Bulgaria Inside

Only 19 km away from the city of Plovdiv, you will find the town that is probably most popular for its wedding dress production. This town is Asenovgrad.

It is worth paying a visit to Asenovgrad, even if you lack intentions to purchase a wedding dress.

The settlement appeared in the 7th century and carried the Greek name Stenimahos. Some believe that the Greek root of the word means that the settlement formed after fierce battles. Other versions focus on the location of the town in the gorge of Chaia River.

One of the most important roads to Greece passes through the municipality.

Since its creation, Asenovgrad has seen strong Greek influence. Until the beginning of the 20th century, Stanimahos was a mainly Greek town having 9000 residents. As a result, the town refrained from taking active participation in the Bulgarian liberation struggles.

Asenovgrad was freed from the Ottoman rule on January 6 1878. The Greek residents of the town started relocating in 1934. Stanimahos was renamed to Asenovgrad in honor of tsar Ivan Asen II.

One of the most popular Bulgarian fortifications, Asenova fortress, is situated only two km away from Asenovgrad. Two beautiful monasteries, Arapovski and Bachkovski, are also situated nearby.

Asenovgrad itself has numerous landmarks. St. Jan chapel is located in the western outskirts of the town. It stands high above the road, on a steep cliff. The number of religious landmarks in the area is huge. Asenovrad’s vicinities brag five monasteries, 15 churches and 58 chapels.

The town has its museums, as well. The first historical and archaeological collection was created in 1926 and the history museum appeared in 1955. Today, the history museum has several divisions among which Archaeology, Ethnographics, History from the 15th to the 19th Centuries and Modern History.

An old house, named monument of culture, houses the ethnographic collection of Asenovgrad. The building appeared in the 19th century and today houses an exhibition presenting the lifestyle in the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.
Badelema district is the place where you will find the paleontological museum. The collection was put together over decades. It contains some interesting exhibition items among which the skeleton of the biggest ancient mammal that inhabited the Rhodope region.

Asenovgrad accommodation opportunities are numerous. You can chose among luxury hotels, family-type hotels and private residences. The proximity to Plovdiv gives you additional accommodation opportunities.