Stamboliyski: Landscape and Leisure

Several distinct reference points help you find your way around Stamboliyski: a railway line and an Eco Park in the town, as well as landscape and cultural features at the municipality level. This distinction shows which features relate to Stamboliyski itself and which belong to the wider destination and its other local areas.

Railway Line and Orientation

The Sofia–Plovdiv–Svilengrad railway line runs through Stamboliyski. Its route is a geographical point of reference.

The Besapara Landscape

The eastern slopes of the Besapara ridges lie in the western part of Stamboliyski Municipality and are considered of interest to visitors. The Besapara Hills are rounded marble hills arranged in four rows. This gives the region a clearly describable landscape for anyone interested in geology and scenery when choosing a destination.

Leisure at Eco Park

Eco Park is next to the N. Y. Vaptsarov Center. A description dated May 26, 2026 lists swings, slides and trampolines, as well as a climbing and jumping area. A zip line and a tower are highlighted as the main attractions. The description also lists shaded tables and benches suitable for picnics, and mentions parking. It lists more than 20 facilities; this number may change. Check the park’s current amenities before visiting.

A mini golf course is next to Eco Park. Check whether it is available before your visit. This lets you consider the course and the park as separate leisure options, without assuming that the mini golf course is part of the park.

Nature and History Across the Municipality

At the municipality level, the Maritsa is one of the most important waterways flowing through the territory of Stamboliyski Municipality. The ancient Via Militaris, also known as the Via Diagonalis, also passes through the municipality: from the land belonging to Trivoditsi, through the town of Stamboliyski, towards Plovdiv. The surviving section south of Trivoditsi is designated as an archaeological immovable cultural asset of national importance. A medieval fortress and settlement in the Besapara Hills, located in the Baba area near Novo Selo, are registered as archaeological sites.

Another regional point of reference is the state hunting reserve “Krichim” in Kurtovo Konare, Stamboliyski Municipality, on the Vacha River terrace. The reserve’s protected area includes a park with an extensive ornamental plant collection covering 20.6 hectares. Magnolias, Japanese cherries and various peony varieties are plentiful there. The reserve is home to fallow deer, mouflons, wild turkeys and pheasants.

Regional Food Culture in Kurtovo Konare

Within the wider Stamboliyski destination, Kurtovo Konare offers its own cultural and varietal context. In 1894, the first kilogram of red pepper in Bulgaria was ground at Alexander Dimitrov’s mill there. Kurtovska Kapia is a traditional Kapia-type pepper variety. It is suitable for outdoor cultivation and fresh consumption, as well as for processing, such as roasting, pickling and making purées and lyutenitsa. The Kurtovka apple is a local variety from Kurtovo Konare, and its name comes from the place. The “Red Kurtovka” peach is also part of the regional varietal tradition: it was selected at Krichim Palace in the late 1930s and subsequently spread among households in Kurtovo Konare.

The Kurtovo Konare Festival takes place every year in the second week of September in Kurtovo Konare and lasts three days. Exact dates and the program vary from year to year; check the dates when planning your trip. A bean variety called “Popski bob” is grown by around ten households and has been offered in limited quantities at the festival since 2015. Availability may vary.

For the broader travel overview: Stamboliyski.