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Central Northern Bulgaria >> Pavlikeni
It 230 km northeast of Sofia, 43 km north-west of Veliko Turnovo, 22 km south-east of Levski, about 40 km north-east of Sevlievo and about 50 km south-west of Byala.
History. Emigrant Paulicians who had come from Southern Bulgaria during the Middle Ages founded the town. They were followers of a religious heresy, which originated in Western Armenia during the 7th century. The settlement figured under the name of Balvikian or Pavlikian in documents of 1430. During the Liberation (1878), it was a small village. After the building up of the railway, line Sofia-Varna (1899) it developed as a handicraft and trade settlement. In 1943, it was proclaimed a town. Part of the population of the town professes the Catholic religion.
Landmarks: The Art Gallery (in the central part of the town, 1, Bacho Kiro Street, tel.: 0610 7149). The Zoo (in the southern end of the town, 75, 3rd March Blvd.).
Accommodation: The Poltava Hotel (in the centre of the town, 2, Svoboda Square). There are nice public catering establishments, too, which offer typical Bulgarian cuisine. One of them is the Strandzhata Restaurant (1, Al. Stamboliiski Street, working hours: 6.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m.).
Tourist information - at the hotel or in the town hall (4, Ruski Blvd., tel.: 0610 3580, 6195, 3526).
Transport. Bus and railway transport links the town. There are regular bus lines to Veliko Turnovo, Lovech, Pleven, Sevlievo, Levski, Polski Trumbezh, Suhindol, Byala Cherkva and other smaller settlements within the region. The bus station (32, 3rd March Blvd) and the railway station are next to each other and they are situated in the southwestern part of Pavlikeni. The town is a station at the main railway line Sofia - Gorna Oryahovitsa - Varna (Rousse).
Surrounding areas. A ceramic centre (of 2nd -3rd centuries) is found to the north-west of the town in the Vurbovski Livadi area (Willow Meadows) with a great number of pottery workshops and furnaces for the production of artistic, construction and everyday ceramics, and near it there is a country-house of a Thracian landowner with a lot of agricultural tools. The village of Gorna Stoudena is situated at the distance of 24 km to the north of the town, past the road Pleven - Rousse. There is a military-historical museum arranged in the building where the General Headquarters of the Russian Emperor Alexander II was located for some time during the Russian-Turkish War of Liberation. An old Russian cemetery is preserved in the northern part of the village. The small town of Byala Cherkva is situated at the distance of 4 km to the south of Pavlikeni. The town is birthplace of the hero of the April Uprising, the teacher Bacho Kiro, who set up the first chitalishte (community cultural centre) in a village in Bulgaria Selska Lyubov (Rural love) in 1869 and who led out 101 rebels from Byala Cherkva only during May 1876. The whole detachment of armed volunteers (over 200 people) under the leadership of Pop (Priest) Hariton, Peter Parmakov, Hristo Karaminkov and Bacho Kiro was defeated at the Dryanovo Monastery after a siege, which lasted for about 10 days. The people's teacher, enlightener, poet and traveller Bacho Kiro was hung in Turnovo on 28th May 1876. In the town, there is a monument to those who were killed in the Uprising as well as monuments to Bacho Kiro and Tsanko Tserkovski who was also born here. The famous Bulgarian Prof. Alexander Burmov was born in Byala Cherkva, too. A monument-belfry was built in 1929 next to the old white church St. Dimitur, in which there are built-in columns of the antique Nikopolis ad Istrum in honour of the Russian liberators. There is a town museum and a house museum of Tsanko Tserkovski. St. Yoan Monastery was situated at the distance of 4 km south-west of Byala Cherkva which was destroyed by the Turks during the Turnovo Uprising (1598) in which the local population also actively participated. There is a regular bus transport from Pavlikeni to the town as well as from Veliko Turnovo and Sevlievo. The town of Souhindol is situated at the distance of 14 km south-west of Pavlikeni - a big vine-growing and wine-producing centre. The prominent Hungarian traveller, scientist and artist Felix Kanits visited the old settlement in 1872. It was as early as in 1897 when its population used vine sprinklers and grapevines imported from France. In the eve of the Liberation as well as after it, Suhindol was a big cultural centre for its time. The community centre dates back to 1870 and the clock tower dates back to 1895. Newspapers were published here, too. In 1908, the first independent vine-growing and wine-producing co-operative company in Bulgaria was established here - Gumza. Nowadays, there is a great demand for the red Suhindol Gumsa on the international market, too and it is one of the best-sold Bulgarian wines. There is a museum and an art gallery in the town. The picture "Suhindol Maiden" painted by Felix Kanits in 1872 is preserved and exhibited in the art gallery. There is a regular bus connection between Pavlikeni and Suhindol. The Emenski Canyon and the Momin Skok (Maiden Jump) Waterfall declared as natural sights are situated at the distance of 16-17 km south-west of Pavlikeni, on the Negovanka River. There is a regular bus to the village of Emen.
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Central Southern Bulgaria
Batak, Bratsigovo, Peroushtitsa, Pazardzhik, Koprivshtitsa, Sopot, Karlovo, Kalofer, Hissarya - spa resort, Plovdiv, Asenovgrad, Chepelare, Smolyan, Devin, Pavel Banya, Kazanluk, Stara Zagora, Chirpan, Dimitrovgrad, Haskovo, Kurdzhali | Southeastern Bulgaria
Svilengrad, Elhovo, Yambol, Sliven, Kotel, Karnobat, Aitos, Malko Turnovo | Northwestern Bulgaria
Berkovitza, Chiprovtzi, Belogradchik, Vidin, Kozlodui, Oriahovo, Montana, Vratsa, Mezdra, Botevgrad, Etropole, Yablanitza, Cherven bryag, Loukovit, Lom | Central Northern Bulgaria
Teteven, Troyan, Apriltzi, Lovech, Pleven, Nikopol, Svishtov, Pavlikeni, Sevlievo, Gabrovo, Tryavna, Dryanovo, Elena, Veliko Turnovo, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Byala, Rousse | Southwestern Bulgaria
Petrich, Sandanski, Gotse Delchev, Bansko ski resort, Razlog, Blagoevgrad, Doupnitsa, Samokov, Kyustendil, Pernik, Pirdop and Zlatitsa, Panagyurishte, Kostenets, Velingrad | Northeastern Bulgaria
Pliska, Shoumen, Veliki Preslav, Turgovishte, Razgrad, Toutrakan, Silistra, Dobrich, Provadia | Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
Shabla, Roussalka, Kavarna, Balchik, Albena, Zlatni Pyasutsi (GOLDEN SANDS), St. St. Konstantin and Elena, Varna, Kamchia, Obzor, Elenite, Slunchev Bryag (SUNNY BEACH), Nessebar, Pomorie, Bourgas, Sozopol, Dyuni, Primorsko, Kiten, Tsarevo, Ahtopol | Bulgarian Mountains
Rila, Rila Monastery, Borovetz, Malyovitza, Pirin, Melnik and The Rozhen Monastery, Shiligarnika, Stara Planina (The Balkan Mountain), KOM - Emine Route, The Rhodope Mountains, Pamporovo, Bachkovo Monastery, Shiroka Luka, Vitosha |
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