Location: The town is located in the southeastern part of Bulgaria, 300 km east of Sofia and 100 km west of Burgas. Sliven is the administrative centre of Municipality of Sliven. The famous rocky massif Sinite Kamani "The Blue Rocks" and the associated national park are located nearby.
Population: 115 000 inhabitants
History: The oldest settlements on the territory of today’s Sliven date back to around 6000 BC. There have been found remains of Thracian settlements as well as Thracian ceramics dating back to 5th-3rd century BC. The area of present-day Sliven was occupied by the Thracian tribes Asti, Kabileti and Seleti which were independent until the reign of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great. Around 71-72 BC Sliven became a part of the Thracian province of the Roman Empire. In more recent times Sliven became one of the most significant cultural centres during the Bulgarian National Revival. The town still preserves much of its heritage and offers to its citizens and visitors a lot of opportunities for cultural life. Sliven also is the birthplace of many famous Bulgarians who contributed to the enlightenment such as Hadzhi Dimitar and Dobri Chintulov.
Landmarks:
- The monument of Hadzhi Dimitar is one of the symbols of the town of Sliven. The monument is expression of the gratitude of the people for the patriotic merits and the sacrificial contributions of Hadzhi Dimitar to the awakening of the national consciousness and the will for freedom. The architect of the monument is Yordan Yordanov and its sculptor is Stefan Peychev. The monument of Hadzhi Dimitar is officially inaugurated on 8th November 1935. In 1993-94 it was completely restored.
- The town clock is one of the significant symbols of Sliven with a particularly attractive presence. The construction of the new Municipal building, above which soars the clock tower, was finished in 1936. Three years later in the clock tower were placed the mechanical heart and the round face of the town clock. Today the town clock measures the time and reminds us of the continuity and the irreversibility of the passing time.
- The Old Elm – More than 1000 years old elm tree that grows in the city center and is natural phenomena. That tree is a lonely descendant of the Big Bulgarian forest (Magna silva bulgarica), which once was spreading between the Rhodope Mountains and Black sea. 7 km away from Sliven in the village of Samuilovo there are another 20 elm trees of the same age. Of course they have being protected by law and locals do their best to ensure optimal conditions for their survival. The Old Elm is an integral part of Sliven’s history. Stories are told that during Ottoman times local authorities hanged Bulgarian rebels on the branches of the tree. That is why the Old Elm is a symbol and sanctuary of the undefeatable spirit of Bulgarian people and their constant struggle for liberation. Townsfolk love their old fellow-citizen and do their best to protect him from the damages of time for as long as possible.
- Regional Museum of History - The foundations of the museum work in Sliven were laid as early as the Bulgarian National Revival period when patriotically-minded citizens collected relics of the time of the Bulgarian medieval Empire. The real foundation of the museum work began immediately after the liberation of the town from the Ottoman rule when the Committee of the Moscow ethnographic society was founded on 14 February 1878 in Sliven. Today the Historical Museum is an respected research institute, which explores and popularises the rich historical past and cultural heritage of the town of Sliven and the district of Sliven, a basic complex treasury of invaluable historical records.
Surroundings :
- Natural reserve Sinite kamani (Blue rocks) – Situated on a ridge above the town of Sliven, it has more than 50 pathways and alleys for walks and leisure. The park also preserves big variety of plants. Here also towers the highest peak of the East Balkan mountain – Balgarka peak (1181 m).
- The village of Zheravna – At a distance of 48 km from Sliven, this charming museum-village is cuddled at the foot of the peak of Razboina, in the part of the Balkan mountain surrounding the town of Kotel, and it is one of the best examples of the Bulgarian architecture (some of the houses are more than 300 years old).
- Kotel – With population of 7 433 habitants and situated at about 49 km from Sliven in small picturesque valley in the middle of the Kotel’s Balkan, that is a charming little mountain town buried in greenery. It preserves beautiful examples of typical village architecture from the National Revival period. Kotel is also famous with his hand-made carpets. The town is also a native place of one of the greatest heroes of the National Revival period – Georgi Rakovski.
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