Area: 5,153 sq. k
Population: 370,655
Municipalities – 11: Bratya Daskalovi, Gurkovo, Galabovo, Kazanlak, Maglizh, Nikolaevo, Opan, Pavel Banya, Radnevo, Stara Zagora and Chirpan.
Regional center: Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora Region is situated in the middle of Southern Bulgaria, in the Upper Thracian Plains, at the foot of the Sredna Gora Mountain. The District is administratively organized into 11 municipalities, which comprise of a total of 206 residential places: 10 towns and 196 villages where are situated many apart-hotels in Bulgaria. It is bounded by the regions of Sliven, Yambol, Haskovo, Plovdiv, Gabrovo and Veliko Tarnovo. It covers the Stara Zagora plain, Kazanlak kettle, some of the middle parts of the Balkan Mountains and the Sredna Gora Mountains. The administrative centre Stara Zagora is the largest town in the Upper Thracian Lowland. It serves as a central connection of the Bulgarian railway network, which connects it with all Bulgarian towns, and also with the towns of Eastern and Western Europe and the apart-hotels in Bulgaria. The nearest Black Sea harbour is Bourgas (180 km to the east), the nearest Aegean Sea harbour Alexandroupolis (in Greece) is about 300 km away, and the nearest duty free zone is in the town of Plovdiv (80 km to the west). The climate is temperately continental, with some elements of Mediterranean influence and an average annual temperature of 12.9 degrees Centigrade. The municipality enjoys short, mild winters and dry, warm summers – factors attracting many tourist to the apart-hotels in Bulgaria. Soils are maroon in the hilly area and mostly black-earth in the meadows. The region is rich in water resources. Besides the upper stream of the Tundzha River and its numerous tributaries, the area is abundant in karst springs. Water capacity is 21 litters per second and the surface temperature is 42 degrees C. This water is beneficial in the healing of neurological, gynecological, kidney and intestinal ailments. The clear fresh mountain air and agreeable climate is conducive to treatment for respiratory illness as well as general revitalization. These subterranean waters are rich in minerals and taste providing the potential investor with opportunities for successful bottling and exporting and an avenue for tourism in apart-hotels in Bulgaria. There are a lot of mineral springs in Pavel Banya, Stara Zagora spas, the village of Yagoda. Koprinka dam is one of the biggest in the country. The fertile Kazanlak kettle is famous for its special sorts of fragrant roses from which the precious rose oil is extracted. The Trakia (Thrace) and Maritza highways as well as the Sofia-Karlovo-Burgas, Sofia-Plovdiv-Burgas and Ruse-Podkova railroads cross the region. In the vicinity of Radnevo is the mining and power plant complex Maritza-Iztok. Sokolna and Kamenitza Reserves, Tazha gorge, the protected areas of Enina Gorge and Maglizh Gorge, whimsical cliff formations, beautiful waterfalls (Kademliisko Praskalo, Babsko Praskalo, Tarnichensko Praskalo, Golemiyat Skok, etc.) and the caves in the region offer very good conditions for tourism and relaxation. Parts of the Great Bulgarian Forest, which had once covered the territory of the whole country, have been preserved – Vetrenska Gora and Tulovska Gora. In the village of Granit one can find the oldest tree in Bulgaria – a pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) of 1640 years of age. The fertile lands of the region have been inhabited since ancient times. Numerous vestiges of prehistoric life were found but of unquestionable interest are the remains of Thracian culture. The lands of the regions had been inhabited by the Thracian tribe Odrysae. Their capital city Seutopolis today lies at the bottom of the Koprinka dam lake, while the numerous Thracian mounds and tombs uncovered along the Tundzha River in the Kazanlak kettle gave right to name the region “The Valley of Thracian Kings”. Most valuable of all is the Thracian tomb of Kazanlak, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Roman town Augusta Trajana was one of the most powerful towns in those parts of the Empire. The oldest Neolithic remains were found in Stara Zagora. The famous film of BBC “The History of Europe” starts with the Neolithic museum in Stara Zagora. It shows the remains of the first homes of the people in Europe.There are a number of historic monuments in the region that are related to the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Rule. Most of them were united in the Shipka-Buzludzha memorial complex.
In October 2004, Stara Zagora Province was awarded for having the best quality of life in Europe, together with Greater Zürich (Switzerland), and ahead of Andalucia (Spain), and Flanders (Belgium). The award was given by Di Magazine, produced by the renowned Financial Times group, for the region's low-cost, newly-built accommodation ( aparthotels in Bulgaria ) and rich cultural heritage. The municipality has a highly developed industrial sector including: metal processing represented by Preskov and Progres foundries; machine building represented by Hraninvest; high tech represented by DZU; robotics represented by Beroe; industrial chemicals represented by Agrobiochim; furniture manufacturing represented by Mebel, Sredna Gora and Triana Plast; food processing represented by Biser Oliva and Zagaria; clothing manufacturing represented by Natilia Knitwear Factory; brewing represented by Zagorka; wine making represented by Menada; and tobacco manufacturing represented by Slantze BT. Mild climate and rich soil are the perfect combination for Stara Zagora's successful agricultural sector where cereals, sunflower, vegetables and grapes are grown. Poultry producer Galia Zagoretz and cattle breeders are representative of our animal breeding industry. Thracian University's Veterinary Science School and animal-nutrition program as well as The Institute for Cattle and Sheep Breeding Research enhance national livestock production.
History
The town of Stara Zagora was founded in c. 6 BC by an important crossroads of the roads from the Danube to the Aegean region and from the town of Plovdiv to the Black Sea. Its long existence was marked with many names - Beroe, Augusta Trajana, Vereya, Irinopolis, Borouy, Eski Zagra, Zheleznik, Stara Zagora, and also with many variants of those names. The first name Beroe is interpreted as a market town, which was then inhabited by the Thracian tribe Pirogers. The town was reconstructed and fortified during the Roman rule. It was renamed to Augusta Trajana after Emperor Trajanus. It was mentioned under that name in Greek and Roman inscriptions, and also on local bronze coins. The reconstructed town encompassed an area of about 500 decares. its streets were straight and paved. There rose many public or private buildings of a rare taste and exquisiteness. The Roman historian Amianus Marcellinus called it "the exceedingly shining town of the Trajanians", using the name Bereya - the old Thracian name had obviously displaced the Roman name by that time. The variants Beoroa, Berone and Beroe appeared in c. 3 AD. The latter name was transformed to Vereya in Byzantium's time. That form was also used by Western European chroniclers. The Byzantine Empress Irine visited the town in 784 and appreciated its strategic location. She renewed its fortress and named it after herself - Irinopolis. The town was conquered by the Bulgarian Khan Kroum in c. 9, and Prince Boris I annexed it permanently to the Bulgarian state along with the whole Zagore region. In c. 10-12 the town was already the centre of a feudal province. The town was mentioned under the name Ferouy by the Arabian geographer Idrizi in 1153. The Bulgarians called it Borouy on the basis of the Thracian name. It was called so in charter from c. 12, which was given to the Doubrovnik merchants by King Ivan Assen II. It was later called Zagora after the Zagore region. That name was also accepted by the Ottomans who conquered the town in 1370 They at first called the town Zagra or Eski Hisar (the Old Fortress), or Zagra Atik (the Ancient Zagra). The Bulgarian teacher Todor Shishkov offered the old Slavonic name Zheleznik in 1858, but it was only used for a short time. The present-day name Stara Zagora was adopted by the church council in Istanbul in 1871. During the Ottoman rule, the town had a typical oriental appearance, with winding streets and blind alleys, some of which were covered with cobbles. The minarets of about ten mosques and the domes of hamams (Turkish baths) were rising. Many crafts developed - tannery, jewellery-making, weaving, soap-making, goldsmithery and coppersmithery. The Bulgarian craftsmen were organized in guilds. The building of schools, churches, fountains, bridges, etc. was financed by the guilds. The first secular primary school was opened in 1834 and became a secondary school in 1859. It used modern for its time curriculum and teaching methods.
