Central Northern Bulgaria
The town of Pavlikeni (about 14 000 inhabitants, 115 metres above sea level) is situated in the central part of the Danubian Plain, at a distance of about 4 km north of the Rositsa River. It 230 km north-east of Sofia, 43 km north-west of Veliko Turnovo, 22 km south-east of Levski, about 40 km north-east of Sevlievo and about 50 km south-west of Byala.
History: Emigrant Paulicians who had come from Southern Bulgaria during the Middle Ages founded the town. They were followers of a religious heresy, which originated in Western Armenia during the 7th century. The settlement figured under the name of Bavlikian or Pavlikian in documents of 1430. During the Liberation (1878) it was a small village. After the building up of the railway line Sofia_Varna (1899) it developed as a handicraft and trade settlement. In 1943 it was proclaimed a town. Part of the population of the town professes the Catholic religion
Landmarks: The Art Gallery (in the central part of the town, 1, Bacho Kiro Street, tel.: 0610 7149). The Zoo (in the southern end of the town, 75, 3rd March Blvd., tel.: 0610 2415). The monument to those who perished in the wars.
Accommodation: The Poltava Hotel (in the centre of the town, 2, Svoboda Square). There are nice public catering establishments, too, which offer typical Bulgarian cuisine. One of them is the Strandzhata Restaurant (1, Al. Stamboliiski Street, working hours: 6.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m.).
Tourist’s information at the hotel or in the town-hall (4, Ruski Blvd., tel.: 0610 3580, 6195, 3526).
Transport: Bus and railway transport links the town. There are regular bus lines to Veliko Turnovo, Lovech, Pleven, Sevlievo, Levski, Polski Trumbezh, Suhindol, Byala Cherkva and other smaller settlements within the region. The bus station (32, 3rd March Blvd, tel.: 0610 4064, 4041) and the railway station (tel.: 0610 3433, 3033, 3071) are next to each other and they are situated in the southwestern part of Pavlikeni. The town is a station at the main railway line Sofia _ Gorna Oryahovitsa - Varna (Rousse).
Surrounding areas: A ceramic centre (of 2nd - 3rd centuries) is found to the north-west of the town in the Vurbovski Livadi area (WillowMeadows) with a great number of pottery workshops and furnaces for the production of artistic, construction and everyday ceramics, and near it there is a country-house of a Thracian land-owner with a lot of agricultural tools.
The village of Gorna Studena is situated at the distance of 24 km to the north of the town, past the road Pleven - Rousse. There is a military-historical museum arranged in the building where the General Headquarters of the Russian Emperor Alexander II was located for some time during the Russian-Turkish War of Liberation. An old Russian cemetery is preserved in the northern part of the village.
The small town of Byala Cherkva is situated at the distance of 4 km to the south of Pavlikeni. The town is birthplace of the hero of the April Uprising, the teacher Bacho Kiro, who set up the first chitalishte (community cultural centre) in a village in Bulgaria _ “Selska Lyubov” (“Rural love”) in 1869 and who led out 101 rebels from Byala Cherkva only during May 1876. The whole detachment of armed volunteers (over 200 people) under the leadership of Pop (Priest) Hariton, Peter Parmakov, Hristo Karaminkov and Bacho Kiro was defeated at the Dryanovo Monastery after a siege which lasted for about 10 days. The people’s teacher, enlightener, poet and traveller Bacho Kiro was hung in Turnovo on 28th May 1876.
In the town there is a monument to those who were killed in the Uprising as well as monuments to Bacho Kiro and Tsanko Tserkovski who was also born here. The famous Bulgarian Prof. Alexander Burmov was born in Byala Cherkva, too.
A monument-belfry was built in 1929 next to the old white church “Saint Dimitur”, in which there are built-in columns of the antique Nikopolis ad Istrum in honour of the Russian liberators. There is a town museum and a house museum of Tsanko Tserkovski.
Saint Yoan Monastery was situated at the distance of 4 km south-west of Byalka Cherkva which was destroyed by the Turks during the Turnovo Uprising (1598) in which the local population also actively participated. There is a regular bus transport from Pavlikeni to the town as well as from Veliko Turnovo and Sevlievo.
