With the symbolic first kopka on 5 July starts realization of tourist Sports Center Chepelare "at the foot of Mechi Chal peak of 1,873 meters altitude Long planned project is of strategic importance for the conversion of the municipality in developed international Chepelare mountain resort for winter and summer tourism.

"This is the first real start public-private project for sport-tourism centre which will be implemented through the joint efforts of the municipality, businesses and owners of forest land, said Minister of Transport Petar Mutafchiev, who started the project. With its construction chepelartsi have a chance to gain a modern sport-tourism infrastructure in the preservation of the unique nature of the Middle Sea. "

WTC "Chepelare" will be implemented by public-private entity "Chepelare resort AD, in which shareholders are the municipality and the Rhodope initiative AD. The implementation of the project is the territory of gorovladelska cooperative "Forest", whose owners fully support the investment initiative. In 2006, is an established General structural plan of the mountain resort Chepelare. Development, courtesy of team manager prof. Arch. Vesselina Troeva, multi-annual development of rodopchani idea to connect the ski slopes below the peak Mechi Chal with those of the resort of Pamporovo, in a close perspective and the WTC "Perelik".

The project will be implemented in three phases

for a period of 5 years. The total value of the investments expected to exceed 50 million, with over 15 million will be invested in sports infrastructure. In the final phase is planned to open 25 km runs for alpine skiing, runs for 15 kilometers cross-country skiing and biathlon, and numerous sports facilities for summer and winter tourism. There are several sports rings, one of which will be on top Mechi Chal. They will not be built hotel facilities are explicit investors.

The first stage is planned by the end of 2008 for the forthcoming winter season will be run by a new lift chetirisedalkov otkachvashti be Guzzini seats of a French company Pomagalski. The facility will replace the old dvusedalkov lift, functioning since 1984 It will be a capacity 2000 people per hour and length 2700 m, and only 9 minutes will izkachva skiers and tourists from home liftena station at peak Mechi Chal. It is installing a system of artificial snow on the main runway "Mechi Chal 1, which has a length of 3.3 km. With the purchase of two more machines snegoutapkvashti "Laytner will ensure perfect maintenance of all ski slopes. For the first time in Bulgaria in WTC "Chepelare, will be fitted with a special system for tolerance of tourists to lift developed by the Austrian company Access.

The planned investment in the first stage is 8 million, as of them over 1 million will be invested in the system of artificial snow. Chief executive of the works is "Ponsstroy Engineering.

The second stage will be implemented in the period 2009 - 2011 it provides a

Sportswear nucleus near Chepelare

and second lift longer than 3 km, connecting the sports facilities with peak "Mechi Chal.

During the third stage will continue building a summer sports-entertainment facilities in the sports centre which will be located on the very peak Mechi Chal, to Chaya river. There are facilities and intermediate station around the piste for biathlon. Until the city provides the design and construction of small modern holiday village.

The construction of the mountain resort will promote the renewal and upgrading of technical and transport infrastructure of Chepelare, and stressed the mayor Georgi Popov. As a home will begin construction of a parking lot lower lift station and complete the obhodniya time Chepelare, who will assume increased tourist traffic. The Municipality will launch and implementation of a project for a modern aesthetic design of the main commercial street of the town as well as infrastructure renewal of the villages in the municipality for the purpose of development of alternative tourism. Chepelare municipality located in the central part of the Rhodopes, upstream of the river Chepelarska, at an average altitude 1150 meters and 375 sq. km area It is located 230 km from the capital Sofia, 80 km from Plovdiv and 10 km from the resort of Pamporovo. The population of the municipality is 8530 people living in the town of Chepelare, Pamporovo resort complex and villages Bogutevo, Zabardo, Zornitsa, Lilekovo, Malevo, Orehovo, Ostritsa, Pavelsko, Progled and Khvoyna.

Vital for the development of the Rhodope region as a first class tourist destination is the modernization of airport Plovdiv and etapnoto rehabilitirane and doubling the main road in the Rhodope Mountains - II-86 Plovdiv - Assenovgrad - Chepelare - Smolyan - Rudozem.

For the investor "Chepelare resort"

In public-private entity "Chepelare resort AD shareholders Chepelare municipality with 49%, and Rhodope initiative AD by 51%. With equal shares in the Rhodope initiative "participate" Orion ski AD - producer of the Austrian stamp for ski equipment "Atomic", "Rodopi Home Ltd. - owner of the same four-star hotel in Chepelare opened in 2006, and Environmental products Ltd. - a supplier of components for infrastructure.