Southwestern Bulgaria
The town of Blagoevgrad (71 361 inhabitants, 430 m above sea level) is one of the largest towns in South- Western Bulgaria. It is situated at the foot of the south-western slopes of Rila mountain, on both banks of Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River, within the river-basin of the big Bulgarian River Strouma.
Introduction & History
It is situated 101 km south of the capital city Sofia, 53 km north-west of Razlog, 65 km north of Sandanski. The town is the main centre of Bulgarian Macedonia. There are 30 mineral springs in catchment with temperature up to 55oC. This makes it a spa resort. It is a regional administrative centre as well.
History: The town originated at the place of the ancient Thracian settlement Skaptopara, evidence of which we find in the notorious Skaptoparski inscription from 238. As the town of Gorna Dzhoumaya it was mentioned for the first time in 1502, and with the name Banya - in 1576. In the past the town was an important roadside fortress. In 17th century monks from the Rila Monastery opened an monastery school. During the second half of 18th and the beginning of the 19th century the town developed as a big centre of craftsmanship and commerce. After the Berlin Treaty, Gorna Dzhoumaya (until 1950 the town had this name) remained within the borders of Turkey and for this reason it turned into the cradle of resistance and people’s unity. The population actively took part in the uprisings that followed. The town was liberated on 5th October 1912 (the Balkan War) and then had only 7000 inhabitants.
