Blagoevgrad

Blagoevgrad is situated at the southwestern foot of the Rila Mountain, in the Valley of Struma River. It is about 100 km in southern direction of the capital o Bulgaria – Sofia.
Blagoevgrad is also a well known spa resort.

Hitory: Traces of settlements in the region date back to 3000BC. The town was established on the site of the ancient Thracian settlement Scaptopara, in this attractive region with mineral springs, fertile fields and venerable forests.
The town was first known as Gorna Dzhumaya (upper market) in 1502. Later it was known as Banya (bath). During the Ottoman rule the town was an important roadside fortress, fortifying the roads to the south along Stuma River.
After the Berlin congress (1878) the town remained within the borders of Turkey and became a resistance and struggle centre for national unite. The local people took an active ole in Ilinden- Preobrazhenie Uprising (1903), and later on October 5, 1912 it was liberated.
After the First World War it became a majour tobacco, timber and handicraft centre.

Places to visit: The Old Houses in Varosha district have been preserved and restored.
The History Museum is also situated in the Varosha district. It was built in Revival style and offers rich collection of “Archeology”, “Etnography”, “Nature” exponents.
Blagoevgrad is a majour university centre- The American Univercity in Bulgaria, Neofit Rilski Southwestern University.
The city is also famous with its beautiful and functional town centre, all laid out in marble.

5 Vicinities: Nearby Blagoevgrad tourists can find Bachinovo Prak, just 3,5 km away from the city. It hosts the town’s official holiday annually.
Bodrost Resort is situated in Northwestern Rila and offers numerous villas and bungalow for all year round relax and vacation. Recently the local authorities announced the construction of a big resort complex in the site with several ski slopes for winter tourism.
The pyramids of Stob are exceptionally beautiful earthen pyramids capped with rocky blocks. Several regular buses pass through the village of Stob on their way to Rila town and Rila monastery.

Several three star hotels can be used by tourists visiting Blagoevgrad. Many restaurants and traditional pubs offer high quality cuisine and a rich wine and refreshments list. Make sure that you try some of the traditional local dishes.
Blagoevgrad offers loud nightlife as most of the year the town is full of young students. Wild parties are a common event in the local night clubs and discos.