Chepelare ( bg, Чепеларе ) is the principal town in

Chepelare Municipality Chepelare ( bg, Чепеларе ) is the principal town in Chepelare Municipality, part of Smolyan Province in Southern Bulgaria. It is situated in the central part of the Rhodopes, on the banks of Chepelare River. Chepelare is a popular winter ...

, part of Smolyan Province 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 Macedon ...

. 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 in ...

, on the banks of

Chepelare River The Chepelare (, Chepelarska reka, also called Chaya, Чая and Asenitsa, Асеница) is a river in Bulgaria that takes its source from Rozhen Peak (around 1,500 m above sea level) in the Rhodopes. The river's length is about 82 km and t ...

. Chepelare is a popular winter resort with one of the longest

ski A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partial ...

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. It ...

, 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 who ...

. 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 of ...

''. Chepelare is also the birthplace of biathlete

Ekaterina Dafovska Ekaterina Dafovska ( bg, Екатерина Дафовска) (born 28 November 1975, Chepelare, Bulgaria) is a Bulgarian biathlete. She took up the biathlon in 1992. She made the national team in 1993 and came in 29th in the 15-kilometer ...

, 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 The Marvelous Bridges or Wonderful Bridges ( bg, Чудни �емостове, ''Chudni emostove'') are natural arches in the Rhodope Mountains of southern Bulgaria. They are located in the karst valley of the Erkyupriya River in the Western Rho ...

is located near Chepelare.

Honour

Chepelare Peak Chepelare Peak ( bg, връх Чепеларе, vrah Chepelare, ) rises to approximately 900 m in the Friesland Ridge, Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island. The peak surmounts Charity Glacier to the west and Prespa Glacier to the southeast and ...

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 contine ...

is named after Chepelare Town.

References

External links

Official

* Tourism website of Chepelare: i
English
an
Bulgarian
* Municipal website of Chepelare: i
English
an
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

Honour

See also

References

External links

Official

Informational