Municipality of Svilengrad

Svilengrad municipality has a unique geographical location – on the border of Bulgaria with Greece and Turkey, a veritable gateway to and from the European Union. Traces of life from the antiquity can be found in the municipality but the town owes its current positioning on both banks of the river Maritsa to the building of the stone bridge in 1529. This bridge, which still spans the river to this day, was constructed on the orders of Mustafa Pasha, vizier of the Sultan Suleiman I. Having constructed the bridge and a complex of buildings including the old Turkish bath, Mustafa Pasha is recognized as the founder of the new settlement of Svilengrad, known by the Turks as “the bridge of Mustafa Pasha”. Svilengrad municipality is home to numerous monuments from the Thracian, classical and medieval periods: the most attractive of these are the Thracian Cupola Tomb, the fortress Neutzikon (near the village of the Mezek), the fortress Bukelon and the rock churches near the village of Matochina and Mihalich, the latter being the only one in Bulgaria with a triple apsis form. The municipality is bordered by the Eastern Rhodope hills, the course of the Maritsa River and the western slopes of Sakar Mountain with its well-preserved diversity of biology and landscape. The continental-Mediterranean climate characteristic of the region facilitates the cultivation of vineyards: there are over 11 200 decares of grapes for wine and 4 500 decares of table grapes. More exotic fruits, less common for Bulgaria, such as kiwis, medlars, mulberries and persimmons are also grown.

Location