Bulgaria Inside

Botevgrad is one of the small Bulgarian towns that you might miss while searching for other adventures and exotic tourism sites. The town is situated in the middle of the Botevgrad valley that locals usually call the trough, 60 km away from Sofia and 30 km away from the town of Etropole. Beautiful nature, medieval fortresses and several small villages in the region give options to fans of numerous tourism activities.

Historians date back the settlement to the 5th century BC when it was created by Thracians. A Roman road probably passed through the area. Later, the village was relocated to the mountain area and was named Zelin.

In the middle of the 18th century, the settlement was relocated once again to the valley and started carrying the name Samoundzhievo, probably because of a bakery in the region (an old Bulgarian word for bakery is samoundzhiynitsa.)

An Ottoman ruler issued a decree in 1866 giving Samoundzhievo the name of Orhanie in honor of the sultan’s daughter. During that period, a strategic road from Sofia to Rousse was constructed through the town. In 1934, the town changed its name once again to become Botevgrad after Bulgarian revolutionary Hristo Botev. His revolutionary group found shelter there after its defeat near Vratsa.

If you decide to visit Botevgrad make sure to explore its clock tower. The tower was set up in 1866 in order to measure time and to serve as a firemen watchtower. It looks different from all other clock towers in Bulgaria because of its specific decorations.

Botevgrad’s history museum is situated at 3 Neznaen Voin square. Item collection started in 1937 when the first artifacts were displayed in the community house. In 1952, the history museum was officially opened. It preserves over 13 000 exhibition items among which valuable documents, photos and artifacts.
Zelin Monastery Sveto Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno is situated 2.5 km away from Botevgrad. The sanctuary was constructed in the 14th century. In 1926 it underwent renovation.

Another monastery is situated 10 km away from Botevgrad and five km away from the village of Vrachesh. Vrachesh Monastery St. Forty Martyrs was constructed during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom to honor the victory of tsar Ivan Asen 2 at Klokotnitsa. It was destroyed and renovated several times. In 1890 the monastery underwent major renovations and has been functioning ever since. It became a convent in 1937. Vracheshki Monastery has incredibly beautiful gardens that are worth exploring.

If you want to go back in time, visit Bozhenishki Ourvich fortress situated 20 km away from Botevgrad. The fortress is located on a steep cone-shaped hill. A small road passing through Bozhenitsa village is the only way to reach the fortress. It was one of the last standing fortifications before Bulgaria fell under Ottoman reign. A stone church and a carving from the 14th century have been preserved.

Botevgrad has several nice hotels. If you prefer rural accommodation, you should head to the villages of Novachene and Bozhenitsa where several small villas and family-type hotels welcome tourists.