Chairite protected area – Western Rhodopi

Chairite is a protected area situated in the Western Rhodopi mountain. It is located some 1600 above sea level, about 20 km away from the village of Trigrad. Some of the most interesting places in the area are the “Piana gora” (Drunken forest) natural phenomenon, and the seven Chairi lakes, which were formed in the Quaternary. The lakes are astonishingly beautiful, with their crystal-clear water and stocks of mountain trout. They are surrounded by over 2000 decares of meadows, which is where the name of the area came from (the word “chair” means “meadow” in Turkish language). One of the lakes, folded in mists and fumes, surrounded by queerly-shaped trees, is called the Magic lake. According to the local legend, it is inhabited by wood-nymphs, who, with their magical songs and enchanting dances, tempt and bewitch shepherds, roaming through the nearby meadows.