About us

The extravagant generosity of nature, the crossroads, the strategic position and the thousand-year history make up the notion of a modern city, named after the genius Bulgarian revolutionarie Hristo Botev.
In the immediate vicinity of the Stara Planina passes Arabakonak and Vitinja, Botevgrad is located on the shortest road that connects Northern Bulgaria with the capital Sofia, 47 km northeast of it. It is located in the western part of the picturesque valley of the same name, with a total area of 505 square kilometers, and an average altitude of 305 m. Here, nature in an incredible way combined the serenity and fertility of the Botevgrad field with the size and beauty of the western chain of the Stara Planina and the pre-Balkan hills. In the northwest rises Rzana mountain, extended to the west and southwest by separate parts of Velika planina. The highest mountain that rises above Botevgrad is Murgash, with the eponymous peak / 1687 m /. To the southeast is a beautiful mountain range from Mount Bilo.
Many rivers that descend through the slopes, diverse vegetation and rich fauna complement the natural wealth of Botevgrad and the region.
Favorable climatic conditions and good geographical position predetermine the millennial development of the settlements around today's city. The first traces of human presence in the valley date back to the 5th millennium BC. Numerous remains of fortresses, settlements and necropolises testify to the rich Thracian presence in the area.
The first settlement, of a name unknown to us, which is located about 5 km west of today's city, bears all the hallmarks of the spiritual and material culture of its Thracians. Due to the invasion of barbarian tribes, the inhabitants of the settlement retreated to a more protected mountain area. The new settlement is called Zelin and has existed for more than a millennium.
Today's city was founded on the site of a settlement that was first mentioned in the Ottoman registers from the 16th century under the name Samundjievo. Favorable climatic conditions, the location of the road that connects the western Turkish provinces with the Danube cities and the busy market have attracted residents from neighboring villages, especially from Zelina, which is gradually declining.
In 1865, the village was declared a town and a district administrative center with a new name, Orhanie. A year later, the Clock Tower was built, a unique architectural monument and a symbol of today's city.
In the last decade before the liberation of Bulgaria, the city became a participant and witness to events related to its struggle for independence. The idea of national liberation attracted the local population and in 1871, Vasil Levski founded a secret revolutionary committee in Orhani. After the organization was discovered, 10 of its members were convicted and sent into exile.
In 1876, 12 heads of killed rebels from the detachment of Hristo Botev were brought to the nearby village of Skravna, and they were buried in the churchyard. During the Russian-Turkish war of liberation from 1877 to 1878, the locals actively supported General Gurko's western detachment in the winter crossing of Stara Planina, and 35 Orhani volunteers signed up and participated in the heroic battles near Shipka and Stara Zagora.
After liberation, the city experienced years of economic progress and crises, wars and many political changes. In 1934, the name of the city of Orhania was changed to the name of the great Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev.
Botevgrad is connected with a number of prominent personalities who have made a valuable contribution of national importance in the field of science and culture. Among them are Stamen Pancev - a prominent local activist and poet, acad. prof. Dr. Stojan Romanski, acad. prof. Dr. Toshko Petrov, acad. prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov and many others.
Botevgrad was a natural administrative, economic and cultural center in the region until the settlement was declared a city in 1866.
Today, the city is the center of the municipality, which consists of 12 villages with almost 40 thousand inhabitants, of which 24 thousand are in the city.
Beautiful nature, architectural and historical sights and well-developed infrastructure are gifts with which Botevgrad welcomes its guests and visitors.