The Czech architect Lyubor Bayer worked out a town plan in 1879, and Aleko Bogoridi laid the first stone for the town's restoration on 5 October of the same year. The renewed Stara Zagora gradually grew as a unique modern town, the only one in Bulgaria with straight perpendicular streets. The primary schools, which existed from before the war, developed into secondary schools. The cultural club, which was founded as early as 1858, renewed its activities. The first newspaper started coming out in 1883. Several publishing houses appeared later on, which issued dozens of newspapers and magazines. Cultural societies were instituted - a musical, a theatrical and an archaeological society. A group of musical workers founded the first Bulgarian opera outside the capital city in 1925 - here in the birthplace of the world-famous opera singer Hristina Morfova, known as "the Bulgarian nightingale". The deep Bulgarian identity in the image world of the painters Aton Mitov, Georgi Mitov, Vassil Kostakiev, Mario Zhekov, Atanas Mihov and Dimitar Guyjenov is rooted in Stara Zagora, where they started their life and work. The rich cultural traditions and the spirit of the contemporary artists maintain the artistic atmosphere, which has always accompanied this ancient region.
Economy
Always open to the world, present-day Stara Zagora maintains the old contacts and establishes new ones with fraternized foreign towns: Durham, North Carolina (the USA), Samara (Russia), Down Patrick (Ireland), Bareiro (Portugal) and Larissa (Greece). The Stara Zagora municipality is a member of the largest regional association of the municipalities - the Trakia (Thrace) Association, and of the National Association of the Municipalities in Bulgaria.
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS
The 59 acts of foreign investing registered in the Stara Zagora region by 1996 are distributed according to branches as follows:
• Industry - 3.49
• Construction - 5.98
• Farming - 3.30
• Commerce, logistics and purchases - 76.27
• Finance, credit and insurance - 3.39
• Other branches of the non-production sphere - 8.47
The more important investments for the Stara Zagora municipality are those in the brewing factory; in a furniture enterprise; in a company providing repairs and service of farming machinery, construction of petrol station, and the construction of a centre for qualification and re-qualification.
A new foreign investment act entered into force in Bulgaria on 24.10.1997. It eliminated some of the previously existing normative restrictions of the investment process and it was brought into correspondence with the international standards. It provides:
• A protection of the foreign investments against future normative restrictions;
• A guarantee of the foreign investments;
• A priority application of the more favourable provisions of international treaties. Such a treaty was sighed with Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
• All local legal subjects with foreign participation, independently of its size, have the right to acquire ownership of land, including farmland;
• No restrictions of the ownership of buildings;
• The contributions in kind to a company's capital by a foreign partner are exempt from the value added tax, custom duties and import fees under the conditions stated in the act;
• Preferences at the import of a subject of finance leasing;
• The remittance of 50% of the profit tax for the republican budget for 10 years for priority investment projects with investments over 5 million USD, opening of over 100 job positions or investments in regions with a high unemployment rate;
• The municipal authorities do not have the right to grant preferences to foreign or local investors, but a substantial reduction in the obligatory administrative proceedings accompanying the investment process - purchases of property, as well aparthotels in Bulgaria, settling of the relations with state authorities and institutions, building permits, etc. - can be achieved with their assistance.
• The Regional Economic Development Agency (REDA), a regional representative of the Foreign investment Agency (FIA), assists the settling of all obligatory formalities of that process and assists the foreign investors in the choice and training of employees, the establishing of contacts with local suppliers and partners, etc.
A large part of the potentialities for efficient investment of foreign capital in the municipality are still unused. That is visible from the lasting interest of firms like the Shell, the McDonalds, the Metro Cash and Carry, which have already entered the local market or have clearly stated intentions of opening their objects in Stara Zagora.
METAL PROCESSING / MACHINE BUILDING
Progres and Preskov supply the country with two large facilities forging, cutting, pressing, and molding metals. Some of the numerous machine building companies include: Hraninvest, together with a group of smaller companies, manufacturing food processing machinery; Badeshtnost, providers of agricultural equipment; M+S Hidravlik, makers of hydraulics; ZINO specializing in metal- and wood-working machines and tools, and Arsenal producing armaments. Their products are exported all over Europe.
Search at Branch Catalog Food Processing Machine Building in Stara Zagora
HIGH TECHNOLOGY - ELECTRONICS AND ROBOTICS
DZU, Bulgaria's largest high tech company, develops and manufactures discs, magnetics and optic devices and systems, as well as applied and home electronics utilizing state-of-the-art technology. It has recently been purchased by the leading Hungarian company Videoton and is undergoing a process of restructuring. Beroe has the capacity to create specialized robotics systems to suit the manufacturing process. Svetlina and Technosvet manufacture lighting equipment, Kontragent-35 supplies electrical materials and equipment.
COAL AND ELECTRICAL POWER
The Maritza-East Complex, consisting of a lignite coalmine and electrical power plants, provides 30% of the electrical power for Bulgaria. Its potential has attracted German and American investors who are now modernizing its equipment. The complex has a substantial share in the international electrical power market in the Balkan Region.
INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS
This economic sector is led by Agrobiochim, producers of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers and biotechnological products. Its assets are offered for sale to foreign investors as self-sustained production units. Other companies in the Region like ZKU provide the nation with plastic and rubber products. In Kazanlak, capital of the rose-growing region, the century-long traditions of extracting rose and other essential oils are preserved and developed in the production of cosmetics, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, and natural health products in Balgarska Rosa-Sevtopolis, Tomy Show and others.
WOOD PROCESSING / FURNITURE MANUFACTURING
The proximity of rich forest reserves in the Balkan and Sredna Gora mountain ranges has provided an ideal situation for the development of the wood processing industry. Mebel furniture manufacturers create quality furniture – suppliying the builders of apart-hotels in Bulgariа. Sredna Gora provides IKEA's furniture superstores with creative, finely crafted furnishings for their Western marketplace. They also export to Austrian, Belgian, Swedish, French and American businesses. Trayana Plast has entered the Italian market with competitive office furnishings. Several new, small companies have united their potential to form the Association of Wood-processing and Furniture Industries.
