[2] The river takes its source at an altitude of 1,550 m in the Pamporovo ski resort in the western Rhodope mountain range.

Downstream it enters the Upper Thracian Plain, where the riverbed becomes wide and sandy, with irrigations canals diverting from it.

[5] A few kilometers upstream from the fortress is Bachkovo Monastery, one of the largest and most important spiritual sites in the country.

[6] The right banks of the river form the western boundary of Chervenata Stena, one of the most important nature reserves in the Rhodope Mountains, which protects numerous rare and endemic species among dramatic scenery.

The Chepelarska reka springs on the territory of Pamporovo, which is among the three top ski resorts in Bulgaria and the largest one in the Rhodope Mountains.