landmark
Plovdiv Old Town
One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe, with colorful Revival-period houses perched on ancient hills above Roman ruins.
35 km · about 40 min drive
EuropeBulgariaPazardzhik
Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik, Bulgaria · Europe
About Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik sits on the route: 20 minutes from Septemvri, 47km from Wonderful Bridges.
Pazardzhik is in Bulgaria, with about 55,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Septemvri, about 18 km away.
Pazardzhik (Bulgarian: Пазарджик [ˈpazɐrd͡ʒik]) is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, southern Bulgaria. It is the centre of Pazardzhik Province and Pazardzhik Municipality. It is located in the Upper Thracian Plain and in the Pazardzhik-Plovdiv Field, a subregion of the plains. It is west ofRead more
Plovdiv, about 37 kilometres (23 mi), 112 kilometres (70 mi) southeast of Sofia and 288 kilometres (179 mi) from Burgas. The population is 55,220, as it has been growing around from the end of the 19th century to the end of the 20th century. The city reached its highest milestone, exceeding 80,000. Due to poor economic performance in Bulgaria during the 1990s and early 2000s, emigration of Bulgarians began, which affected Pazardzhik as well.
The history of Pazardzhik can be traced back to the 7th millennium BC, with early civilisations being brought from Asia-Minor. They were agro-pastralists and settled near Maritsa, Pazardzhik and Sinitovo. A clay idol named the Pazardzhik Venus was found in 1872. The Drougoubitai tribe settled in the early Middle Ages. Many different researches have all been disputed on the founding of Pazardzhik. One of them was that the city was founded in 1395 by nomads from Saruhan. Another one was three years later in 1398, the city was founded by the migration of Tatars from Actav to Rumelia. The third is about the establishment in 1418, where the Minnet Bey and the Tatars came from Isquilip, and the fourth thesis and the final one is the city's foundation from the resettled Crimean Tatar people. Rice cultivation intensified in the region, which made the economy of the city grow.
During the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812), there was a brief siege under Count Nikolay Kamensky. In the mid-19th century, it was an important craft and trade centre. Many institutions were established in this period. Тhe Church of the Dormition was first founded. Vasil Levski appointed the revolutionary committee in Pazardzhik as a second centre in 1872. Following 4 years after that, Georgi Benkovski resumed the activity of the committee. During the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Iosif Gurko wrestled the Ottomans out of the city and during the same period, Ovanes Sovadzhian prevented the annihilation of the city. The first reported Red Army troops entered Pazardzhik on 23 September 1944. After 9 September 1944, the city grew to an industrial centre, which in 1947 during nationalisation, began consolidation of industrial enterprises. There were demonstrations consisting of about 5,000 protesters, demanding to change to democracy.
The economy of Pazardzhik is now a slowly growing one. GDP per capita is 9,101 BGN in 2012. The average monthly salary was 635 BGN and unemployment was 5.2% in 2015. The economy today is mainly based on agriculture, which also includes animal breeding. Farms are mainly located in the fertile land of the Upper Thracian Plain. The landmarks of the city are the clock tower, Church of the Dormition, which has a wood-carved iconstasis protected by UNESCO, the History Museum, the old post office, the Drama Theatre and others.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Pazardzhik?
Within an hour or so of Pazardzhik: Plovdiv Old Town (35 km), Plovdiv Roman Theatre (35 km), Wonderful Bridges (47 km), Koprivshtitsa (48 km).
Are there any good drives near Pazardzhik?
The nearest famous roads are Trigrad Gorge, Troyan Pass (Beklemeto) and Shipka Pass.
Where is Pazardzhik?
Pazardzhik is in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria, about 18 km from Septemvri.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 55,220
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Region
- Pazardzhik
- Timezone
- Europe/Sofia
- Coordinates
- 42.1993, 24.3332
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Bulgaria
Vignette required for all roads outside towns.
Full driving guide for BulgariaTags
Worth the detour from Pazardzhik
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
ancient ruins
Plovdiv Roman Theatre
A remarkably well-preserved 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre seating 6,000 spectators, still hosting performances today.
35 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
Wonderful Bridges
Two natural marble rock arches formed by a collapsed cave in the Rhodope mountains, reached by a paved road with a car park.
47 km · about 55 min drive
landmark
Koprivshtitsa
Bulgaria's only town-museum: a Sredna Gora valley of cobbled lanes and brightly painted National Revival mansions where the 1876 April Uprising began. Six house-museums preserve the interiors of merchants and revolutionaries.
48 km · about 55 min drive
castle
Asen's Fortress
A medieval fortress ruin with a surviving 13th-century church on a rock spur above the Chepelare river, beside the Asenovgrad–Smolyan road.
50 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near Pazardzhik
5 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- 65 kmTrigrad GorgeNarrow Rhodope canyon road squeezing between 250 m marble cliffs to the Devil's Throat Cave, where a river thunders underground: one of Bulgaria's most dramatic drives.
- 68 kmTroyan Pass (Beklemeto)At 1,525 m the highest paved pass over the Balkan Mountains, following an old Roman road between Troyan and Karnare with hairpins, panoramic ridgeline views and the Arch of Freedom monument.
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