Velingrad is one of the oldest, most beautiful and most popular Bulgarian spa resorts. It is situated in the middle of the wonderful natural surrounding of the Western Rhodopes, 86 km southwest of Plovdiv and 133 km from the capital Sofia.

Thracians, Slavs, Byzantines, Romans, and Ottomans have shaped the town’s history.

The vicinities of Velingrad have breath-taking beauty, such as magnificent coniferous and deciduous forests, spacious flower-sprinkled meadows and crystal-pure waters. The most known localities are Yundola, Belmeken, Kourtovo, and Chernovruh. The dam lakes of Batak, Dospat and Belmeken are favorite spots for hikers and fishermen alike.
Together with the numerous mineral waters Velingrad takes pride in another natural phenomenon as well – the Kleptuza. This is the biggest Karst spring in Bulgaria with a flow of 570 liters per second.

However, the greatest treasure of Velingrad are the 80 mineral springs with temperatures varying from 22 to 48C, used for treatment of a number of diseases. The abundance of mineral springs and resort facilities, the mild climate and the beautiful surrounding areas make Velingrad a desirable destination.

ABOUT THE TOWN OF YAMBOL

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The town of Yambol has population of 94 345 inhabitants and it is at 135 meters above the sea level. It is situated in the eastern part of the Gornotrakiiska valley. It is at 37 km. north of Elhovo, 106 km. west of Bourgas, 28 km. south – east of Sliven, 304 km. east of Sofia. It is one of the oldest Bulgarian towns.
HISTORY

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The earliest traces of communal life were discovered in the dozens of pre – historic living mounds. The so called Racheva and Marcheva mounds are located on the territory of the present day town. Some of the finds recovered there are kept in the Archeological museum in Sofia, and predominantly in the Museum of History in Yambol. The ancient town sprang up as a Thracian settlement called “Kabile” at an important crossroads. Later it became a significant fortress. During the Roman domination the town reached its prime. On his way trough the town in 293 emperor Diokletian gave it the name of “Disopolos”. It existed till 378 when the Goths destroyed it. The first written information dates back to 6 th century. Since 11 – 14 th centuries it was mentioned as a Bulgarian town having different names – “Diosopolis”, “Dublino”, etc. The town was among the first to put up resistance to the Ottomans. It was conquered in 1373 after a long siege. Part of the imposing fortress walls and towers of medieval, Yambol have been preserved till this very day. During the Turkish rule many Turks settled to live here, and after the Russian – Turkish war of 1829 many Bulgarians from the town and the vicinity emigrated to Russia. The town is a native place of the revolutionaries Radi Kolesov, Zahari Velichkov, etc. The Russian armies liberated the town in January 1878. In memory of this act the people built and inaugurated the St. Alexandar Nevski Temple – the first monument of the Bulgarian – Russian friendship in Bulgaria.
LANDMARKS

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The “St. George” church (45, “St. Georgi” str.) dates back to 1737 and it was the center of cultural and religious life. A monastery school was opened in 1805, and in 1857 a class school where Dobri Chintolov was a teacher in the period between 1857 and 1862.
Eski Mosque from 15 th century is the only preserved Muslim worship place in Yambol. The Museum of History ( 2 “Byalo More” str.) – working hours: 8.00 – 12.00 a.m. and 1.00 – 5.00 p.m.
The “George Papazov” Art Gallery, housed in an interesting antique building it is one of the richest galleries in the country. It possesses more than 3 000 works of dozens of outstanding Bulgarian and foreign painters. The town park of Yambol is very beautiful. It is an island in the Tundja river.
TRANSPORT

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There are bus lines to Sliven, Nova Zagora, Elhovo, Sredets, etc. The bus station is situated near the market place (+359 46/23654, 24417). The town is a point on the railway line Sofia –Plovdiv –Bourgas. The railway station (+359 46/22626, 22254) is in the eastern part of the town. There is a railway bureau for reservations in the town (+359 46/22121).
SURROUNDING AREAS

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The Archaeological reserve “Kabile” is situated north of the town. It preserves the ruins of the most significant antique Thracian town of Kabile which has been investigated for more than 25 years. The remains are really impressive. The St.St.Spas and Alexander Nevski temple on the peak of Bakadjik, 14 km. south – east of Yambol. Its construction was suggested by General Skobelev, and realized with the help of the voluntary donations from Bulgaria and Russia. A favorite place of the inhabitants of Yambol for having a rest is the wood Ormana near the Tundja River, 5 km north to the town. The lowlands of Bakadjitsite are a wonderful sight for tourism because of the deciduous woods.

The remains of an ancient castle can be seen near the little town of Provadia. The fortress carried the name Ovech.

