The town of Belitsa is situated in the heart of the Rila-Rhodope mountain range. It is surrounded by ancient forests in a place where three magical Bulgarian mountains (Rila, Pirin and the Rhodopes) meet. The town is an administrative center of Belitsa municipality with a population of nearly 11,000 people.

Today, Belitsa is a popular tourist destination. The town attracts many fans of eco and hobby tourism due to its wonderful and well-preserved nature and developed tourist infrastructure. Six marked tourist pathways, two of which enter Rila National Park, cross different ecosystems, plant and animal habitats.

The landscape of Belitsa municipality strikes human imagination with its high mountain summits which soar at an altitude of 2,500 meters above sea level. The area captivates tourists with the beauty of the crystal clear glacial lakes and the wonderful atmosphere of the deeply indented river valleys covered with vast coniferous forests. The popular Dancing Bears Park is situated some twelve kilometers away from the town of Belitsa in Andrianov Chark Area. The park hosts former dancing bears which were held in captivity in Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania and later rescued by volunteers of Four Paws animal protection organization. Thousands of tourists visit the park in the summer, Belitsa mayor Radoslav Revanski told Radio Bulgaria.

The territory of Belitsa municipality is rich in ancient cultural monuments, Thracian sanctuaries, consecrated grounds, churches and remains of a Thracian settlement. The exhibits of the Historical Museum in Belitsa, situated in the town center, are evidence of the rich historical past of this municipality.

Most of the settlements of Belitsa municipality are scattered across the high part of the Western Rhodopes. This area was recognized as an area of world significance and included in the list of Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World Wildlife Fund. The rapid development of tourism in Belitsa Municipality is due to the exceptional natural resources.

Many hotel chains were built in Belitsa and the nearby mountain resort complex Semkovo situated 17 kilometers away from the town amidst wide meadows surrounded by spruce and pine forests. The position and climate conditions of the area are perfect for short and long vacations, winter tourism and winter sports. In the summer Semkovo resort offers good opportunities for route-cognitive and eco- tourism. We want to develop Belitsa as year-round resort, Belita Mayor Radoslav Revanski specifies.

This year the Belitsa-Semkovo winter holiday gathered hundreds of people in the picturesque area. A series of sports events such as ski slalom, mini football, tug of war (role pulling contest), sack race, chess tournaments, bridge and table tennis are held during the Belitsa-Semkovo winter holiday. A folklore concert of local groups and guest groups from Macedonia is also held.

The local population grows mainly tobacco. They also breed sheep and cattle. The local economy consists mainly of small factories and plants.

Woodworking is very developed in this area. There are many sewing factories as well. Belitsa is not far from the popular Bulgarian ski resort Bansko and many people work in the tourism sector in the winter. Many people work in Semkovo resort as well, Belitsa Mayor Radoslav Revanski specified and added that unemployment level in Belitsa Municipality is highest in the whole district, but the local authorities are doing their best to create new jobs. We use all types of employment programmes and are trying to create business conditions and encourage entrepreneurship in our municipality, Mayor Radoslav Revanski went on to say

In the summer season many tourists are attracted by the coolness of the local public laundries (valyavitsa) built near the local rivers. The public laundry is merely a wooden wash-tub with crevices which storms the river water. These places are ethnographic landmarks. They were made by crafty woodworkers from Belitsa, because carpentry was once very developed in this area. Tourists can see even nowadays the colorful local rugs washed and hung out on wooden railings.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov