The Rozhen Observatory and Festival
Visible for miles around, the lofty white dome of Rozhen Observatory contains a mammoth optical telescope manufactured at the Zeiss works in East Germany, which has scanned the cosmos since the 1970s. The site was chosen because of the clear skies and absence of background light; besides the main telescope, there are three smaller ones on other hilltops. As they only work at night, people who take the trouble to fix a visit (Thurs 2-4pm; tel 03021/356 or 357) are denied the thrill of stargazing but may still enjoy the telescope and its vintage early 1960s computer hardware, which are mainly used for checking astronomical maps. The Rozhen peak near the observatory is the setting for the largest folklore festival in the Rhodopes - the Rozhenski Sabor - where almost every village is represented by dancers, singers or musicians. It's usually held on the last weekend in August, but check with the tourist office in Smolyan to be sure. One or two buses a day from Plovdiv cross the Rozhen Pass en route to Smolyan (and vice versa), running past the slip road to the observatory, or you can walk here from Progled in an hour cross-country (or a couple of hours along the road).
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