Byalo Kale (White Citadel)
The White Citadel is one of the most mysterious medieval strongholds of the Rhodopes, situated at the foot of the northern slopes of Kodzaele. It was built upon the steep rocky slope of Byala Reka (White River), and encircles the whole peak with a wall. A tower rises in the center of the stronghold, obviously once the main building. Its height is 8 m, its length – 11 m, its width – 9 m, and the wall is made of plaster with a thickness of 1.6 m. This stronghold had a major significance for the Eastern Rhodopes – it guarded the way towards Eastern Trakia. Coins from the time of Alexander the Great were found here during archaeological researches, as well as gold medieval coins.
There are some picturesque villages around the stronghold. Most of them are uninhabited today. Their architecture is original, characteristic only for the region.
Byala Reka (White River) flows at the foot of the stronghold, forming a number of meanders. This area is one of the richest in birds’ kinds in the Rhodopi Mountains.