VIRTUAL - BULGARIA

History: There are traces of Thracian, Roman, Byzantine and Old Bulgarian periods. Many rings, fibulas, earrings, ceramic articles and objects and the famous Loukovit silver treasure dating back to the 4th century BC (exhibited in the museum collection of the Community Cultural Centre) were found in the numerous Thracian mounds scattered in the area. A treasure of Roman coins was also found. Byzantine coins dating back to the 12th century as well as coins from the reign of Tsar Ivan Alexander (1330-1371) were found at the Gradishte Hill. The settlement was first mentioned in a document dating back to 1479 under the name of Gorni Loukovit. At the end of 17th century the Turkish troops, defeated near Vienna and Belgrade ruined it in their retreat and forced a lot of the inhabitants to convert to Islam.

The nearby Kar-lu-kovski Monastery, where Sofronii Vrachanski found shelter and worked for the benefit of his people, promoted Bulgarian spirit. The national defenders Angel Voivoda and Valchan Voivoda were active in the region. The Apostle Vassil Levski founded a revolutionary committee in Gorni Loukovit. The Revival upsurge found its reflection in the construction of the first school in 1849.

After 18th century Loukovit was the largest village in the Pre-Balkan region and was famous with its 14 water mills on the river Panega. The Orthodox Bulgarians mainly bred cattle, while the Bulgarian Mohammedan grew vegetables. After the Liberation in 1878 the village was proclaimed a town under the name of Loukovit. The crafts declined as elsewhere in Bulgaria after the markets in the Ottoman Empire were lost. The town made some progress in its development after the railway line Cherven Bryag - Zlatna Panega was constructed.

Landmarks: There is a Historical museum collection, housed in the Suznanie Popular Library house (3rd March Square, tel.: 0697 2144), established in 1895. St. Georgi Church is situated in the centre of Loukovit, on the left bank of the river.

Accommodation: Putno Upravlenie Hotel (3rd March Square).

Tourist information is available at the hotel, at Zlatna Panega Tourist Association and at the town-hall (74, Vuzrazhdane Str., tel.: 0697 2559, 4058).

Transport: Bus and railway transport is available. Loukovit is located on the major road Sofia - Pleven - Rousse and all the buses servicing this direction have a transit stop there. In addition there are regular bus lines to Cherven Bryag, Roman, Lovech, Teteven and other smaller villages within the region. The bus station is located in the central part of the town, on the right bank of the river (2, Zlatna Panega, tel.: 0697 2503, 2527). The railway station is at the northeastern end of the town (tel.: 0697 2264, 4194) servicing the railway line Cherven Bryag - Zlatna Panega, through which the town of Loukovit is connected to the national railway network.

Surrounding areas: The most important archaeological excavations are situated on the Gradishteto Hill.

The karst gorge of Zlatna Panega River is south of Loukovit. The Iskara Resort covers a large area and is about 10 km south-west of the town. The karst earth depths host numerous precipices and caves, some 150 of them already explored. Most famous among them are Prohodna Cave, Temnata Doupka Cave (the dark hole), Kucheshkata Dupka Cave (the dogs hole), etc. Here is also the village of Karloukovo (12 km away from the town, regular bus transport to the village is available), where the The Assmption Karloukovo Monastery is situated (see the historical information herein). Nearby are the rock churches “St. Marina” and “St. Grigorii”.

Within this region is the Karloukovo gorge of Iskar river, some 30 km long, beginning from the village of Roman and going down almost to Cherven Bryag. The gorge has very interesting rock formations, the most spectacular of them being “The Dolls”, situated east of the station of Resselets.

On the way between the railway station and the village of Karloukovo (2.5 km away from each of the locations) is situated The National Speleologists’ House “Peter Tranteev” offering 60 beds in rooms of 2 and 3 beds. Nearby is the Provurtenik Chalet (1.5 km away from the station of Karloukovo, 3.5 km from the village of Karloukovo and 3 km away from the Speleologists’ House). It avails of 20 beds in rooms of 2, 4 and 6 beds. The chalet bears the name of the neighbouring rocky “sculpture’, resembling a guard turret. (Reservation can be made through the Tourist Association in Loukovit.) This incredible karst paradise can be reached either by bus from the town of Loukovit or by a passenger’s train in the direction Sofia - Gorna Oryahovitsa - Varna (Rousse) to Karloukovo station.

 

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