As you know at the end of the week we always suggest a good hotel for the weekend break. And quite often the hotel happens to be in the wonderful Rhodope mountains.Well, we can't help it. The mountains and nature are magnificent, and there are so many beautiful and romantic hotels worth visiting....

Did you know that 90% of the hotels awarded the „Authentic Bulgaria“ quality mark are found in the Rhodope Mountains.

Have you ever been told the legend of the mythical Tracian singer Orpheus?

He played the lyre so beautifully that wild beast stood silent and listened to the magical sound.

You might be wondering what does Orpheus have to do with our Saturday article? The place we are about to describe here is filled with poetry and mystery...If you go there you are bound to discover the beauty that inspired Orpheus's music.

This week we present to your attention Gela Hotel, situated in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains, at 1,500 meters above sea level, in the village of Gela. A beautiful vilage situated below the mounts Golyam Pernik, Orpheus and Turlata.

The village is just 6 km away from Shiroka Laka, 18 km from Pamporovo, and 30 km from Smolyan – all places we have presented in our Saturday articles.

The village is more than 3300 years old, and is considered one of the birthplaces of European Civilization. The richest members of the Tracian tribe Besi used to live in the village in ancient times. You can visit the Tracian Gradishte Fortress just 5 km south of the village. During the days of the Roman Empire, the fortress served as an importnat cultural, commercial, and defence center. There used to be another fortress on Mount Turlata, but nowadays only remains are left on the site.

Tourists can also see numerous remains of Roman roads, which once upon a time connected Aegean cities with the Tracian valley.

Apart from its historical past, the village is also famous as a health center due to the fresh mountain air and winds coming from the Aegean Sea.

With its 280 days of sunshine, Gela is one of the sunniest places in Europe.Maybe that's why the fifth astronomical observatory in Europe and the biggest one on the Balkans – The Observatory Of Rojen, was built there.

Although the region has been populated for thousands of years, there are still wild places there, untouched by humans. The place is somewhat of a small nature reserve with rare animals and plants. This is the only place where you can find the symbol of the Rhodope Mountains – Orpheus's flower (Heberlea rhodopaensis). It is uniquely endemic, even after picked and kept in a drawer for a long time, it can be brought back to life if planted again.

After that lyrical deviation, let's talk about the hotel rates. 45 leva per person for a regular double room, and 60 leva per person for a suite. The price includes gym, sauna, spa center pass, insurance and more.