FOOD PROCESSING
Numerous food-processing plants throughout the Region are able to buy their raw materials and machinery from local producers and manufacturers. These plants produce meat products, dairy products, soft drinks, flour, pastry and sweet products, honey, acids, fodder, and bio-fodder mixtures. Biser Oliva provides sunflower oil, a staple in Bulgarian cooking, to the country. Zagaria, a successful exporter, produces macaroni. Several companies in the Region export canned fruits and vegetables to the European market. Zagora Fruit is the biggest Bulgarian manufacturer of tomato paste and fruit mousses.
TOBACCO
Slantze-BT, one of Bulgaria's largest cigarette manufacturers, produces a variety of popular brands for loyal customers in Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and several other countries.
TEXTILE AND CLOTHING
A variety of textile and clothing manufacturers produce a wide range of fabrics, clothing, and knitted wear. Kazanlak's Katex manufactures quality wool fabrics. Stara Zagora's Natalia Knitwear Factory exports its creations to the Western European market. Chirpan's Charita manufactures fine ladies' clothing for export to Western Europe. A myriad of new small and medium-size companies competes with these larger firms to export their products to national and international markets.
Search at Branch Catalog Clothing and Textile Industry in Stara Zagora
WINE AND BREWERY
Zagorka brewery, one of Stara Zagora's foreign investment success stories, produces the most popular beer in Bulgaria. There are two wineries in the region: Noviko, Chirpan, specializing in champagne and Menada producing red and white wines. The red wines are exclusively exported due to Western demand.
AGRICULTURE
The mild climate and rich soil are favorable for producing varied strains of agriculture. Cereals, sunflowers, cotton, and vegetables, as well as fruit orchards and grapevines are grown mainly in the southern plains. Not only roses, but also lavender, mint and valerian are produced in the valley to the north. The large pastures in the plains and foothills are conducive for superior cattle and sheep breeding. The pig production industry is an important part of the Region's agricultural sector. GalUS Vereya is a large poultry producer in the Region.
Health care
The Stara Zagora Region offers outstanding health care facilities affected by the cutting-edge research and technology of Thracian University's School of Medicine. The Region has numerous hospitals and specialized medical and dental clinics as well as natural thermal hot springs with spas and health centers to facilitate the healing waters. Several well-equipped fitness centers and a swimming pool benefit Stara Zagoras' healthy life style.
Infrastructure
The location of the Stara Zagora Region is a major advantage to trade with transportation routes providing easy access to Sofia in the west (230 km); Bourgas' Black Sea Port in the east (180 km); Rousse's Danube Port at the Romanian Border in the north (235 km); and the Greek Port Alexandrupolis, in the south (300 km). Stara Zagora serves as the central hub of an efficient train system connecting the Region with all Bulgarian cities as well as cities in Eastern and Western Europe and the aprt-hotels in Bulgaria. The Stara Zagora Airport can offer easy access for the busy executive. The International Automatic Telephone Network provides the Region with a quality communication system, recently improved by the completion of a new digital network. Stara Zagora is one of the only two fundamental points in Bulgaria's optic highway providing a communication system to meet the standards of international business. Two motorways and a number of first-class roads and railways cut through its territory, linking the northern Bulgarian border areas, and the Danube River area, with the southern areas - those bordering on Greece and Turkey. The capital city of Sofia is situated 236 km (by car) west of the city of Stara Zagora. The two major Black sea ports, Burgas and Varna, are situated 177 km and 248 km east of the city of Stara Zagora. Euro Corridors No 4, 8 and 9 cut across the territory of the region as well.
Climate
According to its physicogeographical characteristics, Stara Zagora region belongs to the Transitional Continental Area with its typical softer winters, hot summers, a summer maximum and a winter minimum of the precipitation. The region average annual temperature is 12.6°С, its average annual temperature amplitude is 23.8°С, its average relative humidity is 70.69%, and its average wind velocity is 1.35 m /s, and its prevalent wind direction - northwest and northeast. Its average annual precipitation – 608 mm, is a little lower than the whole country's (650 mm), with a maximum in summer (185 mm, 78 mm – June) and a minimum in winter (123 mm). The monthly minimum was measured in autumn – 32 mm (September). The average number of the foggy days is 30.6. The high percentage of soft weather - 59.4% - is typical of the region. The Region enjoys a year around temperate climate with mild, short winters - factors attracting many tourists to the apart-hotels in Bulgaria.
Natural resources
The rich soils of the Region make it ideal for productive agriculture and food processing. Forests are one of the Stara Zagora Region's most valuable natural resources offering ideal opportunities for logging, wood processing, hiking, hunting, and tourism. The Maritza-East Basin supplies lignite coal for electrical power plants that provide 30% of the electrical power for Bulgaria. The Region is rich in thermal mineral springs with a large number of spas and health centers to facilitate the use of the healing waters. Pavel Banya boasts an international reputation for healing those afflicted with arthritic and orthopedic conditions. Starozagorski Mineralni Bani, with thermal waters and fresh mountain air, is an important healing center for respiratory and other ailments. The eastern part of the Region hosts the world famous Valley of the Roses. This rose growing area produces seventy percent of the world's attar - extract of roses. Considering that perfumiers pay more than $45 million dollars a year for attar, it is not surprising that the roses are known as "Bulgaria's Gold."
Tourism
Tourism is a viable industry for growth in the region. Among its attractions are the Rose Festival, the Opera and Ballets Festival, the Neolithic Dwellings, the Roman ruins and the natural thermal hot springs healing spas. The photographer, hiker, hunter, and fishing enthusiast will appreciate the Region's mountains and mountain resorts - aparthotels in Bulgaria, the moderate weather and easy accessibility to the Black Sea. Stara Zagora is the premier location for medical conferences due to the national influence of the Thracian University. There are unlimited possibilities for the expansion of business conference and tourist facilities.
Stara Zagora is a prime tourist destination offering leafy boulevards, friendly people, lively sidewalk cafes, excellent local cuisine, opera, theater, galleries, interesting museums, Thracian Forum Ruins, a 940 acre park, shopping, swimming, boating, horseback riding, natural thermal hot springs, proximity to mountains for the photographer, hiker, hunter or fishing enthusiast and much, much more...
