Pleven Location: The town of Pleven is situated on 150 m above the sea level in the central part of the Dunav Plain. From west, south and east the town is surrounded by Pleven Hills. The capital Sofia is 174 km away.
Pleven is a District town. It is big administrative. Economic, cultural and transport center. Climate: Pleven is located in a zone with temperate continental climate with big temperature amplitudes. The average year temperature is 11 degrees. The water sources for the town come from Vit and Tuchenishka river. History: The history of Pleven dates from thousands of years. From Thracian times in the area called Kailyka existed a settlement known with the name Strogozia, which in III- IV century the Romans turned into the Strogozia fortress. At the end of the VII century when the Bulgarians settled on these lands this place is called Kamenetz. North from Kamenetz another settlement was created and it was called Pleven. It took a while until the two settlements merged into one. The first official document which mentions a town called Pleven, dates from 1266. During the Middle ages the town is known as craft and trade center. The town was badly affected from the Otoman invasion in IVX century. Despite the strenuous fight the town was destroyed. Big part of the population was killed or driven away. In 1595 Pleven suffered again when the Wallachian lieder Mihail the Brave conquered the city. During XVII and XVIII century the Bulgarian population increases and takes the trade and the craft in its hands. Cultural life starts to develop as well. In XIX century the town is famous in whole Balkan Peninsula and Anadola with its market for cattle and sheep. In 1825 a Bulgarian secular school starts activity in Pleven. In 1840 the first girls' school in Bulgaria opens in Pleven. A year later the boys have a school in Pleven too. On 6-th of May 1869 the Bulgarian National Hero Vasil Levski forms in Pleven the first secret revolutionary committee. The population of the Pleven actively participates in the National Fight for Liberation. Pleven gets famous world wide during the Russian -Turkish liberating war in 1877-1878 when the city is a strong fortress tenaciously protected by the Turks. A system of defending machines and equipment is built around Pleven. The story of the liberation of Pleven is a story of heroes , struggle and unbelievable will for freedom! Pleven is a strategic point in the liberation war. The city quickly develops and expands after the liberation. A lot of people from the surrounding Troyan and Teteven areas moved to Pleven. The newly built rail way Sofia Pleven has enormous impact on the economic growth of Pleven Sight Seeing:
Almost all Sights in Pleven are connected with the Liberation War. More than 200 monuments remind the bloodshed of these times. The Symbol of the town is the Mausoleum Charnel House of the killed Russian and Romanian soldiers. The monument has been build with voluntary donations of the Bulgarian population. Not far from this Mausoleum is the Museum " The Bulgarian Liberation-1877". In the south-west part of the city , formed on more than 1200 thousand sq.m attractive for tourists are number of monuments and museum houses from these times. Here is the Pleven's Panorama built in honor of 100 years from the war. Modern Pleven:
Nowadays Pleven is a modern town, providing business opportunities for Bulgarian and foreign investors. Pleven is the seventh biggest city in Bulgaria. In case you are around do not miss to have a day around - a walk in the park or a shopping round in the city.
The park is called Kailyka and is licated south of Pleven. It is a reserve area about 10 000 decars large situated in a Karst Valley . The park is surrounded by sheer cliffs which provides good opportunities for cliff climbing.
The park benefits from artificial lakes with water-wheels and boats. A lot of cafes , restaurants and hotels provide perfect comfort to their visitors. The Zoo of Pleven is also in Kailyka park. |