Vishevgrad Fortress

Vishegrad Fortress, on a high summit near Kardzhali, is thought to date from the fourth–first century. Covering a small area of 562 square metres, it is a medieval feudal castle protecting the branch of the road from Adrianople to Philippopolis in the Varbitsa River valley. The name Vishegrad is Slavic and means "high town". The fortress is accessible and convenient to visit via a dirt road.
The Thracian fortress, thought to have existed in the "period between the Bronze and Early Iron Ages", was inhabited by early Europeans associated with the "epic Migration of Peoples at the transition from the Bronze Age". Inside, excavations reveal the floors of sunken dwellings, oven foundations, quern stones, clay vessels, iron tools and weapons, with material from the transition between the Bronze and Early Iron Ages.
A thick wall protects the fortress to the east, south and west, while an arcing wall defends the north. During excavations in 1971–1974, the wall, approximately two metres thick and one metre high, was cleared. The entrance is at the eastern end.
The medieval fortress has visual contact with the fortress at an elevation of 586.7 m across the river, as well as with the fortress of the Kardzhali Monastery. It has been suggested that Kardzhali's origins lie in Vishegrad Fortress, linked with the town and monastery.
Seventeen Thracian burial mounds have been found approximately 150 m southwest of Vishegrad village. These mounds reveal the surrounding area's historical heritage, although some have suffered damage during digging.