cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
A neo-Byzantine cathedral in Sofia and one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world.
27 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeBulgariaPernik
Pernik
Pernik, Bulgaria · Europe
About Pernik
Pernik is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Batanovtsi, 50km from Seven Rila Lakes.
Pernik is in Bulgaria, with about 82,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Batanovtsi, about 6 km away.
Pernik (Bulgarian: Перник [ˈpɛrnik]) is a town in western Bulgaria (about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south-west of Sofia) with a population of 70,285 as of 2021. Pernik is the most populated town in western Bulgaria after Sofia. It is the main town of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in theRead more
Pernik Valley between the Golo Bardo Mountain, Vitosha Mountain, Lyulin and Viskyar mountains.
Pernik is the principal town of Pernik Province – a province in western Bulgaria, which is next to the Serbian border.
Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC, and later a Roman settlement, Pernik became part of the Bulgarian Empire in the early 9th century as an important fortress. The medieval town was a key Bulgarian stronghold during Bulgarian tsar Samuil's wars against the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century, when it was governed by the local noble Krakra of Pernik, withstanding Byzantine sieges a number of times.
From 1396 until 1878 the town was under Ottoman rule. In the 20th century Pernik developed rapidly as a centre for coal mining and heavy industry. During the Communist rule of Bulgaria it was called Dimitrovo between 1949 and 1962 after Bulgarian Communist leader Georgi Dimitrov.
The Surva International Festival of the Masquerade Games (simply called Surva) is held in the town every January. Surva is an International Kukeri Festival in Pernik, Bulgaria and is one of the biggest masquerade festival on the Balkans and Eastern Europe. It is held in the last three days of January each year.
Economically Pernik is an industrial town. Industry is of vital importance for the economy of the province. Pernik is the major manufacturing centre, one of the largest in the country with the Stomana steel complex; heavy machinery (mining and industrial equipment); brown coals, building materials and textiles being the most important. Near Pernik there is an enormous plant for heavy machinery in smaller town Radomir which produces excavators and industrial equipment, but is currently not working at full capacity.
Pernik has two football teams, PFC Minyor Pernik and FC Metalurg Pernik.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Pernik?
Within an hour or so of Pernik: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (27 km), Seven Rila Lakes (50 km), Rila Monastery (57 km), Petrohan Pass (59 km).
Are there any good drives near Pernik?
The nearest famous roads are Petrohan Pass, Iskar Gorge and Troyan Pass (Beklemeto).
Where is Pernik?
Pernik is in Pernik, Bulgaria, about 6 km from Batanovtsi.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 82,467
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Region
- Pernik
- Timezone
- Europe/Sofia
- Coordinates
- 42.5967, 23.0332
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Bulgaria
Vignette required for all roads outside towns.
Full driving guide for BulgariaTags
Worth the detour from Pernik
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
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.
50 km · about 55 min 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.
57 km · about 65 min drive
mountain pass
Petrohan Pass
Forested 1,444 m pass over the western Balkan Mountains between Sofia and Montana, a favourite Bulgarian driving road with tight bends, beech woods and a summit dam lake.
59 km · about 70 min drive
Driving roads near Pernik
- 59 kmPetrohan PassForested 1,444 m pass over the western Balkan Mountains between Sofia and Montana, a favourite Bulgarian driving road with tight bends, beech woods and a summit dam lake.
- 62 kmIskar GorgeBulgaria's longest gorge, threaded by road and rail north of Sofia; the route twists beneath the sheer Lakatnik Rocks and past cliff-top monasteries along the Iskar River.
- 78 kmVratsata GorgeShort but stunning pass road just outside Vratsa, running between the highest vertical limestone walls in the Balkans: a favourite of climbers and a striking gateway drive into the Vratsa Balkan.
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