Town of Kyustendil –
the orchard of Bulgaria
The town of
History: Kyustendil is one of the most ancient towns in
From the middle of the 15th century the Turks began to colonise massively the
town and subjected the Bulgarian population to assimilation. In the end of the
Ottoman domination and after the Liberation, in particular, the ethnic make up
changed due to the numerous Bulgarian emigrants from the lands remaining under
Ottoman rule and from the neighbouring settlements. During the Revival the town
rapidly grew and developed. A church school was opened (1821), its inhabitants
took active part in the ecclesiastical and national struggles. The detachments
of haiduti (armed volunteers), lead by Ilyo Voyvoda and Rumena Voyvoda, one of the few
women leaders in Bulgarian history, were very active in the surrounding
mountains. Kyustendil was liberated on
Landmarks: The Municipal Museum of History (tel.: 078 23534) was founded
back in 1897. Each of its departments is accommodated in various cultural and
historic monuments: The Department of Archaeology - in a house built in 1575
and notable for its architecture. The Revival and National Liberation Struggle
Department - in the house of Ilyo Voyvoda,
and Ethnography Department and Post-liberation Development Department - in the Emfiedzhiev’s House, where the commander of the Russian
troops was accommodated during the Russian-Turkish War.
The Vladimir Dimitrov -
The Asclepion of Pautalia is an impressive Roman spa
and shrine, dedicated to the god of health Asclepius,
built in 2nd-3rd century. The whole building occupied an area of 3500 square
metres. Large premises with a heating system, water pipes, architectural
fragments and etc. have been discovered. It is located in the foundations of
today’s buildings of Chifte Banya and the Ahmed Bey Mosque. Other remarkable sights of the town are the
following: St. Georgi Church (12th-13th Century) in Kolusha
Quarter, The Holy Virgin Church (1816) and St. Dimitur Church (1866), Pirkov’s Tower (16th-17th century),
the wall of the Devehani Inn (1606), Lekarska House, Prokopiev’s
House, the old school (from 1849). There are monuments dedicated to the Russian
soldiers who perished for the liberation of the town from Ottoman domination,
other monuments, commemorating the heroes in the wars (1912-1918), to Ilyo Voyvoda, to P. K. Yavorov.
One of the most
valuable treasures of the town is the mineral water which springs out of 40
springs in the foot of Hisarlaka with temperature up
to 73.4oC. There are several spas, 3 open-air swimming pools, sanatorium, recreation facilities in Kyustendil. The town and its
surrounding areas are well-known as the Orchard of Bulgaria - mostly cherries,
plums and apples, etc. are grown there.
Accommodation: In addition to the resort facilities, there are several
hotels in Kyustendil: Velbuzhd Hotel (opposite the
railway station and the bus station, 46,
Tourist information: Ossogovo Tourist Association (in the centre, 5,
Transport: Kyustendil is connected with the other parts of the country
by bus and railway transport. The town maintains regular every hour bus line
with the capital city, as well as with all neighbouring larger towns - Pernik,
Dupnitsa, Blagoevgrad and etc. There are regular bus lines to all villages in
the region. Due to its closeness to Macedonia, there are enough lines to this
neighbouring country. The bus station (tel.: 078 22626) and the railway station
(tel.: 078 29164) are next to each other in the northern part of the town. The
town is a main station on the Sofia-Kyustendil-Gyueshevo
railway line, and in near future it will be linked with the railway network of
Republic of Macedonia. Town bus transport functions within Kyustendil.
Contact us: info@ahomeinbulgaria.net