Reserves

Valchi Dol reserve

The Valchi Dol reserve is the only strict reserve in the Eastern Rhodopes. It is located in the territory of the Krumovgrad Municipality, in the land of the village of Boynik, and covers an area of 774.70 ha. It secures the preservation of one of the wildest and most pristine parts of the Eastern Rhodopes. There are various habitats here – rocks, pastures, shrubbery and deciduous forests. 14 plant and 16 animal species, included in Bulgaria’s Red Book, can be found here. The reserve is inhabited by the Otter...

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Boraka maintained reserve

 Boraka is situated at the foot of the Eastern Rhodope hill of Mechkovets, in the land of the village of Sarnitsa, the Mineralni Bani Municipality, and has an area of 11.10 ha. The vegetation covering the protected territory is part of the xerothermic oak belt. In it, the communities of European Black Pine (Pinus nigra) predominate, which are remnants of the black pine woods, widespread in the past, to preserve which the protected territory was established.

Chamlaka (Pine Wood) maintained reserve

Chamlaka covers a territory of 7.20 ha on the eastern slopes of the Zhalti Rid elevation, next to the village of Vodenicharsko, the Dzhebel Municipality. It was created with the aim of preserving the natural black pine forest – a relict of the ancient vegetation which is at present surrounded by deciduous forest formations.

Borovets maintained reserve

Borovets has an area of 35.90 ha and is located in the land of the village of Raven, the Momchilgrad Municipality. It is on the Stramni Rid elevation and was created with the aim of preserving the natural black pine forest.  Typical for the reservation are the  also Downy oak (Quercus pubescens), the Hungarian Oak (Quercus frainetto) and the Oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis). An undergrowth of bushes has been formed, made up of Prickly Juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus), European Cornel (Cornus mas), Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria), Common hazel (Corylus avellana) etc. Several trees in the reserve are 150-200 years old.

Zhenda maintained reserve

Zhenda (Kazalcherpa) has an area of 39.90 ha and is located in the catchment-basin of the Borovitsa River, a left feeder of the Arda, in the land of the village of Zhenda, the Chernoochene Municipality. It holds mixed woods of Black Pine (Pinus nigra), oak Quercus dalechampii, Downy oak (Quercus pubescens), Oriental hornbeam Carpinus orientalis) and other trees and represents a very small part of the erstwhile spacious forest massifs that had flanked from the north the valley of the Arda River.