Bulgarian Regions
Bulgarian Regions
Blagoevgrad region - It is the third largest in Bulgaria after Burgas and Sofia districts and comprises 5.8 % of the country’s territory. The region includes the mountains, or parts of, Rila (highest point on the Balkan Peninsula –Musala summit, 2925 m), Pirin, Ograzhden, Vlahinska, Rodopi, and Belasitza. There are two major rivers – Struma and Mesta, with population concentrations along their valleys. The beautiful and preserved environment is widely considered an important resource. A number of national parks and protected territories care for the biodiversity.
Places of Interest - Blagoevgrad, Bansko, Melnik, Rila Monastery, Sandanski, Petrich.
Bourgas region - The Bourgas region is one of the most developed regions in the Republic of Bulgaria. It is the second largest in area (next to the Sofia region) and the fourth populated region of the country.
Places of Interest - The Black Sea on the one hand and the southern part of the region, which is occupied by the low bordermountains - Strandja, Dervenski Hills and Sakar mountain, on the other hand, are attractive for many tourists every year. Another interesting touristic sights are the Ropotamo river and Arkutino reserve. The biggest tourist complex is Sunny beach, and the modern holiday villages are Elenite and Duni.
Dobrich region - Places of interest - Balchik, Kavarna, Dobrich.
Gabrovo region - The town of Gabrovo is situated in Northern Bulgaria, along the River Yantra, in the north Sredna Stara Planina mountain spur, 392 m above sea-level. Gabrovo is 220 km north-east from the city of Sofia. In the immediate vicinity of Gabrovo is the geographical centre of Bulgaria. Because of its locality the town is a busy road junction. There are a lot of roads leading from Gabrovo to the other towns and municipalities in Northern and Southern Bulgaria. The nearest airport is in the town of Gorna Oryahovitsa (60 km). The nearest river port is in the town of Rousse (160 km). The nearest sea port is in the town of Bourgas (230 km).
Places of Interest - Gabrovo, Etura, Bojenci.
Haskovo region - Haskovo municipality is located in the central part of Southern Bulgaria and occupies the most western part of Haskovo county. It is located on a territory of 737 square meters, which is 13% of the territory of Haskovo county. Its geographic location is extremely favorable and important.
Places of Interest - Haskovo, Dimitrovgrad, Harmanly, Svilengrad.
Kardzhali region - Places of Interest - Kardjali, Momchilgrad, Ivailovgrad
Kystendil region - Kyustendil is situated in the southern part of the Kyustendil Valley, 90 km south-west of Sofia. Kyustendil is a national balneological resort at an altitude of 500 m. The town has a population of 54 000. The ancient name of the town Pautalia (a town of springs) is Thracian. The fortress was built by the Romans. Therms, basilicas, floor mosaics have been uncovered. In the 11th C. the town, known as Velbuzhd, after the name of its heir, Konstantin Velbuzhd, became a major religious and administrative centre. About 1355 Velbuzhd and its region were included in the semi-independent feudal Velbuzhd principality of Despot Deyan. Places of Interest - Kustendil, Sapareva Bania, Rila.
Lovech region - Lovech municipality is situated in the middle part of the Danube hilly plain (lower lay-by of Osam river), it includes the most northern spur of the middle parts of Fore-Balkan to the south, crosses Devetashko plateau and part of Lovech high lands to the east, the eastern part of Begleshko-Radyuvenski plain and a hilly region to the west.
Places of Interest - Lovech, Teteven, Troyan, Aprilci.
Montana region - Montana is the centre of the administrative region. It is situated in northwestern Bulgaria along the Ogosta River. The town originates from the old Roman stronghold Castra ad Montanezium (a stronghold in the mountain), known also as Montana. The labor tools, ornaments, coins etc. found there reveal a long life of the village that was initially established on Calebair Hill on the left side of the river. It is from here that a blazing spring started and is now an integral factor for the town. The passing roads played a great role in the development of the town.
Places of Interest - Montana, Lom, Berkovica
Pazardhzik region - Municipality of Pazardjik is situated in South Bulgaria, in the central part of the Higher Thrace valley, on the north of the Rhodope mountain, at the two banks of river Maritsa. The municipality borders on seven municipalities of district Pazardjik, including: municipality Strelcha, Panagyurishte, Lesichevo, Septemvri, Rakitovo, Peshtera and Bratsigovo; also on four municipalities from Plovdiv district - Saedinenie, Stamboliyski, Maritsa, Rhodopi.
Places of Interest - Pazardjik, Koprivstica, Velingrad, Batak, Panagiurishte, Pestera, Belovo.
Pernik region - The town of Pernik is situated in a picturesque hollow in the western part of Middle Bulgaria. The total area of the hollow field is about 157 sq. km , it is 22 km long, extending in the southeast- northwest direction. Its narrowest part is about 4 km long. The hollow is between 700 and 850 m above the sea level. It is surrounded by the mountains of Golo Burdo, on the south, Vitosha, on the east and Liulin, on the north-east.
Places of Interest - Pernik, Bankja, Radomir.
Pleven region - Pleven is located in the very heart of Miziya, in the agricultural region, surrounded by low limestone hills. Its central location in Northern Bulgaria defines its importance as a big administrative, economic, political, cultural and transport centre. The town is located 170 km from the capital town of Sofia, at 320 km from the Black sea coast, at 50 km from the Danube river, at 130 km from the Danube bridge and at about 70 km from the Balkan. Pleven municipality manages 816.3 sq.m. territory, 580 000 decares of which - land under cultivation.
