Entertainment and attractions in Horlog Castle Holiday Village

At about only 300 meters from HORLOG is located the cave “Devil’s throat”, of which the legend tells that it is the shortcut to Hell. That’s the place from where Orpheus descends to the Underground kingdom of king Hades to save his beloved Eurydice.

The cave keeps its secrets as well as its rare inhabitant – the bird Wallcreeper and the 4 kinds of bats rigorously protected by the Law of biodiversity and some of them are included in the International black list of species.

At 9km from HORLOG, through a tourist trail and 15km on the road, is located one of the 100 National Tourist sites of Bulgaria- the “Yagodinska” cave. Historically, the cave is famous for the fact that during its exploration in 1963 is found the only one in Europe Neolithic habitat preserved in its original appearance and dating from the Copper Age (IV-Th millennium B.C.). Through the whole tourist route of “Yagodinska” cave of 10 500 m there can be seen magnificent and beautiful formations that represent a total of 22 of globally known 28 species – stalactites, stalagmites, columns, helicites, sinter lakes, leopard skin, dendrites, draperies and one of the most unique formations - cave pearls.

At 150 m from Horlog is located the Haramyiska cave, which is famous for the extreme experiences one gets while overpassing it. The visits in the cave are carried out only by climbing and under the supervision of specially trained instructors-climbers.

A path, starting at the “Devil's throat” cave, leads to the entrance of the Haramyiska cave – a 10 minutes climb through a pine forest.

The cave has two entrances – an entrance and an exit to be exact – two different caves conjoint by a precipice. The entrance is difficult to access – it is reached after climbing a 20-meter vertical wall.

Location:

Horse riding Trigrad "Avitohol - Cloud" is located in the Rhodope village of Trigrad, at 1220 meters. above sea level and is on the road to the village of Chestnut.

Stables have a 8 boxes and 12 half-boxes, also with area ground training of horses and riders (former stadium). In base grown 35 horses, including stallions from 5 different lines, 7 Castro, 14 mares and 9 small horses.

Our Team

Guner Javid Chaush /Gintsi/ – Instructor and trainer in equestrian sport. Throughout his life he deals with growing and breeding of horses. He and his horses have won numerous awards in competitions in endurance (Endurance) and running smoothly.

Dr. Miroslav Alexandrov Uzunov /CLOUD/ – Instructor, coach and judge by a Equestrian. Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine in 1992 and Trakia University – Veterinary Medicine degree (2001) in town Stara Zagora. Specialized – care and treatment through physiotherapy on horses in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Zurich – Switzerland. He has qualified instructor by caving and mountain guide.

Elena Hristeva Hristeva – Owner and manager of,, Avitohol - Cloud,, Ltd. Manager in tourism, a teacher of physical education and sport, mountain guide – responsible for organizational activities and information on accommodation services to tourists and tourist destinations in the area.

Our horses – Zico, Ziger, Sarin, Jambi, and Budzhin Casanova, Cengiz 1 Genghis, Season, Jet-Sun, Zeman, Desiree and Martha.

“Arkan” Equestrian center is situated at the southeast end of the village Trigrad.

The equestrian center has 8 well-trained, calm horses. For 15 years it strengthens its positions in the field of horse sports and tourism. Here you can have unforgettable experiences- horse riding in the nature, professional training or just the joy of the contact with the horses

“Arkan” Equestrian center offers Local rides, One-day and Multi-day rides.

Don't miss out to explore one of the most exiting attractions in the region-The lift Tarzan. This ride will make your blood boil and you will experience a new emotion.

‘The tears of Orpheus are the beginning and the end, With them death dies and immortality is born, The legend of love turns into a legend of death - that invincible death which has sown sin and given birth to immortality from love tears.’

In the Tear of Orpheus Area, located above Devil’s Throat Cave close to the village of Yagodina, the sad end of the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice – the legend of love and death has come.

It is from that point that another legend – the legend of immortality has originated.According to it, once Orpheus had wasted the opportunity to bring his beloved Eurydice back from the world of the dead, where he was able to reach thanks to the power of his magic lyre and its golden strings, he climbed to a peak near the waters of the sacred river Styx /presently Trigrad River/, which, flowing into a mysterious cave /presently Devil’s Throat Cave/, crossed a labyrinth of underground tunnels and led to the Underground Kingdom.

