landmark
Buzludzha Monument
A colossal flying-saucer-shaped Communist monument abandoned on a 1,432m Balkan peak.
39 km · about 45 min drive
EuropeBulgariaStara Zagora
Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora, Bulgaria · Europe
About Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora sits on the route: 20 minutes from Elkhovo, 46km from Shipka Pass.
Stara Zagora is in Bulgaria, with about 120,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Elkhovo, about 18 km away.
Stara Zagora (Bulgarian: Стара Загора, pronounced [ˈstarɐ zɐˈɡɔrɐ]) is a city in Bulgaria, and the administrative capital of Stara Zagora Province. It is located in the Upper Thracian Plain, near the cities of Kazanlak, Plovdiv, and Sliven. Its population is 121,582 making it the fifth largest city of Bulgaria.
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city has had different names previously, including Beroe, Borui, Irenepolis, Eski Zagra, Augusta Traiana, etc. The earliest traces of civilisation date back to the 7th millennium BC. Some scholars believe that the ancient Thracian city of Beroe was located on the present site of Stara Zagora. In 1968, Neolithic dwellings from the mid-6th millennium BC were discovered in the town, which are the best preserved and richest collection in Europe of its kind and have been turned into a museum.
A high density of Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements has been identified by researchers and a ritual structure nearly 8,000 years old has also been discovered. The first copper factory in Europe and a large ore mining centre were discovered, both over 7,000 years old. The original settlement dates from the 5th-4th century B.C under the name Beroe or Beroia, founded by Philip II of Macedon. It was renamed to Ulpia Augusta Traiana during Roman rule and became the most important city, above Philippopolis. During Marcus Aurelius' rule, many buildings have been built, art and music developed and there were statues and inscriptions of Orpheus.
The Goths defeated the Romans in the Battle of Beroe in 250 AD. During the Gothic War between 376 and 382, the Roman general Frigeridus promptly withdrew from Beroe to Illyria. At the end of the 6th century, Beroe was destroyed, but rebuilt under the name Veroia.
During the Middle Ages, Zagore is mentioned for the first time by Byzantine historians. Irene of Athens visited the town, rebuilding it and renaming it to Irenepolis, in honour of her. By the end of the 10th century, the city was in Bulgarian hands and acquired a fully Bulgarian character. Bulgarians called the town Borui (a modified form of the Thracian Beroe).
In 1371, the city passed to Ottoman Empire, but its earliest mention was in an Ottoman document from 1430. Plagues rampaged in the 18th-19th century, as well as famine and drought, livestock pestilence, and hailstorms destroyed all crops. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, the town had devastating moments, which included a massacre of the local Bulgarians, in which thousands of people lost their lives, young women and girls being sold in the slave market of the Ottoman Empire.
In modern times, the city is relieved, as a growing city. The economy is developing like major cities in Bulgaria, with one of the highest wages in the country, high GDP in comparison with many Bulgarian cities, low unemployment of about 4%. The city is also located near the largest energy industrial complex, Maritsa Iztok Complex, where many of the people from Stara Zagora are employed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Stara Zagora?
Within an hour or so of Stara Zagora: Buzludzha Monument (39 km), Shipka Pass (46 km), Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex (48 km).
Are there any good drives near Stara Zagora?
The nearest famous roads are Shipka Pass, Troyan Pass (Beklemeto) and Trigrad Gorge.
Where is Stara Zagora?
Stara Zagora is in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, about 18 km from Elkhovo.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 121,582
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Region
- Stara Zagora
- Timezone
- Europe/Sofia
- Coordinates
- 42.4320, 25.6426
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Bulgaria
Vignette required for all roads outside towns.
Full driving guide for BulgariaTags
Worth the detour from Stara Zagora
3 notable places within an hour's drive.
mountain pass
Shipka Pass
A historic 1,150m Balkan Mountains pass crowned by the Freedom Monument commemorating the 1877 battle.
46 km · about 55 min drive
museum
Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex
An open-air museum village near Gabrovo where water-driven workshops from the Bulgarian Revival still operate: craftsmen forge, weave and carve along a lane of 50 reconstructed houses powered by the Sivek river.
48 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Stara Zagora
3 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- 46 kmShipka PassA historic 1,150m Balkan Mountains pass crowned by the Freedom Monument commemorating the 1877 battle.
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