastructure of the area. It can be easily reached via a car. A tourist route starts from the village of Oreshari and following the valley of the Arda River reaches the village of Strandzhevo. The length of the route is about 5 km.

ACCOMMODATION

There is small pavilion at the entrance of the area as well as many explanatory signs. In the village of Dolno chekovishte,about 3 km in the north, is located the Arda hotel complex which offers excellent accommodation for tourists. Hotel "Paradise" is located in the town of Madzharovo where several restaurant are available for tourists too.

Sources:  www.ekotravel.info, www.priroda.bg, www.krumovgrad.bg
Photos: www.alexooo.blog.bg