Oryahovets is a village in southern Bulgaria. It is located in Banite Municipality, Smolyan region.

It is about 2 km northwest from the village of Banite, about 46 km northeast from the town of Smolyan, 27 km northwest from the town of Ardino, about 30 km northeast from the town of Madan and 252 km southeast from the city of Sofia.
Regular bus service connects it with neighboring towns.

Located in the Central Rhodope mountain, at 720 m altitude. The climate is continental. The winter is long but mild with heavy snow. Summer is cool.

The permanent population is about 650 inhabitants. The main occupation is farming of any type of fruit and vegetables.
The village has town hall, kindergarten, elementary school, community center, mosque, shops, restaurants and fuel stations. There are water supply and electricity networks, Internet, cable TV and mobile phone coverage. Population relies on a general practitioner. The nearest hospital is in the town of Madan.

Tourism

Ancient architecture and beautiful scenery attract numerous tourists to the village. At their disposal are two guest houses and a tavern.

In Oryahovets you can see Pavlovski mill, located at Malka Arda river. It was built in 1870 in the village there are legends for this mill. It is said that it has a "master" (guardian spirit), which protects it and the owners from evil.

In the nearby village of Banite you can go to the beach with mineral water. The thermal spring is known since Roman times.

At nearly 14 km southwest of the village in the village of Slaveino can be seen: the museum of Prof. Dr. Konstantin Chilov, Church "St. Ilya" - famous for its gilded domes, four chapels well preserved until today.
Historic areas Imaret Dere (Haidushki Meadows) Inoglovo, Balitsko, Bahtyaritsa.

Text: Mirela
Photos: Internet