Tourist attraction
Sacred Sakar Mountain

Sakar Mountain seems distant and unknown to tourists, decided to take a mountain walk. Once it was called Masteyra, which translated means sacred. For many years Sakar Mountain was closed because it is a border region. Perhaps this is why tourism infrastructure here is not well developed, despite the potential. Sakar is a relatively small and low Mountain in Bulgaria. Located in southeastern Bulgaria, between 4 scenic rivers - Maritza, Tunja, Sokolitsa. Sakar Mountain is shaped like a dome, the highest peak is Visegrad, reaching only 856 m. If you want to take hiking to Sakar leader, use village perch as a starting point. From here, about 2 hours walking to climb the peak. Even as you go into the recesses of this captivating charm Mountain, you are staying impressed by the wonderful scenery that surrounds it. You can not feel all your senses with the rich diversity of species around. In Sakar there are a few natural areas where they protect rare and endangered species, plants and animals, many of which are included in the Red Book of Bulgaria. Among them is the symbol of Sakar Mountain - Imperial Eagle. This makes it important for mountain ecology and conservation of native flora and fauna. Here is the greatest wealth of different kinds of living birds of prey are protected from extinction. Sakar is a real treasure in terms of saved valuable traces of our history. There are prints from the Thracian times to the Middle Ages - Dozens of Thracian dolmens, shrines and castles from different eras. The biggest attraction in Sakar Mountain is Ustrem Monastery "Holy Trinity". It is located about 3 km west of the mountain village Ustrem. The monastery is a complex of church, residential and commercial buildings. Interestingly, it is built the old church "St. St. Peter and Paul."

In Sakar Mountain there are other attractions. The region has seven protected areas, of which 1 area, with name "Bakker" and 6 natural attractions, including rock formations, sites of historical importance and others. Protected area "Bakker" comprises the area, in which grow old oaks. Here are the hornbeam, flowering ash, Polish ash. It has been found extremely rich variety of bird species - 96 species, of which 32 are endangered throughout Europe. Another protected area in the Sakar region is "Lozen road." Established to protect habitat found here is a rare plant snowflake. The area covers part of the land of the town of Svilengrad. And if you are hikers, the benefit from the services of a guide and take walking tours through the labyrinth of peaceful and scenic Sakar Mountain. There are many marked trails. The area is suitable for hunting and fishing. Melissa has on the village hill, on whose summit stands an ancient medieval fortress. This is the fortress "Bukelon", also known as solitary guard over Tunja. Until today the medieval fortress has survived an impressive 18-meter tower - one of the few well preserved authentic monuments of that time. Near the village has preserved rock church, which the locals used until 1935

Sakar Mountain surprises tourists with another landmark of antiquity - Thracian dolmens. These are old Thracian burial structures, which in this region are the most numerous and best preserved. Experts believe that dolmens are tombstones in which a Thracian people bury their dead. And to this day remains a mystery how the Thracians delivered these huge stones, each of which weighed several tons. Remains a mystery and the fact, that some gravestones are rocks that are not from Sakar Mountain.

An interesting cult object Thracian sanctuary is "Paleokastro" nestled at the foot of Sakar Mountain. The medieval fortress is situated on a small peak near the city Topolovgrad. Tourists will be amazed to be detectable picture of this religious place - on the rocks of the sanctuary has exactly 150 rounds concave and convex-like shape of the solar disk.

The largest settlement in the territory of Sakar Mountain is Topolovgrad. The town is situated on the northern slopes of Sakar Mountain, near the lower reaches of the river Tunja. Here you will find local Ethnographic Museum, and light a candle for health in the church "Holy Mother".