Bulgaria  is  in the Balcans in south-eastern Europe situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometers, Bulgaria ranks as the third largest state in Southeast Europe.

This picturesque small country called Bulgaria has existed for more than 13 centuries in Europe, linking East and West . Founded in 681, Bulgaria is one of the oldest European states. The Bulgarian lands have rich and most diverse cultural heritage.

Bulgaria simply resembles a continent in miniature because of its very varied relief and miraculous working of nature where measure is paramount . Eye-catching mountain lakes, sunny beaches, gorgeous rose valleys, curative hot springs and deep chilly caves coexist in harmony.

Bulgaria has an industrialised, open free market economy, The main industries with a great importance for the country are food-processing, wine and tobacco industries as well as the plant growing and the stockbreeding. Bulgaria produces and exports the best tasting and nitrates-free agricultural products - vegetables, fruits, tobacco and dairies, as well as its famous wines. Bulgaria is also especially famous for its yoghurt  and oil-yielding rose.

Bulgaria is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Southeast Europe. Tourism, as an industry, has been an important source of economic growth.Main destinations include the capital Sofia, coastal resorts like Albena, Sozopol, Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and winter resorts such as Pamporovo, Chepelare, Borovetz and Bansko. The rural tourist destinations of Arbanasi and Bozhentsi offer well-preserved ethnographic traditions. Other popular attractions include the 10th century Rila Monastery and the 19th century Euxinograd château.

Bulgaria is a land of traditions and there are three very special food item varieties which are unique to Bulgaria- Gyuvech, Kavarma tarator, Shembe chorba , Bob chorba. Pita Banitsa,  Honey and other delicious dishes are unchanged part of bulgarian table.

Bulgaria also performs well in sports,arts and literature. Bulgaria is a beautiful country with heroic past and bright future.

HARMANLI

Harmanli   is a town in south-eastern Bulgaria. Its population is about 22,000. Harmanli came into being in about 1510 along the road that connects Central Europe and Asia.Harmanli is the main town of Harmanli municipality.

Its territory spreads over some parts of the Upper Thracian Lowlands between the oblique south slopes of the Sredna Gora and precipitous north slopes of the Rhodope Mountains. The south boundary of the Thracian lowlands is outlined by the north Rhodope foot, along which it leans close on the north Rhodopes, between the lower end of the Momina Klisura defile (at 300 m elevation) and the beginning of the Harmanli defile (at 80 m elevation).

The Maritsa River flows near the city. The climate of the area is temperate continental, which determines the variety of the vegetative types, some of which pertain to the evergreen groups (south of Harmanli). The soils are mainly maroon and woody. It is located 270 km from the capital Sofia

History

A church in Harmanli.

The first historical records of it date back to 1530. They belong to the Slovene Benedit Kuripešič, who would sojourn there as an interpreter in his mission. Skilful masters built a solid caravansary on the right bank of the Harmanli river (then Oludere).

To facilitate travelers, caravaners and threshers a vaulted bridge over the river in Arabic style traditional in that epoch was built in 1585 . The marble inscription on the bridge reads as follows:

The world is a bridge, across which the way of the king and the poor man passes

The hunchbacked bridge has been saved almost intact till our day.

Bulgarian municipalities were charged with some fiscal, administrative and other functions in 1834. The written rules, called 'Instructions for mayors, masters and village criers,' which were a herald of the first Bulgarian Act of local self-government, are of interest.

Culture

The location of the town along the roadway gives reason to a writer Gencho Stoev to say that:

Harmanli does not need to travel because the world goes through it

Historic fountain was built at the White-legged Girl's Spring , half an hour way from the bridge. The legend about Guergana, eternalized in the beautiful poem by Petko Slaveikov,

Another legend relating that boyar Valkashin or Vukasin, father of the legendary Krali Marko, was killed near this spring fighting the Ottoman sultan Murad. Although the fountain is an object of local lore disputes, even if it is a fiction story, it is an emblem of Harmanli

Tourist attractions

The municipality area has highly remarkable and beautiful sights of nature - natural waterfalls in the regions of Kiumiurluka and  the protected area of Defileto, as well as the historic spots the Karakoliuvata Kashta cave, Forest Hades and Haidushkata Dupka a small cave.

Today

Two transcontinental roadways intersect the municipality. The first one is from West and Central Europe, through Sofia - Harmanli - Svilengrad and Istanbul (Е-80 or І-8), and the second one is from North Europe through Rousse - Haskovo - Harmanli and Mediterranean, on which basis corridor 9 will be developed in the future.

Hristo Stoichkov the European Footballer of the Year in 1994 had played in local team FC Hebros in 1983–1984