From this peak, Orpheus tried to enchant the mountain and the rocks, the river and the waters with his magic chants, subjecting them to reveal the way to the world of the dead, where the ferryman Charon refused to take him again. Seven days and seven nights Orpheus did not eat. At daytime he sang and played and at night he cried and murmured, cursing the gloomy banks of the sacred river Styx. Nature, however, was not submissive to his prayers, which were not heard. Thus, the hopes of Orpheus for victory over death vanished. But by a twist of fate, his shed tears in the Tear of Orpheus Area and in the whole area of Horlog, where Devil’s Throat Cave and Trigrad Gorge are located, gave birth to a mysterious flower that has the ability to resurrect and is one of the best healing plants in the world. Because of its resurrecting ability, the flower is known mostly with the names ‘Immortelle’ and ‘Orpheus Flower’. It has been calculated that this flower can be preserved for 11 years without a drop of water and resurrect under favorable conditions such as warmth, light and sufficient moisture. The ancient Thracians knew about it and added it as an ingredient of the divine drink Ambrosia, which was believed to be giving people health, longevity, even immortality. The Romans, on the other hand, cut coins, on which it was depicted. For over ten years NASA scientists and secret Russian laboratories have explored the flower. It is even said that a drug can be prepared from it that prolongs people’s lives like the biblical giants. ‘Immortelle’ can be found even today in the Tear of Orpheus Area and in the area of Trigrad Gorge, where it has been preserved over the centuries as if to hint us forever about whether Orpheus’s prayers for victory over death were heard.

Panoramic site "Eagle Eye" is build over village Yagodina /14km. from village Trigrad/ over cliff on one of the highest peaks in the area - St. Elias /1530 meters altitude/. The peak is named after the saint - lord of thunder, because when the weather is bad there during fall have much thunder. It is important for tourists to know this and avoid trips to the "eagle eye" in bad weather. Panoramic site can be reached by a highly off-road jeep.

The view that opens from this place is amazing and it is no accident that deserved its name. In clear weather, your eyes can reach tens of kilometers in any direction and can even bring dizziness. See Two-thirds of Buynovsko throat, Borino, Chala, Jagodina, in the distance the mountains of Greece, at the bottom of the Pirin and Rila small peak. The road in the valley snakes and cars seem no larger than ants. Not accidentally locals call the panoramic site "Rhodope Grand Canyon.".

Jeeps are available from both the "Castle horlog" and local people from the village of Yagodina, as in front of Yagodinska always have a few parked jeeps carrying out these services.

"Wolf stone" is an area located on peak "Kaba Tash", near by Rhodope village Gyovren / 7km. of vilage Trigrad towards Devin /.
The area can be reached by a highly off-road jeep.
There have two panoramic grounds of 1650 m above sea level.
These are the highest scenic sites on the Balkan peninsula, from where you can see the Rila, Pirin and Rodopi part of Greek and Peak Large and Small Persenk, and others.

Besides the fascinating view, also interesting is the legend from which comes the name of the locality. "In the past, a shepherd from the nearby village / Gyovern / found in forest a small gray wolf, left alone and doomed in the harsh conditions of Mount. Shepherd sheltered in his home gray wolf and caring for him until grows and become a larger. The wolf acquired habits of home guard dog and never reach of pets ... until one day happened so that people from the village leaving his sheeps to graze on Mount Kaba Tash. They started to finding sheeps with gnawing throat.So people accused a domesticated wolf and accused his adoptive father for that got into trouble whole village after he brought the wolf in his home.
Saddened by gossip on a next night the shepherd taked the gray wolf on top Kaba Tash, dangling gray wolf over the cliff and threw him into the bottomless pit. The next day, however, people from the village Gyovren started again to finding sheeps with gnawing throat. From this moment away the shepherd could not achieve solace for their grief at the gray wolf that killed himself and unfair.
Consolidation failed to find the spirit of the murdered gray wolf whose howl long night descended from Mount Kaba Tash down to the villag."

The town of Devin, which is located at about 25 km from the Castle “Horlog”, can easily be named The Leader amongst the Spa resorts on the Balkan Peninsula, because there is no other town in the Balkans with so many mineral springs.
The mineral water in this region gushes from several drilled hydrothermal sources with a temperature between 37 and 44C° and has a similar chemical composition as the ecologically clean mineral water brand “Devin”, which is bottled near the town.
One of the modern SPA resorts in the region is “STRUILTZA”. It is located 1 km away from the town, in the middle of a striking panorama view of the western Rhodope Mountains.
It is a year-round resort and the swimming pools are perfectly suited for visits during the winter season. The resort has an outdoor beach with mineral water and there are: - A pool for adults with a size -25м/12.50м/1.80; - A Jacuzzi; - A children’ s pool for the youngest guests;
The outdoor pool is equipped with deckchairs and parasols. The resort also has a sauna and a steam bath, as well as a balneotherapy sanatorium, which, in combination with the diverse mineral waters and the suitable weather conditions, is really beneficial to the treatment and prevention of: vegetative joint diseases with different localization; diseases of the cardiovascular system; functional disorders of the nervous system; obesity; a total prevention and strengthening of the body; delaying the process of premature aging; osteoporosis, etc.
After a healthy spent day in the mineral pools, you can enjoy the cozy atmosphere of the resort’s restaurant and the wonderful and diverse cuisine. In the restaurant there is also a BBQ and a bar during the day.
The visit at the SPA Resort ”Struilitza” is at reasonable prizes and they offer a high quality service, which makes the resort one of the most preferred places in the town of Devin.