THE AYAZMOTO FOREST PARK
The Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain lowers carelessly its branches from the former bare hill, known since unremembered times as Ayazmoto (The Holy Place) over the north and the northeastern part of the town. Several of their hills like eternal guardians form a natural barrier which shields the town from the northern winds. Near the summit of one of these hills, by a small temple, built on the site of an ancient pagan sanctuary, there is a tomb of dark grey marble. There is a bass-relief with a caption "Metropolitan Metodiy of Stara Zagora" on the headstone, and an evangelical quotation as an epitaph on the back part, "he was like a cypress that rises to the clouds". Even that vivid comparison is too weak to describe to the unbreakable spirit and the man of action that was Metodiy Koussev, the founder of the Ayazmoto Park. The first afforesting action on the bare and dry hill Ahmak Bair was carried out on 28 February 1895. Metropolitan Metodiy himself was carrying a c and saplings instead of his crosier and hoed and planted to set an example and inspire the others. The gathered multitude followed suit and the foundations of the future forest park were laid in a short time. In 1897, Father Metodiy ordered through the then Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religions forest and decorative saplings from France, Spain and Asia Minor. A great number of foreign tree and bush species, mostly southern and subtropical - the Himalayan pine, eucalypts, cedars, the cryptomeria, the Greek fir, the Spanish fir, etc. were provided through private firms. In this way the afforesting, which had quite a modest start, covering wider and wider areas and reached 70-80 decares per year as early as 1899 - quite a large area for that time. Over 500 decares of forest plantations were planted in the Ayazmoto area up to the First World War. The afforesting work was continued afterwards, and was also expanded to the east, in the Kazlera area, and to the north, where even largest areas were encompassed. So the afforested hill was slowly, and with incessant care and struggle with the unfavourable natural conditions, turned to a most beautiful park which became the citizens' favourite place for walks on weekends and holidays or after work. The park's sanitary function is especially important, having in view that the town of Stara Zagora and its region belong to an area with comparatively unfavourable climatic conditions - high average monthly temperature maximums (26.8°С in June, 29.8°С in July, 29.8°С in August and 25.6°С in September), annual precipitation of about 600 mm and, a low average monthly air humidity, which falls to 54% in July and August. The forest park offers its coolness and freshness in such hot and dry days. Today the Ayazmoto Park encompasses over 3 000 decares and covers the Ayazmoto Hill, the Kazlera area and the so-called Third hill and Second Hill. It is the town's heart and lungs. The forest park has variously shaped plant groups, planted in accordance with the conditions and microconditions of the unfavourable terrain. The first zone occupies the southern and the southwestern slope of the Ayazmoto Hill with an unvaried terrain. it constitutes 15 - 20 % of the whole park' s territory. The already rather old forest plantations and decorative groups consist of a great variety of species. On the northern and the northwestern side they are of sea pine, acacia, flowering ash, almond, elder and natural Christ's thorn, but most of all of Austrian pine, cypress and cedar. The southern and the southwestern side are planted with cedar, acacia, flowering ash, horse chestnut, elm, Tatar maple, and prevalently Austrian pine and linden. The tree vegetation in the separate sectors and spaces, and also in the whole zone, occupies about 70%, and at some places up to 90%, of the area. The location of the threes and bushes is chaotic and the height and the decorative properties of the high vegetation have not been considered. This pattern of ordering does not provide possibilities for a correct ratio between the vegetation and the space and does not provide the necessary colour variety. The beautiful aspects of the landscape here are lent exclusively by the subtropical and exotic vegetation (the cedars, the cypresses and the Greek firs), which prevails in the composition of this part of the forest park. The cypress alley, which starts from the main entrance, winds along the northwestern slope and reaches the crest, is one of the most beautiful in the country. The landscape tree groups, consisting of decorative subtropical Mediterranean species, which are situated along the crest part and the contours of the Ayazmoto, also add to the great variety and the exotics of the forest park in this zone. The second zone encompasses the remaining 80% of the forest park's territory. It spreads eastwards of the Ayazmoto's crest and includes the Kazlera and the forest vegetation upon the Second and the Third Hill. This part of the park was also created by artificial afforesting of varying in shape and size complexes in correspondence with the terrain's conditions. The vegetation is much more uniform - the prevalent species is the Austrian pine, covering substantial areas of young artificial forests, spreading like a green carpet upon the neighbouring hills. The landscape of the Second Hill where the rows and separate groups of old maple trees stand out against the green background of the coniferous tree, is more dynamic. As in the first zone, here in the walking zone the vegetation occupies almost 80% of the total territory almost everywhere and in many sectors forms homogenous complexes with prevalence of the closed spaces. Yet, as a result of the higher indentation of the terrain upon these higher and steeper hills, many places offer panorama views towards the town of Stara Zagora and the vast Stara Zagora Field. The more characteristic forest-park and architectural elements are the small lake with fountains at the crest, the children's playground and the decorative drinking fountains - all of them in the zone of mass visits. The romantic chapel, the interesting building of the restaurant and the tourist chalet are also situated in this zone. There is a zoo is next to them. Both the forest-park architectural elements and the buildings are situated in suitable places and skilfully connected with their environment. The zone for walks and entertainment can be described in short as a range of green forest areas, in which almost no architectural forest-park improvements have been done up to now.
STARA ZAGORA MINERAL BATHS
The resort is situated among the south woody branches of the Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain, at an altitude of 360 m above sea level, near the village of Soulitsa, 12 km away from Stara Zagora (with a regular bus line). There are well-preserved remains from the Roman and Thracian time - marble pools and water-catchment and other balneotechnical equipment, which testifies to the resort's great flourishing in antiquity. The hills surrounding the hollow are from 600 to 800 m high. Тhey are covered with oak, hornbeam, hazel and artificial pine forests. The resorts' climate is Temperate Continental and softened by a Mediterranean influence. The average annual temperature is about 1 1оС. The summers are rather warm, but without excessive heat - the average July temperature is 22.2о С. The winters are temperately cold, the average January temperature is minus 0.2°С, and the snow cover does not last long. The autumns are warmer than the springs. The winds and the precipitation are temperate; the fogs are rare. The mineral springs are situated in two thermal zones and have an almost identical chemical composition, but differ in their temperature. The water from the northern group of springs is hyperthermal - 51.5°С, and weakly mineralized; carbonate-calcium-magnesium; with a neutral reaction. The water from the southern group of springs has an analogous chemical composition, but its temperature is lower - 36°С. The major medical indications are: diseases of the locomotory system, of the peripheral nervous system, renal and urologic diseases, gastrointestinal and gynaecological diseases. Two spas with a pool and showers each and an open-air summer beach with a pool of warm mineral water are situated among apart¬-hotels in Bulgaria and pleasant park surroundings.
ACCOMODATION AND CATERING
Stara Zagora region offers a range of fine hotels from small charming family run establishments to large, contemporary hotels and apart-hotels in Bulgaria, with conference facilities. Stara Zagora is a city with a wide range of culinary delights with offerings ranging from traditional Bulgarian "mehana" style food at restaurants such as Ralitza (featuring a wine list with 300 selections) and Chinara, to gourmet cuisine served at establishments such as Rasputin, Volga the Dedov Hotel and Tangra Hotel Restaurants. Chefs gladly take advantage of the cornucopia of locally grown fruits and vegetables augmented by locally produced wines. Visit the Menada Bratya Syarovi tasting room in near-by Oryahovitsa and sample their famous wines. Bulgaria’s most popular beer, Zagorka, is brewed in Stara Zagora.
SPORTS
Rent a row boat on lovely Zagorka Lake or take delight in the paddle boats at Ezeroto Lake, a pleasant day of fishing at the Tunja River or the popular Coprinka Dam. Enjoy tennis, horseback riding, fitness centers and our indoor swimming pool. Arrange a safari in the majestic Stara Planina. Hiking is plentiful with countless trails in Ayazmo Park or, for the more adventurous, the magnificent Stara Planina.
