Burgas region
The town of Burgas is situated on the coast of the Black Sea in Burgas Bay.
At the beginning of the 21st century Burgas is a municipal and regional center as well as the fourth biggest town in Bulgaria with a population of about 226 000 inhabitants. According to the economic indicators the Municipality of Burgas is second among the other Bulgarian municipalities. Burgas is an important industrial, commercial, transport and tourist center. Nowadays the city has great economic potential.
Burgas has the biggest port in the country with the only petrol terminal south to the Balkan mountain. The railway and road networks are well developed. The airport has the best atmospheric conditions on the Balkan peninsula and is the only airport to accept supersonic airplanes. Since 1989 Burgas has been known as a Duty Free Zone.
Thanks to the sea, the industrial activities (chemistry, machine-building, transport) and the small distance between Burgas and the other big cities in Bulgaria and the capital (which doesn’t make the city of Burgas a satellite city), Burgas has its own spiritual and cultural atmosphere. It is a big educational, scientific and arts centre.
Burgas is the center of the tourism industry on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast. It is also a starting point for visiting the Black Sea summer resorts and vacation villages around the city – Sunny Beach, Elenite, Dunes, the towns – museums Nessebar and Sozopol, the Ropotamo reserve, the Strandzha nature park.
Burgas and its region are offering a rich variety of opportunities. To the north of Burgas 120 km away is Varna – the other big sea town in Bulgaria. It takes about two hours by car or bus to reach Varna. It will take you only half an hour to go to Sunny Beach – one of the most famous summer resorts in Bulgaria, and to the vacation village “Elenite”. In the same direction is the old town of Nessebar – a town-museum which has kept the ruins of the ancient Roman town Messemvria. To the south of Burgas there are also many summer resorts and vacation villages – Chernomorez, Primorsko, Kiten, Lozenez, Tsarevo, Ahtopol. In the same direction there is the town-museum Sozopol, the vacation village Dunes, the International Youth Centre – Primorsko and the Ropotamo reserve. In the most southern part of the Region of Burgas is the Strandja mountains. It is the biggest natural park in Bulgaria. It has an extremely rich natural collection of flora and fauna – over 50 % of the flora in the country. This park is a kind of an ethnographic reserve – on its territory you can find the village Bulgari, in which the ritual of the fire dancing is reserved.
The average altitude is 17 m. To the north and to the south of Bourgas there are salt lakes, which are protected areas because of the fact that they are a part of the Via Pontica route of migrating birds.
The climate is of a moderate continental type with a definite influence of the sea. Summer is pleasantly fresh because of the constant movements of the air. The average day temperature of the air during the summer is 26.4° C, and the temperature of the sea water – 24.8° C. The winter is mild with no snow. The average day temperature of the air during the winter is 4.6° C, and that of the sea water – 7.4° C. Because of the influence of the sea the autumn is long and warmer than it is in the country, and the spring is comparatively cold and usually comes one month later than normal.
Sliven region
Sliven municipality is situated in the south-eastern region of Bulgaria and covers 1367 sq.km. The town of Sliven is situated at the foot of the unique rock massif "Sinite Kamani"(The Blue Stones), very close to mineral springs. Sliven is famous for its clean fresh air, mineral water sources, meek winter and cool summer. The town is situated on the international highway A-773 which connects Sofia with Bourgas. Sliven is only 110 km away from the biggest commercial port of Bulgaria – Bourgas (at the Black Sea coast). Alongside with this road route, there is a railroad.
South and southeast it is opened to the Sliven field. North of Sliven and close to the living quarters of the town the light imparts a bluish tinge to the porphyry massif known as the Sinite Kamani or Blue Rocks. The park of the same name includes 6684.3 ha of the Balkan (Old Mountain).
Sliven 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. Sliven is nearly 70 km far from the town of Elhovo.
149 918 people live in the Sliven municipality, including 114 869 people in the town of Sliven.
The sea elevation of Sliven varies from 180 to 300m. The average annual air temperature is 12.4 C. The winter average monthly temperature is - 1.2 C. The winters are mild, the summers are relatively dry - 23.2 C.
The beautiful nature, mineral water springs and the numerous cultural and historical monuments are an important part of the biggest potential opportunities of Sliven in the sphere of international tourism. The park "Sinite Kamani"("The Blue Stones") comprises of about 7 thousand hectares and it is the third biggest after Pirin and Vitosha.
Except from the fact that it is extremely picturesque, the region is remarkable with the rare vegetative and animal species preserved in its boundaries, some of which are under the protection of the country and Europe. The nearest and the most frequently visited part - Karandila - can be reached by a rope lift line.
The information sources about the existing of town are comparatively rich. Sliven is one of the oldest settlements in Europe. Here lived Thracians, Romans, Slavs, and Ancient Greeks. The imagination provoking remnants of the Touida fortress in Hisarlaka site testify to the fact that this area has been inhabited since the Thracian times (3rd - 2nd millennia BC). The name of the fortress was deciphered from a stone.
There are mineral springs in the region of Sliven municipality. There are good facilities at Slivenski Mineralni Bani - thermal baths, rest houses and hotels, hydrotherapy establishment and swimming pool.
