Central Southern Bulgaria
Kazanluk (54 021 inhabitants, 350 m above sea level) is a town located in the centre of the valley bearing the same name, whose eastern part is known beyond the boundaries of Bulgaria as the Valley of the Roses.
Introduction, History & Information
It is about 200 km east of Sofia, 55 km east of Karlovo, 48 km south of Gabrovo, 75 km west of Sliven, 35 km north-west from Stara Za-gora and 108 km north-east of Plovdiv. Kazanluk is an important industrial, historical and cultural centre. The town is the capital of the Roses (rose growing) in our country.
History: The first settlement on the territory of today’s Kazanluk was founded in Neolithic times. During the Eneolith and the Bronze Age life in the settlement went on. It was during the 5th-4th centuries BC that the Thracian town Sevtopolis, bearing the name of the Thracian King Sevt III ( now the ancient settlement is under the waters of the Koprinka Dam, 7 km. to the west of the town) was announced capital of the Thracian state of the Odrissi (a rich civilisation of the Tonzos valley - today’s Toundzha River). From those days are more than 12 burial tombs already found, the most important of which is, by no doubt, the Kazanluk tomb offering a unique insight into the life of the ancient Thracians.Today’s town of Kazanluk was established at the beginning of the 15th century. By the end of the 19th century Kazanluk had become well-known for its production of rose oil, copper plates and household articles, abi (coarse homespun wollen cloth and upper men’s garment made of it) gaitani (braids). Due to the loss of markets throughout the Ottoman Empire after the Liberation the crafts declined to give way to contemporary economic activities.
Accommodation: The Kazanluk Hotel (2, Rozova Dolina Blvd.) – 3-star hotel and the biggest in town with its 350 beds. Arsenal Hotel (52, P. D. Petkov Str.) – 3- star hotel, offers 2 suites and 21 rooms. Both hotels have their own restaurants. The Tourist Complex “MOSHI” - Krunsko Hanche Motel (3 km north of the town) has 12 double rooms and 4 suits, a restaurant and a bar.Apart from these, the town has many other establishments offering traditional local cuisine: Starata Kashta Restaurant (The Old House) (4, D-r Baev Str.), Kestenite Restaurant (The Wall-nut tree) (10, 19th February Str.) and many others.
Tourist information: Tourist Information Centre – 6100 Kazanlik (4, Knyaz Alexander Batenberg Blvd. - tel.: 0431 24917). Orlovo Gnezdo Tourist Association (10, Acad. P. Stainov Str.), at the hotels.
Transport: Kazanluk is an important transport centre. It is cut across by major motorway Sofia-Karlovo-Burgas and the respective railway line but also by main motorway from Rousse through Veliko Turnovo and Gabrovo in the direction of Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, and Haskovo. There are regular bus routes connecting the town with Gabrovo, Stara Zagora, Karlovo, Plovdiv, Lovech, etc. The bus station (tel.: 0431 22383) and the railway station (tel.: 0431 22012) are close to one another and are located in the southern part of the town.