VILLAGE TOURS
We can arrange a traditional village experience for you with accomodation in a Bulgarian farm house and activities in a small farm village just outside of Stara Zagora. Relax in the vine-arbor, stroll through the vegetable gardens, the fruit orchard. Visit a small folk restaurant, meet locals, hear original folk music-performers dressed in traditional folk clothing. Walking through the village, you will be greeted by people working in their gardens. Listen to experts speak of traditional village life. It will be an unforgettable experience.
PARKS
Lovely parks filled with greenery, flowers and children’s playgrounds are plentiful in Stara Zagora. In the heart of town the City Garden is frequented by locals who revel in its shady nooks and paths. Ayazmo Park dominates the northern section of the city with 940 acres of exotic trees, an open air theater, an astronomy observatory, a zoo, children’s playgrounds, countless hiking trails, and a sports complex. It’s a popular weekend gathering place.
SHOPPING
Stara Zagora offers a unique and diverse shopping experience with a wide range of shops fully equipped to cater to the needs of both visitors and locals alike. Tzar Simeon Veliki, the main shopping street has a pedestrian walkway lined with sidewalk cafes.
OPEN AIR FLOWER MARKET & FRUIT & VEGETABLE MARKET
The Central Market is quite simply one of those joyful life experiences. As you walk between the stalls your senses will be awakened by the smells, tastes, sounds, vision and lively atmosphere created by the interaction between stall holders, customers and browsers. Locally grown fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, locally produced honey, cheeses and breads made in village kitchens, and a myriad of locally grown flowers grace the tables.
NATURAL MINERAL BATHS
Nearby Starozagorski Mineralni Bani offers relaxation in their natural thermal waters and fresh mountain air. A European destination for healing respiratory & other ailments or rejuvenation in a small village with restaurants discos and apart-hotels in Bulgaria.
Culture and arts
The Stara Zagora Region has a cultural tradition with an impressive number of talented poets, writers, artists, musicians, and actors. Stara Zagora's National Opera Theater, founded in 1928, is the first provincial opera company in Bulgaria and continues to provide world class operas. The Geo Milev Drama Theater presents outstanding classical theatrical productions. The State Puppet Theater has toured Europe and the Middle East performing with excellence.
Numerous cultural events take place throughout the year - the Festivals of the Opera and Ballet Arts, of the Old City Song, of the Children's Song, Thrace Sings and Dance Festival; and the St. Lazar's Days rituals of folk song and dance and many others. The city's life style offerings include museums, libraries, art galleries, a brass band, cinemas, sport stadiums, an equestrian training center, Roman ruins, and many lovely parks. Eternally green, the Ayazmoto Park dominates the northern section of the city with 939 acres of exotic trees, an astronomy observatory, a zoo, children's playgrounds, a sports complex and an open-air theater, where the National Festival of Gypsy Music and Songs is held each summer. It is a popular weekend gathering place.
REGIONAL HISTORICAL MUSEUM
The Historical Museum in Stara Zagora was founded on 28 May 1907 as the museum of the Augusta Trajana Archaeological Society. The first museum exhibition was open at the same time. The first archaeological diggings were done as early as 1911. The museum was nationalized in 1949, and was proclaimed a district museum and assumed the functions of the region's scientific centre on 1 January 1953. The Historical Museum in Stara Zagora acquired the statute of a regional museum with a range of activity the Districts of Stara Zagora and Haskovo. The museum's structure was formed in the fifties. Nine departments were established. A restoration and conservation studio and a specialized library for historical and archaeological literature were founded. Planned or rescue archaeological diggings were done of objects that acquired a world renown - the Azmak settlement mound; the Thracian villa rustica and the mound necropolis in the basin of the Chatalka Dam; the chalcolithic copper mines in the Aibounar (Mechi Cladenets) area, on the territory of the antique and medieval town of Augusta Trajana, in the region of the Maritsa-Iztok Thermoelectric Power Stations, etc. As a result of that archaeological research, the Regional Historical Museum in Stara Zagora now possesses one of the richest prehistoric collections in the world. The collections of antique bronze, of antique glassware, and also the collection of Thracian chariots enjoy a considerable interest from specialists. The numismatic fund stores over 20 000 coins and possesses the fullest collections of coins minted in Augusta Trajana. Museum specialists research the folklore, the customs and the toponymy of the region and clarify the ethnographic peculiarities of the Stara Zagora. The historical research connected with the struggles for national liberation in the National Revival period, and also the events during the Russian-Turkish Liberating War are paid a special attention. Unique materials showing the cultural and historical development of the town and the region at the end of c. 19 and the beginning of c. 20 are stored in the museum.A new modern museum building is under construction. The exhibition hall will have an area of over 2 000 sq. m.
ART GALLERY
The beginning of the Art gallery n Stara Zagora was laid in 1908. On the initiative of Anton Mitov, Georgi Evstatiev, Vassil Dimov, Atanas Mihov and Vassil Marinov, a small collection of their works was gathered in order to be demonstrated in the painting classes in their home town and to aid the future foundation of than art gallery. The famous artists Ivan Markvichka, Petko Klissourov, etc. also joined the enterprise. The so formed collection was exhibited in the Augusta Trajana Archaeological Society. It grew over the years. Dimitar Gyujenov, Nikola Kozhouharov, Kipro Nikoloav, Vassil Kostakiev, Nikolay Evrov and many other artists in Bulgaria also added their works to the collection. It was a department of the Historical Museum up to 1959, and was later proclaimed a town art gallery. Several dozens of other works, which were scattered in schools, cultural clubs and associations, were transferred to the gallery. Its first director was Roussi Kabiberov. It assumed the functions of a district cultural institution in 1972. The gallery's stock now number over 4 000 works of art. They are distributed into five departments - Painting, Graphics, Sculpture, icons and National-Revival Engravings and Foreign Art. They include works of almost all Bulgarian artists of the last two centuries. The major artistic phenomena in the Bulgarian art are also shown in their variety. During its over ninety years of history, the Stara Zagora Art Gallery organized over a thousand exhibitions and expositions, some of which visited the country's galleries, and also galleries in the Check Republic, Portugal, Great Britain, Russia, Bosnia, Slovakia, India, Serbia, Germany, etc.
THE GEO MILEV DRAMATIC THEATRE
The Educational Society "Theatre" was founded in Stara Zagora in 1900 as the successor of the Society of the Lovers of Learning of 1883. A workers' theatrical company, which later grew into a Workers' Theatre was founded in1904. The idea of the building of a theatrical hall arose as early as 1897. The hall of the Male Secondary School "Ivan Vazov" was used for performances and concerts then. The theatrical building was built with finances from donations and a loan in 1914 and became the largest cultural and social centre of Stara Zagora. The theatre became professional in 1919. The Dramatic Theatre became a state property in 1954. It now has the statute of a repertory theatre with mixed financing - 50% state 50% municipal. The theatre accomplishes its present performances by selling tickets and sponsorship from citizens and firms. During its 80 years of history, the GEO MILEV Dramatic Theatre participated successfully in numerous theatrical forums and festivals in the country and abroad. It is a bearer of the St. Cyril and Methodius Order. The spectators of Stara Zagora have seen over 4 000 performances up to now and have met many eminent Bulgarian directors.
