Simitli ( bg, Симитли ) also known as Simitliya ( bg, Симитлия), is a town in Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

. It has a population of 7,454 and is located 17 km south of

Blagoevgrad Blagoevgrad ( bg, Благоевград ) is а town in Southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Municipality and of Blagoevgrad Province. With a population of almost inhabitants, it is the economic and cultural centre ...

. It is the seat of

Simitli Municipality Simitli Municipality is a municipality in Blagoevgrad Province in Southwestern Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eas ...

Geography

The city of Simitli lies at the crossroads for the turn to

Bansko Bansko ( bg, Банско ) is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains at an elevation of 1200m above sea level. It is a ski resort. Legends There are several legends about who founded Bansko. According to o ...

and

Pirin , photo=Pirin-mountains-Bansko.jpg , photo_caption=Pirin scenery in winter , country= Bulgaria, , parent= , geology= granite, gneiss, marble, limestone , area_km2=2585 , range_coordinates = , length_km=80 , length_orientation= north-s ...

Mountains off the

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...

- Thessaloníki E-79. Geographical locations of note are the Komatinski Cliffs between Brestovo and Sushitsa, the

Kresna Gorge Kresna Gorge ( bg, Кресненско дефиле) is a steep valley in south-western Bulgaria, stretching about 18 km. The gorge has been formed by the Struma River, which flows from the Vitosha mountains. Kresna gorge has a rich biodiversity ...

of the Struma River, and the foothills of the Pirin Mountains at Senokos.

Transportation

Simitli lies on E-79 which connects

to the Greek Border. Simitli is also part of the

Bulgarian State Railways The Bulgarian State Railways ( bg, Български държавни железници, translit=Balgarski darzhavni zheleznitsi, abbreviated as БДЖ, BDZ or BDŽ) are Bulgaria's state railway company and the largest railway carrier in the co ...

network from Greece to Sofia. Simitli is also the intersection of E-79 and the road to Bansko and the Pirin Mountains.

Tourism

Some of the best whitewater rapids in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

can be found on the Struma river in the Kresna Gorge. The rafting and kayaking season is from April to July and there is guided rafting every weekend. Simitli is also part of the EuroCup circuit for the European Rafting Federation every year. Every second weekend of January, there is a Kukeri or Surva festival held in the local stadium by E-79 which rivals

Razlog Razlog ( bg, Разлог ) is a town and ski resort in Razlog Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria. It is situated in the Razlog Valley and was first mentioned during the reign of Byzantine emperor Basil II. The municipali ...

and

Pernik Pernik ( bg, Перник ) is a town in western Bulgaria (about south-west of Sofia) with a population of 70,285 . Pernik is the most populated town in western Bulgaria after Sofia. It is the main town of Pernik Province and lies on both bank ...

's own Kukeri Festivals.

References

External links

www.senokos.com
, Tourism website for village Senokos
www.ternipe-simitli.org
, Website for local Roma NGO that creates monthly magazine for Simitli
www.hoteldimario.com
, Website for Hotel DiMario, a local hotel in Simitli Towns in Bulgaria Populated places in Blagoevgrad Province Spa towns in Bulgaria {{Blagoevgrad-geo-stub