Baluk Dere Fortress is a medieval fortress situated northwest of the village of Slaveevo. The fortress was built directly over the Arda River.
Baluk Dere Fortress History
The Slaveevo fortress is assumed to be part of a fortification system, situated along the Arda River.
During antiquity, one of the main roads leading from the Edirne plain towards the interior of the Rhodopes passed along its river bed.
The fortress most probably was built during the Late Antique Epoch as a part of the so-called Limes Rodopica, built by Emperor Justinian I (527-565) to protect the Byzantium Empire from the barbaric invasions, which became regular during the epoch of the great migration of peoples.
The Baluk Dere Fortress is situated on the plateau of a ridge, orientated southwest-northeast. The ridge is surrounded by steep slopes on the north and south sides. The fortress walls follow the configuration of the terrain. The north wall is partly preserved, and the south wall is in better condition, preserved up to six meters high.
The angles of the fortress are rounded. Piles of stone (most probably traces of buildings) can be seen in the interior of the fortress. In the center of the ridge, there is a huge rectangular building orientated north-south with walls of 15×25m in length. The building was built of local stones without soldering.
The Medieval Fortress of Slaveevo is one of the best preserved in the Eastern Rhodopes.
Get help with directions using the map provided below.