Asen's Fortress

The ruins of a medieval fortress are located on a high rock ridge in the Rhodope Mountains, on the Czepełarska reka River. They were built at an altitude of 279 meters above sea level. The foundations and remains of the defensive walls and the tower have survived to this day. There is also a well-preserved fortified church from the 12th-13th centuries.

The earliest archaeological finds come from the Thracian period, with the first written records of the fortress dating back to the 11th century. The fortress was renovated in the 13th century during the reign of the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen II, from whom it is named. This is evidenced by the inscription carved on the wall. At that time, defensive walls that were 12 m high and 3 m wide. The fortress was conquered and destroyed by the Ottoman army in 1410.