Über Bulgarien
Shiroka laka
Village of Shiroka laka is declared an architectural and ethnographic reserve with a population of about 850. It lies 24 km northwest of Smolyan. The village is located at the foot of the northeast sides of the West Rhodope Mountain, and the southwest slopes of Chernatitsa. The name of the village has an Old Bulgarian derivation and means a wide place around the river. The houses are amphitheatrically located on the two banks of the Shirokolashka river.
Shiroka laka is known not only for its old Bulgarian architecture, but also for its singing tradition and the kaba gaida, a local type of bagpipe. Some of the most prominent singers of Rhodopean music stem from the village, and many of the local families are well familiar with the style. A secondary school for folklore songs and instruments was founded in 1972. Shiroka laka is an ideal place for eco tourism with its magnificent nature, hotels and private lodgings.
Village of Shiroka laka is declared an architectural and ethnographic reserve with a population of about 850. It lies 24 km northwest of Smolyan. The village is located at the foot of the northeast sides of the West Rhodope Mountain, and the southwest slopes of Chernatitsa. The name of the village has an Old Bulgarian derivation and means a wide place around the river. The houses are amphitheatrically located on the two banks of the Shirokolashka river.
Shiroka laka is known not only for its old Bulgarian architecture, but also for its singing tradition and the kaba gaida, a local type of bagpipe. Some of the most prominent singers of Rhodopean music stem from the village, and many of the local families are well familiar with the style. A secondary school for folklore songs and instruments was founded in 1972. Shiroka laka is an ideal place for eco tourism with its magnificent nature, hotels and private lodgings.
