Kardzhli dam, along with Ivaylovgrad dam and Student Kladenets dam are the three biggest ones that accumulate the Arda River and its tributaries.
It is situated northwest of Kardzhali. The dam is three kilometres away from the city. The building of the dam wall took place in the period from 1957 to 1963. It has the shape of an arch and is made of concrete. It rises 103.5 meters above the ground, and the total volume of the reservoir pool is 497.2 million cubic meters.In size it is second, and in shape, design and implementation is the only one on the Balkan Peninsula. It is one of the few dam walls in the world towering over a city.
The noted Kardzhali dam is among the most attractive tourist attractions in the area of the Arda River. It forms beautiful bays and peninsulas, overlooked by steep slopes and dotted with amazing rock formations.
Fishing here is available for fishermen across the country. Each season has its charm, and wonderful nature creates conditions not only for recreation but also for aesthetic enjoyment. The waters of Kardzhali dam are inhabited by trout, sturgeon, catfish, perch, carp, chub, perch, rudd, bleak etc. You can catch the fish of your life - statistics remembers giant carp and trophy size catfish ,whose weight exceeds 100 kg.
In summer, the dam serves as a means of recreation for both residents of, and visitors to, Kardzhali.It is a popular place among fans of water sports. Hotels, open-air restaurants and summer houses are built in proximity.