Koutelka nature preserve covers an area of 708.9 ha in Sini Kamani national park and is of international importance for the preservation of several rare species of birds (bearded vulture, Egyptian vulture, falcon, peregrine falcon, etc.) as well as the eco system of the forests typical of the area.
The preservations located in the territory of Sini Kamani national park and in Karandila locality attract many visitors all year round.
Sliven is a town with cultural traditions starting from the epoch of the National Revival, with significant contribution in the cultural treasure of the country. Three state Cultural Institutes work in Sliven - a Drama Theatre, a Puppet Theatre and a National Museum of the textile industry. The Municipal professional cultural institutes are: The Historical Museum, The Art Gallery, Folk Song and Dance Ensemble, The Symphony Orchestra, the Universal scientific library and community centers, some of which have over a 100-years history.
On 24th May 2004 a new golf course was opened near Sliven. It spreads on the territory of 500 000 sq.m. This is the second golf playground oprating in Bulgaria after the one near Ihtiman. It proposes all kinds of modern facilities even for the most capricious clients.
Haskovo region
The region of Haskovo is situated in the south-eastern part of Bulgaria on a territory of 5 541 sq.km. It includes the valley of the Maritza River, the Haskovo hills and parts of the Upper Thracian lowlands, Sakar Mountain and the Eastern Rhodopes. To the Southeast it borders on the Republic of Greece and the Republic of Turkey. The region is characterised by fertile land and moderate continental climate. The rivers Maritza, Arda and Tundzha flow through the territory of the region. Roads, connecting the Mediterranean with Thracia and the Rhodopes, have been built along the rivers since ancient times. Many monuments from the Thracian epoch, the Greek antiquity, the Roman times, the Middle ages and the Renaissance are preserved in the region.
Haskovo is one of the oldest settlements in Bulgaria. Its history dates back from the Neolithic - i.e. the habitation is about seven thousand years old. And the town of Haskovo celebrated its thousandth anniversary in 1985.
The town is 225 km and 75 km to the south-east of Sofia and Plovdiv, respectively; 64 km and 16 km south of Stara Zagora and Dimitrovgrad, respectively; 50 km north-east of Kurdzhali and 70 km north-west of Svilengrad. One of the most outstanding events in the past of Haskovo region took place near the village of Klokotnitsa on March, 9th 1230. Then the Bulgarian army, led by Tzar Ivan Assen II, won a glorious victory over the Byzantines. To the South of Haskovo there are vestiges of the medieval citadel Hissar. The oldest Muslim religious building is situated in Haskovo - the ,,Eski Djumaya" mosque, built in 1395.
Haskovo municipality includes the town of Haskovo and 35 villages. It is a transport cross road between Europe, the Near East and the Middle East, which is a good prerequisite for an international commercial and cultural exchange.
The geographical location on the border of Greece and Turkey and our complicated history has designated this region as a crossroad of different cultures, religions and ethnic traditions. This combination has created a cultural richness to a land full of natural beauty that makes the region of Haskovo one of the most attractive for tourists in Bulgaria.
Haskovo municipality offers a good tourist base, as well as a facilities base for sport, business and cultural events.
Kenana Park is a beautiful natural park adjacent to the town offering excellent opportunities for recreation, sports and tourism, located 2 kilometres south-west of the town. The Haskovo Mineral Baths is a balneological resort of national importance, located 15 kilometres west of the town (regular, hourly bus line to Haskovo). The 12 mineral water springs have a temperature of 48.5°C and an output rate of 35 liters per second. The water is excellent for joint and other bone-structure (spinal) disorders and some gynaecological deceases are cured, as well. There is an open mineral pool. The resort is a starting point for hiking tours along marked tracks through the Eastern Rhodopes (refer to the Rhodope Mountains related chapter herein).
From the Baths one can reach the Sharapanite in about an hour’s walk. The Sharapani are unique Thracian wineries - enormous grape vessels carved out in plain rock and connected with channels for transporting the fluid (I millennium BC). 7 kilometres to the north-west of the town and 2 kilometres from the village of Klokotnitsa one can find the remains of the Assenova Krepost (Hissarya) (The fortress of Tsar Ivan Assen II) as well as the memorial in honour of the battle of 1230, when Tsar Ivan Asen II captured the Despot of Epir - Theodor Komnin. Close by is a big tourist complex. Regular bus-lines to Haskovo.
20 kilometres away from Haskovo, nearby the village of Alexandrovo, immediately by Maritsa Motorway connecting Europe with Asia, the scientists have excavated a Thracian domed tomb dating back to the second half of the 4th century BC. The wall is covered with paintings displaying hunting scenes with 7 riders, 4 people on foot, 2 deer, 2 wild boars and 9 hunt dogs. The scenes are of unique artistic value, true, expressive, and unparalleled in the Thracian art up to now.
