Pazardzhik Province: Urban History, Archaeology and Mountain Trails

In Freedom Island Park in Pazardzhik, a 1,014-metre-long bench with seating for 2,020 people is considered the longest bench in Bulgaria. Pazardzhik Province also caters to a range of travel interests, from urban history and archaeological sites to hiking and nature around Velingrad and Yundola.

Pazardzhik: Architecture, Museums and Urban History

The 17th-century Kurshum Mosque is an architectural cultural monument of local significance and the only one of the city's twenty Ottoman mosques to have survived. The lapidarium at the Regional History Museum offers another perspective on historic architectural forms. It displays statues, street columns, altars, stone cult figures, and building elements such as capitals, columns and architraves.

Pazardzhik's cultural attractions also include an ethnographic exhibition, the Stanislav Dospevski Art Gallery, the Stanislav Dospevski House Museum and the Georgi Gerasimov House Museum. At Freedom Island Park, sports courts, exercise equipment, an athletics track and a cycling track add to the activities on offer. There are also pedal-boat rides, an open-air collection of more than fifty sculptures, and a zoo with more than thirty animal species. The park brings together exercise, outdoor art and wildlife viewing.

The city's image is also shaped by its trading history: historically, Pazardzhik developed as a storage and market centre on the Maritsa for grain, rice, wine, Rhodope timber and Samokov iron. The city was also associated with rice, hemp, wine, tobacco and vegetables. The region's agriculture includes grain, rice, vegetables and fruit, as well as vineyards, orchards, berries, nuts, oil-bearing plants and aromatic plants.

Archaeological Sites and Historic Places

The Yunatsite settlement mound brings together finds from different periods. These include eight Chalcolithic settlements, seventeen Early Bronze Age settlements and two from the Late Iron Age, as well as a Roman fortification and a medieval necropolis. The site has been inhabited for more than 7,000 years. Finds point to developed craft production and trade contacts reaching the Aegean coast.

A written request must be submitted three days in advance to visit Yunatsite between May and September; visitors are accompanied by a museum staff member. The site is closed during the other months. Check the visiting conditions before travelling.

The Peristera Fortress is located in Peshtera. A megalithic complex with steps cut into the rock is considered a probable remnant of a Thracian sanctuary. The fortress was declared a cultural monument of national significance in 2012, and its south tower was restored as a museum. The site has rest shelters, an accessible path, an information centre, parking and a playground. Peristera offers guided and staged visits, is open to visitors year-round, and can be reached by public transport. Check the visiting arrangements before you go.

Batkunion Fortress and the Church of St Demetrius are located in Patalenitsa. The church dates from the 12th to 13th century and is a national cultural monument. Tsepina is another place with a notable history: the fortress is considered a site of national significance and the last Bulgarian fortress in southern Bulgaria to be captured by Ottoman forces, in 1373 after a nine-month siege.

Velingrad, Yundola and the Mountain Landscape

Bulgaria's Velingrad thermal mineral spring is considered the largest in the country, and its waters have been used since antiquity. More than thirty marked eco-trails around Velingrad and Yundola form part of tourist routes. Guided hikes last between one and four hours—a useful range to keep in mind when planning time for a walk.

The Kurtovo area near Yundola has a ski slope, a drag lift, a small riding centre and marked hiking trails. Facilities and operating conditions may change; check current availability before visiting. The Pashovi Rocks near Yundola are a protected natural monument. From there, the view extends over nearby villages and the Rhodopes, Rila and Pirin; protected plant species also grow there.

In the uplands between Velingrad and Yakoruda, the narrow-gauge railway is considered the only alternative transport option to larger towns for some communities. If you plan to include the train in your itinerary, check the timetable before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Bratsigovo, Velingrad, Batak, Pazardzhik, Panagyurishte, Peshtera, Strelcha, Rakitovo, Pazardzhik, Septemvri, Velingrad, Lesichovo.

For the broader travel overview: Bulgaria.