Places of Interest - Pleven.
Plovdiv region - Plovdiv is center of the Plovdiv Region whose area is six thousand square kilometers. This is 5,4 % of the total territory of Bulgaria. The region comprises the central part of South Bulgaria and is divided into 16 municipalities. There are 730 thousand people living in Plovdiv Region, which is 9 % of the population of Bulgaria. The proportion of the town-village population is 71,2:28,8 - a high urbanization ratio.
Places of Interest - Plovdiv, Asenovgrad, Hisarya, Kalofer, Karlovo.
Razgrad region - The Razgrad municipality is situated along the valley of the Beli Lom River in the direction southeast - northwest, 60 km away from Rousse, 130 km away from Varna, 55 km away from Shoumen and 36 km away from Targovishte.
Places of Interest - Razgrad.
Rousse region - Rousse is the largest Bulgarian city on the Danube river. It is situated in the north-eastern part of Bulgaria, 300 km far from the national’s capital Sofia. Rouse’s rich historical past shows that the Danube river was the basis of existence. From it’s foundation up to now, in spite of the names the town had through 19 centuries, it was a Danube harbor.
Places of Interest - Rousse, Bjala.
Shoumen region - The Municipality of Shoumen is situated in the central part of Northeastern Bulgaria. The town is an administrative center of the Shoumen region. The Municipality is the tenth largest Bulgarian municipality. It is located in the central part of northeast Bulgaria on the main roadways Sofia-Varna and Ruse-Burgas-Istanbul.
Places of Interest - Shoumen.
Silistra region - Silistra is a lovely, tranquil and picturesque city on the bank terraces where the river leaves Bulgarian territory. The hills afford a lovely view of the city, the river with the islands, the Romanian bank across and the vast Wallachian plain beyond. This small area is a horn of plenty. It is Bulgaria's biggest apricot orchard. The warm current along the river creates a microclimate owing to which cherries ripen earlier than in Plovdiv or Petrich, a town in the south. Places of interest - Silistra.
Sliven region - Sliven municipality is situated in the south-eastern region of Bulgaria and covers 1367 sq.km. It borders on Yambol municipality to the south, Bourgas district to the east, Kotel municipality to the north, Tvarditsa municipality to the west and on Nova Zagora municipality to the southwest. This interesting location has been estimated as favorable for the economy development of the municipality. It depends on the integration of Sliven municipality with the neighboring districts and municipalities for sharing resources and potentialities for development.
Places of Interest - Sliven.
Smolyan region - The Smolyan municipality is situated in the central part of the Rhodope Mountains upon a territory of 879 sq. m, 67% of which are covered with age-old coniferous forests. The Town of Smolyan (altitude above sea level between 800 and 1000 m) occupies the larger part of the valley extension of the Cherna River, known as the Smolyan Hollow. The town is surrounded with green meadows and age-old forests. The three large districts - Smolyan, Raikovo and Oystovo - are situated along the two river banks in the west-east direction. The mountain town combines modern construction with traditional Rhodope architecture.
Places of Interest - Smolyan, Devin, Dospat, Pamporovo, Chepelare, Shiroka Laka.
Stara Zagora region - Places of Interest - Stara Zagora, Shipka, Pavel Banja.
Targovishte region - Places of Interest - Targoviste, Omourtag, Popovo.
Varna region - The biggest city at the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, Varna is situated 470 km east of Sofia. In the course of more than 7 millennia, the Gulf of Varna has been the cradle of several significant civilizations - humankind's oldest gold was excavated in Varna, created by people who inhabited that place around the 4th millennium BC and long before the Thracians, Greeks, Bulgarians and Turks. The third largest city, Varna, after Sofia and Plovdiv is Bulgaria's most animated metropolis and it rivals Sofia and Plovdiv in providing a wide range of sights and museums. The outstanding treasures of the Archeological Museum include the Chalcolithic necropolis with the oldest examples of gold jewelry ever discovered, and impressive Greek, Thracian and Bulgarian artifacts. Of particular interest are the National Revival Museum, the Ethnographic and City Historical Museum, the Art Gallery, the Navy Museum and the Aquarium, the Natural History Museum, the Zoo and the Dolphinarium, the Sea Gardens. Of more historical value are 17th century Cathedral of the Holy Mother, the Church of St Atanas, the 2 century Roman thermae. As well as being a beach resort in its own right, Varna offers access to the first-class resorts of Sveti Konstantin, Sunny Day, Golden Sands and Albena, the natural reserve at Kamchiya, the rock monastery of Aladja.
Places of Interest - Varna.
Veliko Tarnovo region - Places of Interest - Veliko Tarnovo.
Vidin region - The Vidin district is located in the northwestern part of Bulgaria and covers a territory of 3,022 square kilometers, which is 2.7% of the country’s total.
To the north it borders the Danube and is naturally connected to Romania and the other Danubian countries. To the west its border tallies with the Bulgarian - Serbian boundary. To the east it neighbors the Montana district and to the south it is surrounded by the Balkan Mountains.
Places of Interest - Belogradchik, Vidin.
Vratza region - Places of Interest - Vratza.
Yambol region - Places of Interest - Yambol, Straldja, Elhovo.