The town of Suhindol is situated at the distance of 14 km south-west of Pavlikeni _ a big vine-growing and wine-producing centre. The prominent Hungarian traveller, scientist and artist Felix Kanits visited the old settlement in 1872.
It was as early as in 1897 when its population used vine sprinklers and grapevines imported from France. In the eve of the Liberation as well as after it Suhindol was a big cultural centre for its time. The community centre dates back to 1870 and the clock tower dates back to 1895. Newspapers were published here, too. In 1908 the first independent vine-growing and wine-producing co-operative company in Bulgaria was established here - “Gumza”. Nowadays there is a great demand for the red Suhindol Gumsa on the international market, too and it is one of the best-sold Bulgarian wines. There is a museum and an art gallery in the town. The picture “Suhindol Maiden” painted by Felix Kanits in 1872 is preserved and exhibited in the art gallery.
There is a regular bus connection between Pavlikeni and Suhindol.
The Emenski Canyon and the Momin Skok (Maiden Jump) Waterfall declared as natural sights are situated at the distance of 16-17 km south-west of Pavlikeni, on the Negovanka River. There is a regular bus to the village of Emen.
The village of Gorna Studena is situated at the distance of 24 km to the north of the town, past the road Pleven - Rousse. There is a military-historical museum arranged in the building where the General Headquarters of the Russian Emperor Alexander II was located for some time during the Russian-Turkish War of Liberation. An old Russian cemetery is preserved in the northern part of the village.
The small town of Byala Cherkva is situated at the distance of 4 km to the south of Pavlikeni. The town is birthplace of the hero of the April Uprising, the teacher Bacho Kiro, who set up the first chitalishte (community cultural centre) in a village in Bulgaria _ “Selska Lyubov” (“Rural love”) in 1869 and who led out 101 rebels from Byala Cherkva only during May 1876. The whole detachment of armed volunteers (over 200 people) under the leadership of Pop (Priest) Hariton, Peter Parmakov, Hristo Karaminkov and Bacho Kiro was defeated at the Dryanovo Monastery after a siege which lasted for about 10 days. The people’s teacher, enlightener, poet and traveller Bacho Kiro was hung in Turnovo on 28th May 1876.
In the town there is a monument to those who were killed in the Uprising as well as monuments to Bacho Kiro and Tsanko Tserkovski who was also born here. The famous Bulgarian Prof. Alexander Burmov was born in Byala Cherkva, too.
A monument-belfry was built in 1929 next to the old white church “Saint Dimitur”, in which there are built-in columns of the antique Nikopolis ad Istrum in honour of the Russian liberators. There is a town museum and a house museum of Tsanko Tserkovski.
Saint Yoan Monastery was situated at the distance of 4 km south-west of Byalka Cherkva which was destroyed by the Turks during the Turnovo Uprising (1598) in which the local population also actively participated. There is a regular bus transport from Pavlikeni to the town as well as from Veliko Turnovo and Sevlievo.
The town of Suhindol is situated at the distance of 14 km south-west of Pavlikeni _ a big vine-growing and wine-producing centre. The prominent Hungarian traveller, scientist and artist Felix Kanits visited the old settlement in 1872.
It was as early as in 1897 when its population used vine sprinklers and grapevines imported from France. In the eve of the Liberation as well as after it Suhindol was a big cultural centre for its time. The community centre dates back to 1870 and the clock tower dates back to 1895. Newspapers were published here, too. In 1908 the first independent vine-growing and wine-producing co-operative company in Bulgaria was established here - “Gumza”. Nowadays there is a great demand for the red Suhindol Gumsa on the international market, too and it is one of the best-sold Bulgarian wines. There is a museum and an art gallery in the town. The picture “Suhindol Maiden” painted by Felix Kanits in 1872 is preserved and exhibited in the art gallery.There is a regular bus connection between Pavlikeni and Suhindol.
The Emenski Canyon and the Momin Skok (Maiden Jump) Waterfall declared as natural sights are situated at the distance of 16-17 km south-west of Pavlikeni, on the Negovanka River. There is a regular bus to the village of Emen.