There are many luxurious SPA hotels in Devin, which offer unique SPA procedures; massages; mud therapy; mineral water therapy.

The museum of the bear is located between the “Devil's Throat” and the village of Trigrad, next to the hotel "HORLOG". It should be on your left side on your way to the village. It is one of the newest museums in the Rhodope Mountains. It has a unique way of presenting the endangered species of the Brown bear. In the resent years people hear about them very often, in the news, but in this museum we can learn about their way of life, their habitats, about their diet and so on.

“Horlog” is also, the only place in the world where one can directly observe an extremely rare animal species- the bird Wallcreeper.

It inhabits the cliffs and precipices in the mountains, and a majority of its seats for brooding are at alpine height, therefore the possibility for bird watching in a populated place is not typical and in fact quite unique in the world.

The area “Chairite” is situated at 13 km from Trigrad. Typical for the area are six natural landslide lakes, which are formed naturally and are preserved since the Quaternary. With its diverse flora and fauna, this picturesque place is one of the most desirable tourist sites. The area is famous also for its spruce forests, including the "Drunken forest".

The area is declared a conservation habitat of summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum).

The summer snowflake is a multiannual bulbous plant, 65 cm of height. This beautiful but poisonous plant blooms in April and May. Its flowers (3-7 of number) are very fragrant and are situated on the top of the stem with unequal long handles. It is distributed in longoz forests, periodically damp meadows and riverside terraces.

The summer snowflake is included in the Bulgarian Red Book with a category of a rare species and is protected by the Law of biodiversity. The collection of the ground part is possible only with a special permission regime. It contains the alkaloid "galantamine", of which are produced different drugs, including the medicine 'Nivalin' used to treat polio.

The reserve covers an area of 161 hectares /it is declared a reserve in 1968/.

It is located in the land of the village Mugla, at 20 km from Devin. The reserve stores a variety of bizarre shapes of nature, mixed forests of fir, black pine, beech, spruce and their characteristic flora and fauna.

The reserve covers an area of 124 hectares /it is declared a reserve in 1956/.

The reserve “Shabanitza” is located right next to the border with our southern neighbor – Greece, and at 40 km southeast from the village of Trigrad, on the upstream of Chairska River. The protected area, the name of which translates to “The Old Forest” is characterized with its century-old beech-spruce forest, where the trees reach a height of 35m. and are older than 350 years.

The reserve covers an area of 124 hectares /it is declared a reserve in 1968/.

It is situated at 20 km from Devin, in the land of the village Borino.

The reserve is famous because there are some of the best-preserved virgin forests of black pine. Some of the trees reach up to 30 m of height and are over 200 years old.

The floral diversity of the protected area is complemented by the presence of 337 species of plants, including many rare and endemic species.

Here can be found deposits of Silivryak (Orpheus flower).

It is a Balkan endemic- it is found only on the Balkan Peninsula. It grows in the cracks of the rocks. It is a protected species, included in the Bulgarian Red Book. The Silivryak withstands long droughts. Botanists have found that it can survive more than 30 months dried in a herbarium and when moisturized it begins to develop again normally. The plant shrinks its flowers when in the shade and immediately opens when the sun shines on it. The Silivryak looks much like the primrose, but its flowers are bluish-white in color with a funnel shape.

Here is one of the biggest populations of wild goat in the Rhodope Mountain.

In the area of the village of Murssalitza, situated at 18 km from the village of Trigrad is the protected area “Trigrad-Murssalitza”, which has given the name to the emblematic tea called “Mursalski” /also known as the Bulgarian Viagra/.

This herb is endemic and is found in just a few places on the Balkan Peninsula.

The biggest cultivations of Mursalski tea are on Bulgarian territory, at above 1000 meters of altitude, near the site Mursalitsa in the Rhodope Mountains (hence the name Mursalski tea), the field in Mugla and over Trigrad.

This perennial plant is one of the most useful herbs growing in Bulgaria.

In the 70s of the 20th century the astronauts have drunk it while preparing for a flight.

Japanese scientists, who studied the Mursalski tea, have found beneficial effects on multiple diseases.

Besides its healing properties, the herb possesses strengthening, anti-anemic and tonic effect, slows down aging, neutralizes the harmful effects of free radicals and improves elasticity and smoothness of the skin.

Due to the massive and promiscuous picking, the troves are threatened and harvesting of the wild herb is prohibited since 1996. The species is included in the Red Book.

At 12 km from Trigrad is located the deserted village called “Kingdom Chamla”. It is believed that the place is possessed with a miraculous energy. There, in the year 2012, foreign investors prepared to meet the mistakenly foretold “End of the world” on 21.12.2012. There have been invested more than 200 000 euro for the purchase of containers and tons of food essentials, which were probably intended to become a "Noah's Ark". To this day, in the deserted village, there are still empty containers expecting to accomplish their mission.