Town of Provadiya

The town of Provadiya (population: 15,000; 30 m above sea-level) is situated on the banks of Provadiya River in the south end of the gorge of the same name. It is 435 km north-east of Sofia, 55 km south-east of Shumen, 47 km west of Varna, and 17 km south-west of Devnya.

History: The town is a successor of the Byzantine fortress Provaton (Provat) of 5th century, which in Greek means “sheep”. The Bulgarian medieval fortification town on the same place was called Ovech. The remains of these fortresses can be found right above the town in the region of Tash Hisar. In different documents the town appeared with the names of Bourfanto and Ovechgrad.

In 13th-14th centuries the town was a prospering crafts and trading centre. Traders from Dubrovnik and Armenia came here to do business. Ovech was among the most important metropolitan centres in Bulgaria together with Turnovo, Preslav, Cherven, Drustur, and Sredets. It was also called Purvada, Pravada but after all the present day name of Provadiya was kept which sounds similar to the first Greek name of the settlement. For decades on end this had been the place where the famous “singing carts” (over 3,000 per year) were made; Yordan Yovkov glorified those in such a poetical manner. In 1844 the St Nikola Church was erected, and in 1849 a secular school was opened with R. Bluskov as a first teacher there.

After the Liberation Provadiya underwent a brisk development and now it is the west branch of the industrial axis Varna-Devnya-Provadiya. Six kilometres south-east near the railway station of Mirovo is one of the biggest rock salt deposits in the country (about 3,900 m deep), which serves for the production of cooking salt. All travellers that had once visited the town had been fascinated by its beauty - “In my opinion there isn’t a more wonderful place than this”, “A remarkable place”, “A town having too nice a view”, “An incomparable town”!

Landmarks: The Revival Architecture Museum Complex in the ancient Varosha Quarter with the well known Lambov’s House; the Town Museum of History; the Svetoslav Obretenov’s House-Museum; the St Nikola Church (1844); the Clock Tower (16th-17th century); the Old Bazaar.

Accommodation: The Arkovna Hut (in the Prolet Park in the rest zone near the town, 1.5 km away from the bus station and 2 km from the railway station). It offers 15 beds in two-, three-, four-, and six-bed rooms. Reservations in the Tourist Association in the town (see below).

Tourist Information: in the hotel and at the Ovech Tourist Association (13, Tsar Osvoboditel Str., tel.: 0518 2040).

Transport: Passengers travel to and from Provadiya by bus and train. The railway station is on the main line Sofia-Gorna Oryahovitsa-Varna. There are regular bus services to Varna, Shumen, Devnya and other smaller towns and villages in the district. There is a bus station. Due to the short distance to Varna the town favours the use of air and sea transport.

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