STATE PUPPET THEATRE
The State Puppet Theatre has been founded in 1957. Over 200 plays by Bulgarian and foreign playwrights have been performed in it up to now. The theatre has toured successfully in Russia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Iran, Iraq, Tunis, Algeria, France, Spain, the Check Republic, Slovakia, Cyprus, Austria, etc. It is a bearer of prestigious national and international prizes. Prize for the best company of actors - PRAGUE 2000 and nomination for European capital of culture. The Stara Zagora Puppet Theatre is the host of the Pierot international festival of the puppet theatres.
BEREKETSKA MOUND
Just southwest of the city of Stara Zagora lies the ruins of the largest prehistoric settlement found in Bulgaria dating back to the early Neolithic age - from the 6th millenium BC to the 12th century AD. Bereketska Mound is 17 meters high and has a diameter, at its foundation, of 250 meters. A necropolis (burial ground) dating from the early bronze epoch, 3rd millenium BC, is found east of the mound.
NEOLITHIC DWELLINGS
Remains of two houses from a settlement of the Neolithic age, dating from the 6th millenium BC, in Stara Zagora are considered the best preserved from this early time uncovered, to date, on the European continent. Witness the preserved ovens, grain storage pots, primitive mill for grinding grain, pottery, tools, etc. A museum exhibiting pottery, jewelry, tools, etc. from the numerous archeological excavations in the Stara Zagora region is located on the lower level.
COPPER MINES
Located 8 kilometers northeast of Stara Zagora, in the Mechi Kladenetz area, are the oldest copper mines in Europe dating from the end of the 5th millenium BC. Research of the 11 mines indicates that a huge quantity (for that time) of copper ore was extracted there. Semi finished objects made from copper, extracted from these mines, can be found in a large section Europe extending to the Volga river in Russia.
FORUM OF THE ANTIQUE TOWN OF AUGUSTA TRIANA
This antique forum, a semi-circular gathering place, with the preserved pedestal for the statue of the Roman emperor Tryan, is one of the most monumental public facilities from the Roman town of Augusta Triana. An amphitheater/auditorium consisting of nine rows of descending stone seats is found in the northern portion of the area. The upper part of the amphitheater is crowned with an arched colonnade. A facade of the town's thermal baths, built in the middle of the II century AD, was discovered directly behind the auditorium on an area stretching for 1 3/4 acres. To the west of the forum one can observe the fortress-like walls of the ancient town. The inside wall was built at the end of the II century and rebuilt, with increased thickness, in the 4th century. The outside wall was built at the end of the V Century AD. An antique city-center east-west street, with ridges from chariot traffic, crosses the stone open space and ends at the western gate of the town. The gate is 4.2 meters wide and has three doors- two that raise up and down and one two-winged.
SOUTH GATE OF AUGUSTA TRIANA
Exhibited in the lower level of an administrative building at 38 Ruskie Street, in a fortified section of the walls, are the remains of the entrance gate to the ancient town of Augusta Triana. This structure indicates that the gate was a square building measuring 64 square meters. Above the gate there was a two-story tower.
GEO MILEV HOUSE
The Geo Milev House and gardens, dedicated to the life and writings of the famous Bulgarian poet and writer, are located at 37 Geo Milev Street in Stara Zagora. Inside the home are trappings set as they were when Geo Milev lived there from birth until he left for university study at the beginning of the century. A newly build section, with photos and collages of his works gracing the walls, provides an intimate hall for films, performances and other cultural events.
19th CENTURY URBAN HOUSE MUSEUM
This house, built in 1883 by a master builder from Debar for the family of a Stara Zagora merchant, is located in the city center at 68 Dimitir Naumov Street in Stara Zagora. This late type symmetric style house, without portico, is typical of the times. Inside the house is an exhibition reflecting the lifestyle of Stara Zagora's citizens towards the end of the 19th century. Traditional locally made pieces and belongings are intermingled with imported pieces- bedroom furniture from Vienna, upholstered pieces and a teakettle, for the center of the table, from Russia. The clothing exhibition is typical of the time.
THE VALLEY OF KINGS
Located in the area around the town of Kazanluk is the Valley of Kings where you will find the Kazanluk Tomb from 3rd century BC, the Thracian Mausoleum at Ostrysha Mound from 4th & 3rd Century BC and the Thracian Tomb of Helvacius, Kolons & Griffins from 4th & 3rd Century BC.
THE FESTIVAL OF ROSES
The Valley of the Roses is magically transformed with breathtaking blooms in May and early June each year when "The Festival of Roses" is celebrated. The capital of the rose growing region is Kazanlak where rose picking rituals and folklore displays are presented. The Museum of the Rose Industry is also located in Kazanlak. East of Stara Zagora is the "Valley of the Roses". Every May and early June it is magically transformed into a sea of beauty with a glorious scent and fields of color as far as the eye can see. The Museum of the Rose Industry is located there.
Education
The standard of the educational system in Stara Zagora is extremely high. The leading position belongs to the Thracian University with its wide-range specialized and humanities programs in the fields of medicine, stock-breeding, agrarian business, ecology and social pedagogy. Specialized secondary schools train specialists in the fields of economy, electronics, mechanics, mathematics, biotechnology and chemistry, veterinary medicine, stock-breeding, music and arts.
The Stara Zagora Region has an extremely well-educated work force with economists, engineers - particularly in the high tech field, and many other highly skilled potential employees. Twenty percent of the work force is university graduates. Because Bulgarian labor costs are relatively low compared to Western standards, human resources are a valuable commodity to the potential investor. Stara Zagora workers are dedicated, responsible, extremely motivated, flexible, and eager to learn. The Stara Zagora regional educational system has exemplary standards and is led by Thracian University's state-of-the-art Higher Medical Institute and its Veterinary Medicine, Animal Science, Agribusiness, and Environmental programs. Forty-two hundred Bulgarian students and 800 students from 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America are trained in a curriculum adapted to European educational standards. Specialized secondary schools provide potential investors with a talent pool specifically trained in economics, electronics, mechanics, mathematics, biotechnology and chemistry, veterinary science, agriculture, music and the arts. The linguistic skills acquired in our accelerated secondary language schools will provide potential employers with a workforce fluent in English, German, French, Russian or Spanish. There are several specialized training institutions in Stara Zagora that can provide investors with training for their employees structured specifically to the employers' needs. The Bulgarian-German Training Center offers instruction in many phases of mechanical work, accounting, computer literacy, and numerous business courses. Agro-Center Farmer 2000 specializes in training mechanics and drivers for agricultural equipment and machinery. The fact that Stara Zagora has the largest high tech industry in Bulgaria has resulted in a hot bed of computer services including consulting and training centers specializing in all phases of computer and technical training.
Protected areas
The Moroyley Preserve
The protected natural objects in the District of Stara Zagora, with few exceptions, are situated in the forestry regions. Although it is not especially high (33.8%), the forest density of the district is a good prerequisite for the foundation of a wide network of protected natural objects. The area of the forest preserves alone together with their buffer zones has reached 4603.6 hectares, or 0.9% of the district's territory, which is very close to the average for the country - 1%.
