Overview

Monyak Fortress is located 11 km east of the town of Kardzhali, near the village of Shiroko Pole. The fortress is located in the Rhodopes, at 586 m above sea level. It was built in the XII - XIII century and is one of the highest and largest medieval fortresses in the Rhodopes, with a protected area of ​​over 50 acres. Access to it is difficult because the terrain is steep, in some places almost vertical.
In the past, the fortress had an important strategic function, as it guarded the Iron Gate Passage and the approaches to the medieval town, located around the monastery "St. John Prodrom", located in the present town of Kardzhali.
In 1206 the fortress was besieged by the Latins during the Fourth Crusade. It was here that Henry (brother of the late Baldwin of Flanders) was crowned the second and last emperor of the Latin Empire.
Once you reach the fortress, before the eyes of tourists is an incredible view of the dam "Studen Kladenets" and the town of Kardzhali. The experience is worth the difficult climb.
How to get to Monyak
It starts from the village of Shiroko Pole. At the beginning of the village you take the old road to the right. It has dug asphalt and has not been maintained for years, but you can drive on it without any problems. When you reach a meadow with a fountain, the road forks in two. Take the left and reach a small parking lot with a sign for the fortress. Here the road splits in two again and you take the left slope up through a pine forest. It is possible to continue to some extent by off-road vehicle, but one part certainly has to be walked. The distance from the parking lot to the plateau is about 3 km.