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Samuil's Fortress in Klyuch Village is a place of a great tragedy in the Bulgarian history - Blinding of 14,000 disarmed soldiers on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II. The tragic events of 1014 remain in the memory of the population in the region and gradually give rise to many legends. Related to the battle of Klyuch are some names of places near Petrich - Ochevad, Chukalitsa, Smardeshnitsa and others.

Findings from archaeological excavations indicate that the hill where the fort was located, was inhabited already in III - I century BC by the Thracian tribe medi. The settlement on the hill marked its zenith in the IX - X century when it was densely populated and was probably burned in one of the numerous wars between Bulgaria and Byzantium during the reign of Basil II or his predecessors. Because of the constant attacks of the Byzantines, Tsar Samuil built defense system, 8 km long - from Belasitsa to Ograzhden and raised on the hill a fortress, protected by three shafts and two pits.

On October 23, 1982, with great solemnity, has opened national park-museum "Samuil's Fortress." Most notable for tourists is the rising bronze statue of Tsar Samuil, the work of artist Boris Gondov. The composition is atypical for such a monument - Tsar Samuil is kneeling in front of his blinded warriors. As historical sources say, he failed to overcome the shock of the sight and died of a heart attack. On both sides are depicted reliefs of his soldiers. Next to the monument is a museum exhibition, where you can see the artifacts found in archaeological excavations of the fortress: two marble slabs with engravings, jewelry, tools, arrows, pottery and more.

Alley takes to the place of the earlier settlement near the castle and the four pillars with a height of 25 meters, built on stone foundations of the former fortified tower.

Near Samuil’s fortress is Rupite. The village is located 8 km from Petrich. 2 km of it is the volcanic hill Kozhuh - an extinct volcano. There are several mineral springs known for their healing qualities. Near the village you can find ruins of one of the largest Roman cities in the valley of the Struma River, lasted from IV century BC to the VI century AD. In 2002, a plate is found with Latin inscriptions dated to 308 AD, which indicates that near the present-day village was located the city of Heracleia Sintika.

However Rupite is known primarily as the birthplace of the legendary prophet Vanga Gushterova - Vanga. Even skeptics have no logical explanation for the gift of Vanga, who in her life has repeatedly demonstrated it in front of thousands of people who specifically visited her house in Rupite. Vanga was a phenomenon known in Bulgaria and the world, but no scientist managed to determine how she was able to make her prophecies.

In Rupite in 1992 at the initiative of Vanga was built the church "St. Petka of Bulgaria", which soon became a place of pilgrimage for thousands of suffering and faithful people. The murals were painted by the artist Svetlin Rusev, a close friend of the prophet.