Blagoevgrad

Blagoevgrad is Bulgarian town in the Pirin Mountain-National Park area with a population of about 76000, and the administrative center of Blagoevgrad Province, situated on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River at the southwestern foot of the Rila Mountain, in the Valley of Struma River. It is about 100 km in southern direction of the Bulgarian capital od Sofia and close to the borders with Greek, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia. Blagoevgrad is the economic and cultural center of southwestern Bulgaria and also a well known spa resort, with about 40% of all mineral springs in Bulgaria. Blagoevgrad is bordered by Smolyan, Pazardjik, Sofia District and Kyustendil districts, which all have preserved authentic customs and traditions.
The beautiful and preserved environment of the nearby national parks and spectacular relief with protected natural areas care for biodiversity and is widely considered an important resource. Blagoevgrad is a starting point for the Rila Monastery visits, hiking and tourist routes leading to the beautiful mountains Rila and Pirin as well as for the charming museum town of Melnik. The region of Blagoevgrad includes parts of three of the biggest and most majestic Bulgarian mountains – Rila, Pirin and the Rhodopes and is well known under the name of Pirin region which is characterized by its unique geographic location, physical beauty of the surrounding mountains, and rich flora and fauna. Picturesque lakes and roaring rivers provide the Blagoevgrad region with pure, fresh spring water. The names of the local rivers Bistritsa, Glazene, Struma and Mesta echo in the songs and the folklore of the region.
The main international routes connecting Bulgaria with Greece and the Republic of Macedonia, and an international highway and the Belgrade – Sofia – Athens railroad and EU transport corridor 4 pass through the Blagoevgrad district. The climate of Blagoevgrad is temperate continental to Mediterranean for the southern parts of the district like Sandanski – the town with the hottest average annual temperature in Bulgaria. Blagoevgrad is a major university center of Bulgaria and hosts the American University in Bulgaria, Neofit Rilski Southwestern University. The city of Blagoevgrad is also famous with its beautiful and functional town center, all laid out in marble.
Traces of human settlements in the Blagoevgrad region date back to 3000 BC. The present settlement was established on the site of the ancient Thracian settlement of Scaptopara, in the attractive and suitable region with mineral springs, fertile fields and venerable forests. During time, the settlement had name of Srbinovo, and later the Gornya Dzhumaya in Pirin Macedonia, and was renamed in 1934 into the village of Brežani. After the fall of the Serbian medieval Kingdom and defeat in the Maritza Battle in 1371 by the Ottoman conquest, the Srbinovo village and the other Pirin regions became part of the Ottoman Empire. This area remained in the possession of the noble Dejanovic family until 1395 when it came into the Turkish hands. The village of Srbinovo is mentioned in the Ottoman registers for 1576 as the two villages – Srbične and Serbin Derbend, but already in 1650 the village was joined and named the Srbinovo village which had 105 christian households. In the church organization, the village of Srbinovo and the part of the old Samokovo Dioceze were until 1766 part of the Serbian Patriarchate with the seat in town of Pec and later came underthe jurisdiction of the Greek Patriarchate in Tsarigrad.

The town was in 1502 known as Gorna Dzhumaya (upper market area), and later it was known as Banya /bath/. During the Ottoman rule the town was an important roadside stronghold which guarded the roads between Sofia and Thessaloniki to the south and along Stuma River. After the Berlin congress /1878/ the town remained within the borders of Turkish Empire which made it become a resistance and struggle center of national unity. The locals took an active and fierce role in Ilinden – Preobrazhenie Uprising /1903/, and on October 5, 1912 the town was liberated.

After the First World War the town of Blagoevgrad became a large tobacco, timber and handicraft center. In 1950 the town was renamed in Blagoevgrad after Dimitar Blagoev, founder of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The old houses in Varosha district of Blagoevgrad have been preserved and well restored to form a pedestrian downtown of well-preserved 19th century architecture reserve with numerous restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and boutiques. The History Museum Blagoevgrad that has been constructed in the authentic Revival style is also situated in the Varosha district and exhibits rich collections of “Archaeology”, “Ethnography”, “Nature” finds and items. The “Presentation of the Blessed Virgin” Church was consecrated in 1844 in Varosha quarter of Blagoevgrad, and was completed and painted in the next 50 years. The House of Georgi Izmirliev – the Macedonian boy who participated in the Liberation Movements – is also located in Varosha district. The old town centre of Blagoevgrad is actually known as the Macedonia Square, with the monument to the revolutionary Gotse Delchev and the reconstructed cultural clubs, in which the Chamber Opera is situated. The town of Blagoevgrad is full you young people who enjoy gathering together in numerous bars, cafes, traditional pubs, night clubs, and restaurants.

Razlog is a town and ski resort in southwestern Bulgaria, in the Razlog Valley in Blagoevgrad Province, 56 km southeast from Blagoevgrad. All hotels of Razlog offer shuttle buses to the ski-runs, located only 8 km from the town. History, culture and natural resources of Razlog are combined here to build an unforgettable appearance. The town of Razlog proudly carries the spirit of the Bulgarian Revival and culture. There are over 41 residential buildings from the time of Renaissance – the Chepin house, possessing qualities of monuments of culture, the Parapunov House – „Nikola Parapunov” Historical Museum – the Historical Museum located in the Parapunov’s house shows us the way the local people lived in the Revival, the Kiprevata house…. The old town houses /from 30-years of the last century / in the central part of Razlog, the pleasant green parks, the great quantity of fresh water, numerous craft workshops and the views of Pirin and Rila Mountains create a unique feeling for tourist. The town is a starting point for numerous interesting trekking tours, which will lead you to many wonderful natural sites and historical places of interest. Razlog is a home of one of the most attractive and unique mummers procession in Bulgaria. The “Strachevata” Festival is a continuation of New Year’s Day Mummer celebration in Razlog, when the city is livened by the bells of 1500 Mummers – Koukeri who compete in several criteria – presentation of Mummer tradition, maintenance and transmission of local cultural specificity, highlighting the tradition of to the region in the mask and clothing and artistic performance. The mineral springs in the Razlog area are just another little touch of the incredible generosity of nature in the Razlojka River valley.

Nearby sites to see when in Blagoevgrad: Bachinovo Park, just 3,5 km away from the city, Bodrost Resort in northwestern Rila offers numerous villas and bungalow for all year round relax and vacation, the exceptionally beautiful earthen pyramids capped with rocky block are known as the Stob pyramids.