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Petrich is a town in Blagoevgrad region. It is administrative centre of Petrich Municipality.
Petrich spreads out at the foot of Belasitsa Mountain. It is 20 km away from town of Sandanski, 25 km away from town of Melnik, 80 km away from town of Blagoevgrad and 100 km away from town of Bansko.
Petrich municipality is an active Balkan and European cross-road between two seas - it is 90 km far from Thessaloniki port at the White Sea, where Bulgaria has an independent sector for commercial exchange on the Mediterranean Sea and 380 km far from Valyora port in Albania on the Adriatic Sea.
Town of Petrich is one of the old towns on the banks of Dolna Struma river. It has been dating from the Thracian times when there used to be a Thracian settlement 10 km away from today's Petrich. In the Ist century the Romans conquered the Thracian lands and then the small settlement next to Kozhuh turns into a well-straighten Roman town-fortress.
The houses in the town are made of rough big stones, taken from the river bottom. In the past the ground floors of the houses were used for storing products, animals, etc. The upper floors were the homes of the families. They characterized with plain furniture.
The tourists may visit the town historical museum. Other places of interest are the church of 'The Virgin Mary' built in 1857 (monument of culture) and the churches of 'St George' and 'St Nicola'.
Just 18 km away from the town is the national museum Samuil Fortress. Settlement remnants from the Hellene epoch could be seen about 5 km in northern direction from the town. Just 10 km in northern direction is Rupite land - popular with its mineral springs and the famous Bulgarian prophecy Vanga. On Vanga's initiative was constructed the church of 'St Petka'. About 13 km away from Petrich is the balneotherapy resort village of Marikostinovo. Exciting are the splendid views of Belasitsa Mountain where is the biggest habitat of edible chestnut-trees.
The education centres in the town are as follows:
- Professional High School of Mechanics 'Yurii Garagrin'
- Third Comprehensive School 'Gotse Delchev'
- Professional High School of Economics and Tourism 'Prof. Dr Asen Zlatarov'
- Fourth Comprehensive School 'Hristo Smirnenski'
- Secondary School 'Nicola Yonkov Vaptsarov'
- High School 'Peyo K. Yavorov'
- Secondary School 'Kocho Mavrodiev'
- Professional High School of Light Industry 'A. A. - Malichka'
There are two community centres and four kindergartens.
On the territory of the municipality meet transport corridor No 4, that connects Northern Europe (plus the Danube countries) with Southern Europe and the parallel road to transport corridor No 8 - from Albania, Macedonia to Petrich Municipality, Greece and the Aegean Sea.
There are international projects for modernizing the already mentioned roads. In process of construction is the electrification project of the railway line Sofia-Kulata-Greece. The checkpoints at Zlatarevo to Macedonia and Kulata to Greece are active and are about 28-30 km away from Petrich.
The territory of the municipality comprises mainly third-class roads in good repair. Public transportation to all villages is available.
Web-sites for town of Petrich: http://bulgaria.domino.bg/petrich/ ; http://www.zapetrich.hit.bg/