Rhodopes

Code Red warning for heavy rain was declared in three Bulgarian districts - Smolyan, Kardzhali and Haskovo, Saturday.

The situation in the Smolyan village of Banite is critical because of a flooding and landslides, the center of the town of Haskovo is under water, Nova TV reports. At some places the rainfall has reached 90 liters per square meter.

More than 100 graves showing skeletons with stakes through the hearts and mutilated bones have been uncovered in a 7000-year-old town in Bulgaria, the Daily Beast reports.

The archaeological dig at the Perperikon complex in south eastern Bulgaria got extra funding and will hire another 30 people, reports Vesti.bg.

The head of the expedition Nikolai Ovcharov told journalists that the extra BGN 80 000 funding from the Kurdzhali municipality expands the total sum for this year to BGN 150 000. 

After a one-year intermission, Beglika Fest will be held for the sixth time on the shores of the Golyam Beglik dam in Bulgaria's Rhodope mountains, August 21-24. 

The festival, which includes avant-garde and ethnic music, stage performances, workshops, exhibitions, open discussions, lectures, art installations, sports events, has become a favourite for “those who think differently”. 

The archaeological excavations of the Thracian city of Perperikon, located in Bulgaria's Eastern Rhodopes will start on August 4, professor Nikolay Ovcharov announced.

Ovcharov, who heads the research team, stated that this year the State has allocated BGN 80 thousand for the excavations at Perperikon, while the needed funding amounts to BGN 200 thousand.

An international expedition will seek signs left by an ancient civilization in the prehistoric sanctuaries of Belintash, Tatul and Harman Kaya in Bulgaria's Rhodope mountains.

This initiative is supported by the Credo Bonum foundation, Bulgarian Telegraph Agency informs.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Environment and Waters has warned on Monday of possible sudden local floods in the next few days.

Based on the current meteorological situation, the levels of the rivers Arda, Maritsa and Tundzha are expected to go up on Monday and Tuesday.

Waters may rise due to the controlled drainage of micro-dams, the press center of the Environment Ministry informs.

Despite the snowless winter, Bulgaria's Pamporovo ski resort registered a 10% growth in the number of tourists at the end of the season, according to data of Pamporovo AD.

Marian Belyakov, CEO of Pamporovo AD, explained in an interview for the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) that the resort had registered yet another successful winter season.

Winter has partially returned to some parts of Bulgaria, with snowfall in regions of higher altitude.

The ski season in the Rhodope resort Pamporovo will end around the middle of April, said the head of the Rhodope tourist association Pantelevi Memtsov. 

According to him there are few tourists in the resort right now, but the upcoming spring break will most likely will fill it with families with children.