http://www.bulgariainside.com/ Articles from category: Vratsa from bulgariainside.com http://www.bulgariainside.eu/en/articles/Vratsa/121/index.html <img src="http://www.bulgariainside.eu/images/galleries/th_126x95/2bbad396351da65e3dee0c4872aea7b9.jpeg" height="95" width="126" border="0" hspace="5" vspace="0" align="left" > Southwestern Bulgaria houses the town of Vratsa. It is situated 100 km away from Sofia and is hidden in the folds of Stara Planina Mountain. Historic evidence shows that the region has its inhabitants since ancient times. Vratsa turned into a major regional settlement and a craftmen&rsquo;s town. Its name came from the Slavic word vratitsa, meaning a small door. The shape of the pass leading to the town produced the name. The pass is narrow and long, resembling a door. During the Ottoman reign over the region,&nbsp;Vratsa acted as an important settlement and many of its craftsmen became wealthy. Trade and relations with other cities and countries were responsible for the growth. After the liberation, craftsmanship continued evolving and turned into an industry. Today Vratsa acts as a major industrial center. Evidence of many historic periods has been preserved there. The... Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:16:00 +0200