Velingrad

Velingrad is a town in southern Bulgaria, in the Pazardzhik region and is the second largest in the region after the district of Pazardzhik. The town was established in 1948 with the merging of Ladzhene, Kamenitza and Chepino villages and since 1977 has become a municipal center. It is one of the largest spa resorts in Bulgaria and is known as the "SPA capital of the Balkans". The Velingrad geothermal field is the largest in southern Bulgaria. The sum of the springs is 160 l/s. Mineral springs (80 in total), mild climate and beautiful scenery are the great wealth of the city. Among the most remarkable, romantic and mysterious places of Velingrad is the spring Kleptuza, and the park with its two lakes is one of the symbols of the town. It is located in Chepino quarter, which is one of the three thermal zones in Velingrad. Much of the spring water is used for drinking; The other part supplies two beautiful lakes, which then flow into the Chepinska river and from it into Maritsa and the Aegean Sea. This natural phenomenon rises at the base of a vertical marble rock covered with green moss. Depending on the season, the amount of rainfall on the surface rises to 1180 l / s, with an average flow of 570 liters of ice cold water. The name of the lake comes from Greek and means "hiding in a secret place" and is probably related to the unexpected occurrence of spring waters, as if they were locked in the underground karst and suddenly were unleashed. According to legends and traditions, Orpheus once lived in this beautiful miracle of nature. The park was built with its own resources from the former village municipality of Chepino - Banya, the first lake was established in 1933. (Source: bg.wikipedia.org)