The Sokolna Preserve
The Sokolna Preserve has the largest area in the district - 1250 hectares, and very interesting flora and fauna without any anthropogenic impact upon them. The spacious and difficult of access rock slopes, grown over with a typical forest vegetation, preserve habitats of rare and endangered animal species - the brow bear, the wild goat, the imperial eagle, the falcon, etc. There are habitats of local, relict and endangered plant species - the edelweiss, the lady's mantle, the European holly, etc. The preserve as a whole is a most interesting object for research work.
Kamentitsa Preserve
In the Kamentitsa Preserve, typical of the Shipka Balkan durmast and beech ecosystems, and also habitats of rare and local plant species and of some large animal species are situated upon an area of 1018.4 hectares. Remarkable geological and geomorphologic phenomena in the catchment area of the Tazha River are included in the Tazhansko Zhdrelo Preserve (886 hectares).
Eninsko Zhdrelo and Maglizhka Klisoura
The two proclaimed protected areas - Eninsko Zhdrelo (10 hectares) and Maglizhka Klisoura (242 hectares), preserve beautiful spots of the region's nature and offer very good conditions for tourism and recreation. There are still other potential protected objects which need research. Oak forests many centuries old are preserved in the Vetren Forest and the Toulovo Forest - remains of the Great Bulgarian Forest (Magna silva bulgarica).
A 1640th years old common oak
A 1640th years old common oak - the oldest tree in Bulgaria - rises at the centre of the village of Granit. Interesting rock formations with characteristic folklore names - Momite (the Lasses), Vkamenenata Svatba (the Weding Turned into Stone), Vinishki Kamak (the Vinitsa Stone), etc., the beautiful waterfalls Kademliisko Prasakalo, Babsko Praskalo, Tarnichensko Praskalo, etc., karst springs, caves and age-old trees complete the list of the district's natural sights under the protection of the law. There are also separate habitats of rare plant species - the yew, orchids, etc.
Administrative center
Stara Zagora (Bulgarian: Стара Загора) is a large city and an important economic centre of southern Bulgaria. It is located in Stara Zagora Province, about 231 km from Sofia. Its population is about 164,000. Stara Zagora is known as the city of straight streets, linden trees and poets. According to the city's chamber of commerce, it is one of the oldest settlements in Europe, being at least eight thousand years old. Stara Zagora is located in the Bulgarian part of the historical region of Thrace near the Bedechka River. The city is located in an area of transitional continental climate with a considerable Mediterranean influence. The average yearly temperature is 12,5°C. Assumption of Mary Orthodox ChurchStara Zagora is considered to be one of the oldest settlements in Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe. It was founded by the Thracians under the name Beroe (meaning "iron") about 6-5th millennium BC, with the Neolithic dwellings and the copper mine around the city being the oldest preserved ones in Europe. The area has been a mining region since Antiquity.Under the Roman Empire, the town was renamed in honor of Emperor Trajan to Augusta Trajana. At the time of the Byzantine Empire, it took the name Irinipolis after the Byzantine empress. The fortifications around the town were reconstructed because of fear of Bulgarian attacks, but Irinopolis and the whole Zagore region were incorporated into Bulgaria under Tervel in 717 as a Byzantine gift in acknowledgement of the Bulgarian help to fight back the Arabs besieging Constantinople. The region was the first Bulgarian territorial gain south of Stara Planina. The town acquired the name Boruy. In the year 1122 Stara Zagora (Beroia) was the site of a battle between Byzantine Emperor John II Komnenos and an invading Pecheneg army, the Battle of Beroia. The Pechenegs suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of John's Byzantine army, and many of the captives were settled as foederati within the Byzantine frontier. Stara Zagora was conquered by the Ottomans in 1371. A class school was built in 1840 and the town's name was changed to Zheleznik (a Slavic translation of Beroe) in 1854 instead of the Turkish Eskizağra, but was renamed once again to Stara Zagora in 1870. After the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule, it became part of autonomous Eastern Rumelia before the two Bulgarian states finally merged in 1886 as a result of the act of Unification of Bulgaria.
Surrounding areas
Kazanlak
Kazanlak is located at the foot of the Balkan Mountains, in the Kazanlak Valley, which is part of the Bulgarian Valley of the Roses, known for its beauty and fertility.
The climate is continental, with an average annual temperature of 10.7 degrees Centigrade. The municipality enjoys not very cold winters and warm and relatively humid summers. Soils are mostly cinnamon-forest in the hilly areas and highly productive alluvial types in the meadows. The population of the municipality is concentrated mainly in the town of Kazanlak.
Kazanlak is the second largest and important municipality in Stara Zagora regional economy. The town has a well-developed machine building sector: M+S Hydraulics, Caproni, Zino, Industrialtechnik, Hydropneumotechnica are representative of 90% of the national sector of hydraulics and pneumatics; Superabraziv is one of the few companies in the world manufacturing cutting tools with artificial diamonds for the processing of hard materials; Arsenal manufactures arms and metal-processing machines; Spring Factory manufactures springs designed for all industrial sectors; Arcomat, a subsidiary of Volkswagen – Turkey deals with assembling of electrical cables for the Volkswagen cars. Kazanlak is one of the centers of the Bulgarian textile industry. Kateks produces woolеn fabric mainly for export; Bulgaria – K makes thread for the clothing industry; Sevt produces non-woven textile and Filtex – artificial silk. In Kazanlak, capital of the rose-growing region, the century-long tradition of extracting rose oil and other essential oils are preserved and developed in the production of cosmetics, perfumes, pharmaceuticals and natural health products in Tomy Show Cosmetics, Bulgarska Roza - Sevtopolis and the spinoff company of the Institut of the Rose. Wood processing is developed in Parvi May-K, “Shipka Les” and Kremona, a company producing musical instruments. The most outstanding food processing company is Markeli dairy, producing one of the best quality Bulgarian yellow cheeses (kashkaval) in the country. Agriculture has a substantial share in the municipal economy. The specific climate and soils in this part of the Rose Valley are suitable for growing oil-bearing rose, mint, lavender, basil, other essential, medicinal and forage plants, as well as orchards and orchards. One of the largest cherry and sour cherry orchards can be found here. The single in Europe Institute of the rose, oil-bearing and medicinal plants is situated in Kazanlak. The Institute supplies seedlings and seeds for oil-bearing plants. Tourism in the municipality of Kazanlak is with established traditions and excellent prospects for future development based on the proximity to the picturesque reserve Central Balkan, the unique archeological sites, the oil-bearing rose industry and the rich cultural traditions of this ancient town. The numerous mountainous chalets rest houses and apart-hotels in Bulgaria in this part of the Balkan Mountain are well equipped and the area is suitable for recreation, winter sports training, hiking. In the summer time Koprinka dam is the most popular place. The facilities for water sports, fishing and the beach area attract many visitors. The natural mineral water springs of the village of Ovoshtnik are rich in fluorine and favourable for healing diseases of the nervous system, locomotion system, and gastric diseases. There is a beach with two mineral water pools for the summer season near the mineral baths.