The Sanctuary of the Nymphs is located 10 kilometres to the north-west of the town, near the village of Kasnakovo (refer to Dimitrovgrad section herein). Izvora na Belonogata Tourist Complex is 37 km east of Haskovo (4 km east of Harmanli). Remarkable is the old drinking fountain built in 1585 the legend of which inspired the great Bulgarian poet P. R. Slaveikov to write the poem of the same name, translated as “The spring of the white-legged maiden” which gave the name of the tourist complex. Accessible by regular bus-lines.
Yambol region
The town of Yambol (population: 82 924, 135 m above sea level) is situated in the eastern part of the Gornotrakiiska (Upper Thracian) Lowland, on the banks of the Toundzha River, shortly after the river curved to the south. It is 37 km north of Elhovo, 106 km west of Bourgas[, 28 km south-east of [Sliven, 304 km east of Sofia. One of the oldest Bulgarian towns. A regional administrative centre.
The Kabile National Archaeology Reserve - situated 6 km north of the town. It preserves the ruins of the most significant antique Thracian town of Kabile. This economic, political and cultural centre of Ancient Thrace has been investigated for more than 25 years. The remains are really impressive. There is an archaeological museum as well. Working hours: summer time - 8.00 a.m. - 8.00 p.m., winter time - 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. A bus runs from Yambol to the museum 9 times a day.
The St. Spas Monastery with the Alexander Nevski Temple-Monument - 14 km south-east of Yambol. The idea of its construction was suggested by General Skobelev and implemented with the help of the voluntary donations from Bulgaria and Russia. Skobelev granted a huge cross and a Testament, which are preserved to these days. The list with the names of about 900 Russians and Bulgarians who died in the struggle for the Liberation of Bulgaria is preserved, too. It was most solemnly inaugurated in September 1884. The church hosts of a big collection of icons, old printed books, and church plate most of them made in Kiev-Pechor Monastery. The iconostasis was made there, too, and was installed in the temple in parts. There is a bus running from Yambol to the temple three times a day - at 7.00 a.m., at 1.00 p.m., at 4.00 p.m. The interesting historical sight called Erkesiata (trench) is situated in the area called Bakudzhitsite, at the foot of the most eastern peak. It is a part of the biggest fortification on the Bulgarian territory from 7th-11th centuries (131 km long); it guarded the Bulgarian State from the raids of Byzantium from the south. The lowlands of Bakadzhitsite are a wonderful sight for tourism because of the deciduous woods, historical sights, the closeness of the town and the available accommodation facilities,
The earliest traces of communal life were discovered in the dozens of pre-historic living mounds. The so-called Rasheva and Marcheva Mounds are located on the territory of the present day town. These two date back to the neolith, eneolith and bronze epoch. Some of the finds recovered there are kept in the Parisian Louvre, the Archaeological Museum in Sofia, and mostly in the Museum of History in Yambol. The ancient town sprang up as a Thracian settlement called Kabile (some 10 km north-west of the town, near a village of the same name) at an important crossroad; later it became a significant fortress in the state of Philip of Macedonia. During the Roman domination the town reached its prime when people started minting coins. On his way through the town in 293 emperor Diokletian gave it the name of Diospolis (God’ town). It existed till 378 when the Goths destroyed it. The first written information dates back to 6th century. Since 11th-14th centuries it was mentioned as a Bulgarian town having different names - Diospolis, Dianopolis, Diampolis, Yampolis, Dublin, Dublino, Douboulino, and the Byzantine authors mentioned it as Dimpolis, Diampolis, Hiampolis. The town was mentioned with the name of Dubilin in an inscription of 1357 (the reign of Tzar Ivan Alexander). At the time it was situated on the border between Bulgaria and Byzantium, and nearby was the famous entrenchment Erkesiata. Some of the impressive fortress walls and turrets of medieval Yambol are still preserved.
Svilengrad area
The town of Svilengrad (population: 19 416; 55 m above sea-level) is situated on the banks of the Maritsa River, in the immediate proximity to the touching point of three state boundaries, namely Bulgarian-Greek, Bulgarian-Turkish and Greek-Turkish. It is about 70 km, 150 km, and 300 km south-east of Haskoco, Plovdiv and Sofia respectively, 2 km north of the boundary with Greece, and 14 km north-west to the boundary with Turkey, 30 km and 265 km north-west of Odrin (Edirne) and Istanbul, respectively. One of the gates to Bulgaria
There are numerous Thracian mounds 7 km south-west, in the lands of the village of Mezek. The Maltepe Mound (treasure mound) is a Mikena type (4th century BC) and it is situated 1 km south-west of the village. It recovered a Thracian domed tomb – Mezekska a la beehive Tomb of remarkable architecture as well as other archaeological finds. Just above the village are the remains of the Mezek Neutzikon Fortress (11-12th centuries) having the shape of an irregular polygon. It is one of the best preserved fortresses in the country. There is a regular bus line to the village of Mezek.
Some 30 km north-east, near the villages of Matochina and Mihalich is the famous tower (12th -13th centuries) and the rock churches (10th century). There is a regular bus line available. The border Kapitan Andreevo Checkpoint (on Bulgarian territory, tel.: 0379 7448 , 7346) and Kapukoule (on Turkish territory) are situated 14 km south-east on the international road to Istanbul. There is a regular bus line.
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