http://www.bulgariainside.com/ Articles from category: Etropole from bulgariainside.com http://www.bulgariainside.eu/en/articles/Etropole/412/index.html <img src="http://www.bulgariainside.eu/images/galleries/th_126x95/45c6821ace924fa83da815c2bb77a7cc.jpeg" height="95" width="126" border="0" hspace="5" vspace="0" align="left" > The town of Etropole has given its name to a mountain region for a reason. Etropole hides in the northern folds of Stara Planina Mountain, 80 km away from Sofia and 15 km away from the town of Pravets. Thracians settled in the region long time ago, according to historians in the 7th and 6th centuries BC. An important road passed there and connected the Danube to Thrace and Macedonia. Etropole&rsquo;s name is explained in several ways. Some believe that it originated from the Thracian Etropara meaning water town. Another theory connects the name to the old Bulgarian Untropole, meaning closed valley. In the middle ages, the town developed as a center for the production of gold, silver, copper and iron. Many crafts made use of these natural resources. Crafts and the proximity to major roads made Etropole grow. Locals had contacts with merchants from various parts of... Sat, 30 May 2009 12:32:00 +0300