Each year thousands of tourists from the country and abroad come to see the Rose Festival. The oil-bearing rose of Kazanlak and the attar (rose oil) has been the first “business card” of Bulgaria. In 18-19 c. the attar production was the main source of income for the population. The Rose Festival usually takes place at the beginning of June, when rose petals are ready for picking. The Museum of the Rose Industry can also be visited here. Close around the town there are nine Tracian tombs, two of which have world significance - Kazanlak's Thracian Tomb, which is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and The tomb of Ostrousha mound, the largest Tracian cult tomb, covering an area of 100 sq.m. Kazanlak is also known as ‘the 100 artist’s town and a hometown of many actors of national importance.
Chirpan
Chirpan is situated in the Upper Thracian Plaine, in the southwestern part of Stara Zagora District, Bulgaria. It covers an area of 522,9 sq. km. There are 20 villages and one town within the municipality. The municipal land is hilly and includes parts of Srenda Gora Mountain (the Chirpan Heights) to the north and part of the Maritsa River valley. The average altitude is around 240 m. and the climate is temperate continental. The climatic conditions are influenced by the mountain chains of Stara Planina (to the North) and the Rhodopes (to the South), stopping the winds. The average annual temperature is around 12° C. Winter is colder and the snow cover lasts longer than in the other parts of Stara Zagora Region. The best part of the agricultural land consists of fertile black earth, thus conducive to the development of agriculture. There are no industrial sites polluting the environment in Chirpan. The natural mineral water springs provide a great opportunity for the outside investor, interested in bottling quality mineral water. The city of Chirpan is located 39 km west of Stara Zagora and 56 km east of Plovdiv, very close to the crossing of two international highways – “Thrace” (which is to reach Bourgas in 2005) and “Maritsa” (from Sofia to Svilengrad). The investment in building their section within the region is an important basis for the future economic development of the municipality. All communities in the municipality are supplied with water and electricity, and modern telecommunications facilities.
Agriculture is the major sector in the economy. 281,000 decars of arable land are cultivated, but there are unused resources available. Grain crops are largely grown in the region, including industrial crops: wheat, barley, corn, sunflower, cotton, and vegetables. Essential oil plants have been introduced in the recent years: lavender, salvium and others. Cattle-breeding is well developed. Chirpan has favorable conditions for a large vine-growing industry with a tradition in the production of light and champagne wines in Noviko winery, a successor of Loviko – Chirpan. The Cotton and Wheat Research Institute in Chirpan has remarkable achievements in the selection of strains of durum wheat grown worldwide and serves as a dynamic asset in Bulgarian agricultural development.
The industry is represented by companies like Badeshtnost with facilities for the manufacturing of hydraulic cylinders and control valves; Hraninvest – ZNA, specialized in the manufacturing of stainless steel fittings for the food-processing industry; Charita manufacturing ladies’ clothing mainly for export to Western Europe; Jacquard Fabric in the textile industry; Evkom for the production of animal feeds and poultry. The existing production facilities and human capital in the region, and the raw input that agriculture provides to food and other processing industries, creates a high potential for industrial development.
There are favourable conditions in apart-hotels in Bulgaria also, for the development of tourism – cultural, eco-, rural and in other attractive forms, based on the natural beauty of the region and the unique historical background.
Radnevo
Radnevo is situated in the eastern part of the Upper Thracian Plain, covering an area of 545,2sq. m. It is one of the 11 municipalities within Stara Zagora District and itself comprises 22 communities. Radnevo area is flat, with an average altitude of 141,1 m above sea level. The region enjoys a mild climate with an average annual temperature around 12,1° C. The rich black earth with large humus stratum and moderate rainfall is highly beneficial to agriculture. The primary natural resources of the area are the lignite coalfields, part of the Maritsa East basin, where 57 % of the Bulgarian coal resources are concentrated (2,6 billion tons, in a 30 m high layer). There are some deposits of gypsum and marble, as well as aggregate material in the rivers, suitable for industrial extraction. All communities within the area are supplied with water and electricity, phone lines, and up-to-date telecommunications facilities.There is a mineral water spring with a temperature of 31° С in the village of Topolyane. Ovcharitsa Dam lies on an area of 627 hectars and is a favourable place for recreation and fishing.The area is an important transport point in the region. The Е-85 Russe – Kapitan Andreevo motorway, connecting Romania with Turkey and Greece, crosses the municipal territory. There are convenient road links with the district centre Stara Zagora (32 km), the capital Sofia (250 km) and the Back Sea ports of Bourgas (180 km) and Varna (310 km). The North to South railway, providing links to the whole country, also passes through Ranevo Municipality.
Radnevo is an important centre of the national lignite coal mining and power generating industries. It holds one of the highest ranks of GDP per capita in the country. There are 550 active companies in the municipality.Coal mining and electrical power generating are the leading sectors in the municipal economy. Low-calorie lignite coal is extracted in open mines covering an area of 103 sq. km.
Agriculture is the second major sector in the municipality. The agricultural land totals 373 sq. km. Vegetables are widely cultivated here and provide raw material for the food processing industry. The natural conditions are beneficial to cereal crops: wheat and barley, corn, also sunflower, cotton, and perennial plants: almonds, vineyards, cherries and plums. There are possibilities for the industrial growing of rice.
Outside investment was attracted in power generating, gas supply, water supply, mining and processing industries, and trade. There is a potential for attracting foreign investment in agriculture and fish breeding. A number of companies from Germany, USA, Italy, France and Turkey have manifested their interest in the areas industry.
Pavel Bania
The municipality of Pavel Bania, situated in the western part of the Valley of the Roses, is located between the Stara Planina and the Sredna Gora mountains. The Stara Planina mountain range with its wild beauty and pure air attracts tourists. The eastern part of the Stara Planina mountain range hosts Central Balkan National Park with its hiking trails. These valuable assets are certain to lead to the development of tourism in the area. It covers an area of 515 square kilometers, 117,138 decares of which is arable land and 28,000 hectares of woodland. Pavel Bania has two water sources making mineral water their primary natural resource. Clear subterranean water provides the water supply for the municipality of Pavel Bania as well as those of Kazanlak and Stara Zagora, with considerable deposits not fully utilized. This natural mountain water is lightly mineralized with an excellent taste quality offering real opportunities for creating a production facility for bottling and exporting. Natural hot spring water, with a temperature of 63 degrees Centigrade, plays a major role in the economy of the area and has been used for its curing properties since early Roman times. Pavel Bania’s health center with all the modern conveniences utilizes these waters in a facility that consists of several blocks, connected with a hydrothermal central system. The complex has a commerce center, pharmacy, restaurant, rehabilitation complex with consulting rooms and dental surgery, electrotherapy, a hydrotherapeutic establishment as well as many fitness and sports centers. The major companies in the municipality, Gabrovnitsa EAD and MZ Tazha specialize in producing wood materials, wrapping, packing and plywood. The specific natural resources of the region are favorable for cultivating cereals but also oil-yielding roses and other ethereal plants as well as herbal plants - lavender, mint, valerian and silibum. The advantageous climate for growing strawberries, raspberries, walnuts and hazelnuts is a valuable asset.