According to historians, Ovech was part of a Byzantine defense system, hindering the invasion of northern tribes.

When it came under Bulgarian control, the fortress played key role in many battles during the First Bulgarian Kingdom.

Ovech is situated on a high, rocky hill. A narrow strip of land connects the stronghold with another hill, Tabiite. Legends tell how wheat and food were stored in the nearby caves to supply locals in case of a siege.

Byzantines, Ottomans and knights captured the fortress many times. King Ivan Alexander ordered the confinement of three prisoners in the fortress in 1366. The knights Amadeus of Savoy and the marshal of burgundy were two of them. They were captured by the Ovech army during the battle for Varna.

Small portion of the fortress walls have remained intact till present day. The remains are sufficient to draw a picture and imagine the castle’s dimensions. An 80 m deep well that supplied the fortress with water can be seen as well.

Gorna Oryahovitsa is a town in northern Bulgaria, situated in Veliko Tarnovo Province, between the towns of Veliko Tarnovo and Dolna Oryahovitsa. The nearby village of Arbanasi is an architectural reserve with a large number of historical monuments, such as medieval churches and examples Bulgarian National Revival architecture.

Early history
The first settlement in the area dates back to the second half of the 5th millennium BC (Middle Neolithic Age). There are traces of a later Thracian settlement between the Kamaka (The Stone) Hill and the Arbanasi Plateau. Its inhabitants were from the tribe of Krobizi. They erected the Kamaka Fortress that existed from the 5th century BC to the 1st century BC, when the Romans built up their own fortified settlement over its ruins. It gradually acquired economic power mainly through cultivating grapes and producing wine. The life of that settlement continued up to the coming of the Slavs (6th-7th century). There is no substantial evidence of settled life between the 7th and the 12th century.Middle Ages
After the restoration of the Bulgarian State at the end of the 12th century, a need arose for protection of the new metropolis Tarnovgrad. Several fortresses were built, including Rahovets (4 km northwest of the modern town). The main purpose of the strongholds was to protect the roads leading to the Bulgarian capital Tarnovgrad. The name Rahovets means ‘road fortress’ (from Persian rah, meaning ‘road’). The medieval fortress gave its name to the modern town, even though with some Slavic twist.

During the Ottoman invasion the fortress was conquered by the Ottomans after its water pipeline was cut off (without destroying the fortress). Rahovets existed up to the year 1444 when King W?adys?aw Warne?czyk during his campaign against the Ottomans destroyed it. Three individual small villages existed during the first centuries of Ottoman rule there – Mala (Little), Sredna (Middle) and Golyama (Greater) Rahovitsa.

Development and growth
During the Bulgarian National Revival Gorna Oryahovitsa gradually turned into an economically strong settlement. Crafts prospered and trade was among the most active in Northern Bulgaria. Every Friday there was a big market for cattle, agricultural production, timber, and charcoal. As early as 1822 a monastery school was opened here and in 1827 a private school that became public in 1835 began functioning. In 1850 the first girls’ school opened gates and in 1859 the first intermediate high school was founded. A chitalishte (library and community centre) was opened in 1869. Gorna Oryahovitsa was proclaimed a town in 1870, when it numbered 4,700 inhabitants and had 1,200 houses and 5 churches.

Revolutionary struggles
The population of the town took part in the struggle for national liberation. Vasil Levski organised a revolutionary committee in Gorna Oryahovitsa during the first half of 1869 and later visited the town two more times. During the preparation of the April Uprising Gorna Oryahovitsa was designated as a centre of the First Revolutionary District with Stefan Stambolov as Chief Apostle. After the failure of the April Uprising, Georgi Izmirliev “Makedoncheto” (the Macedonian), one of the local leaders, was hanged in the centre of Gorna Oryahovitsa. His last words were: “How good it is to die for the freedom of the Fatherland!”. Three citizens of Gorna Oryahovitsa fought in Hristo Botev’s detachment of armed volunteers and 132 people joined the Bulgarian volunteer forces during the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation. The Imperial Russian Army liberated Gorna Oryahovitsa from Ottoman rule on 26 June 1877.

Liberated Bulgaria
After the Liberation the town developed as a significant transport (predominantly railway) centre as it is nowadays. Its proximity with the old metropolitan town of Veliko Tarnovo, tourist centre Arbanasi, the monasteries around and a great number of other sites of interest makes it a known tourist destination.

Economy
Gorna Oryahovitsa is an important producer of sugar and sugar products in Bulgaria. Apart from the major sugar factory Sugar Plants Ltd. the town also has numerous smaller firms producing sweets and pastries.