WELCOME TO BULGARIA

Welcome to the magical mountain

"PERISTERA" - Pigeon beauty from antiquity

When Christianity was introduced to the Byzantine Empire in 313, the local inhabitants had to choose on which of the hills in the vicinity to build their church. Thus, a flock of pigeons flew to the hill of St. Petka, and the name Peristera comes from Greek origin (golag - pigeon place). According to another local legend, the name Peristera is associated with the heroic sacrifice of the daughter of a Thracian priest, who was the first of her tribesmen to fly from the crags of the last unconquered fortress of Bess, besieged by the Roman legionaries, preserving her freedom. For many years, the conquerors failed to learn her name and named her Peristera - the sister of the rock pigeon.

Beautiful nature and a variety of sights.

At the foot of the northwestern slopes of the Western Rhodopes, on the border with the Upper Thracian Lowland, is the town of Peshtera, known for its rich cultural and historical heritage,as well as the many natural landmarks in the region. The town's name is believed to derive from the word "cave". There is another assumption about the name of the town, one of the most beautiful legends connected with the history of the Cave Valley - the legend of Peristera - the sister of the rock dove. The name Peshtera is still written as Peristera on some Greek maps.

In Bulgaria, we speak

Bulgarian

We spend

BG Lev

You'll ride in a

SUNNY DAY

Around Peshtera we have

many caves

You will discover

friends and memorable moments

PESHTERA INFO

The town of Peshtera attracts visitors with its mild climate, numerous caves, abundant water, dense forests, good conditions for tourism and cycling, and deposits of various ores, explaining the human presence since the Neolithic period. For millennia, this region was inhabited by the Thracian tribe Besi, who experienced the influence of Macedonians, Romans and Byzantines. The emergence of the settlement in the cave valley occurred in the second half of the 4th century BC. The most lasting is the later interaction of Thracians, Bulgarians and Slavs. Evidence of this is the remains found in the vicinity of a thousand-year-old culture - tools of labor, building materials, weapons, coins, jewelry, cult objects, etc.

The Peristera fortress

Snejanka cave

Cars Of Socialism

The old Clock tower

City Center

Peshtera town

Batak Lake

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Stay in Peshtera

The town of Peshtera and the area around the town offer a variety of accommodation options, suitable for different preferences and budgets.

The Location

The town of Peshtera is located at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains (461 m above sea level), on the border with the Upper Thracian Plain, 17 km from Pazardzhik, 36 km from Plovdiv and 123 km from Sofia. Nearby are the towns of Batak and Bratsigovo.

CURIOUS

"Snezhanka" Cave is part of the "One Hundred National Tourist Sites of the Bulgarian Tourist Union". The cave is located 5 km southwest of the town of Peshtera, in the Batashka Mountain, Western Rhodopes. This cave is called the underground palace and is one of the seven largest landscaped caves in Bulgaria. Its length is 220 m and covers an area of 3130 sq.m., and it has over 600,000 stalactites. It is rich in stalagmites, stalactites, stalactones, draperies, and sintered ponds. The largest stalactite is 1.27 m long. "Snezhanka" consists of several beautiful halls: "Hall of the Udders", "Big Hall", "Music Hall", "Stone Forest", "Hall of Pigeons" and "Hall of Chinese Lanterns".

DO & SEE

Near the city are the protected areas and reserves - "Kupena", "Mantarica", "Beglika", the caves "Snezhanka" and "Yubileyna", a number of remains of Thracian tribes, remains of ancient fortresses. Tourists can also visit the Historical Museum "Peshtera", the "Clock Tower", the medieval fortress "Peristera", located on the hill "St. Petka".

EAT & DRINK

In Peshtera you can find a variety of culinary delights that reflect both the local and traditional tastes of Bulgaria. On the menus, you can find dishes such as "Patatnik" (potato pie), "Кlin" (sweet pie), and various types of cheeses and dairy products from the region.

Saint Constantine

The mountain resort "St. Constantin" was established in 1901 by decree of Tsar Ferdinand. It is located 18 km. west of the town of Peshtera at 1350 m. above sea level. Today, the resort has many holiday resorts, hotels, and over 1300 private villas. It creates wonderful opportunities for winter sports with the built ski lifts and ski slopes, and the nearby Batak Dam provides excellent conditions for summer beach and fishing, favoring the development of sports and recreational tourism.