natural wonder
Seven Rila Lakes
A chain of seven stunning glacial lakes stacked at different elevations in the Rila Mountains, each named for its distinctive shape.
32 km · about 35 min drive
EuropeBulgariaKyustendil
Bobov Dol
Kyustendil, Bulgaria · Europe
About Bobov Dol
Bobov Dol sits on the route: 30 minutes from Dupnitsa, 32km from Seven Rila Lakes.
Bobov Dol is in Kyustendil, Bulgaria, with about 6,200 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Dupnitsa, about 15 km away.
Bobov Dol (Bulgarian: Бобов дол [ˈbɔbovˌdɔɫ]; also Bobovdol) is a town in Bobov Dol Municipality, Kyustendil Province, southwestern Bulgaria. Bobov Dol lies near the geographic centre of the Balkan Peninsula and is known for its coal mines and thermal power plant. The third-largest town in the province (afterRead more
Kyustendil and Dupnitsa), it is the administrative centre of Bobov Dol municipality.
Located in a mountainous region, it is surrounded on three sides by the mountain Konyavska Planina, with the Gologlavski Rid ridge to the north and east and the volcano-resembling peak of Kolosh to the west. To the south is the Razmetanitsa plain which reaches the valley of the Struma River. The town's name (literally "bean valley") may allude to the bean-shaped valley where the original village, now the Hristo Botev neighbourhood, is located; the name was first mentioned in 1576. To the east is the other town part of Bobov Dol, the newer Minyor neighbourhood in the Bankovitsa area which dates to 1954 and mostly consists of tower blocks.
Bobov Dol was first mentioned in an Ottoman tax register of 1576, although the area had been inhabited by the Thracians in antiquity and was part of the medieval Bulgarian Empire, as well as the Byzantine Empire. Although in the 1830s the geologist Ami Boué visited the region and studied the local coal deposits, it was not until after the Liberation of Bulgaria that extraction began, namely in 1891. On 30 September 1967, the village of Bobov Dol was proclaimed a town. The Bobov Dol Thermal Power Plant was built between 1973 and 1975, 10 kilometres from the town, at the village of Golemo Selo. During the Socialist era, Bobov Dol attracted many workers as it experienced an economic and demographic boom, with groups of workers arriving from as far as Nicaragua in the 1980s.
Notable natives include football manager Georgi Vasilev (born 1946) and Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski (born 1960). The local football club, PFC Minyor Bobov dol, plays in the second division of Bulgarian football, B PFG.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Bobov Dol?
Within an hour or so of Bobov Dol: Seven Rila Lakes (32 km), Rila Monastery (38 km), Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (46 km), Rila National Park (50 km).
Are there any good drives near Bobov Dol?
The nearest famous roads are Petrohan Pass, Iskar Gorge and Troyan Pass (Beklemeto).
Where is Bobov Dol?
Bobov Dol is in Kyustendil, Bulgaria, about 15 km from Dupnitsa.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 6,184
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Region
- Kyustendil
- Timezone
- Europe/Sofia
- Coordinates
- 42.3638, 22.9983
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Bulgaria
Vignette required for all roads outside towns.
Full driving guide for BulgariaTags
Worth the detour from Bobov Dol
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Rila Monastery
Bulgaria's most important UNESCO-listed monastery, a stunning 10th-century complex adorned with vivid frescoes nestled in the Rila Mountains.
38 km · about 45 min drive
cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
A neo-Byzantine cathedral in Sofia and one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world.
46 km · about 55 min drive
national park
Rila National Park
Bulgaria's largest national park encompassing the highest peak in the Balkans (Musala, 2,925m) with alpine lakes, glacial valleys, and dense pine forests.
50 km · about 55 min drive
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