SHUMEN

Shumen is a province in northeastern Bulgaria. Its main city is Shumen, and other municipalities are Hitrino, Kaolinovo, Kaspichan, Nikola Kozlevo, Novi Pazar, Smyadovo, Varbitsa, Veliki Preslav, and Venets.

The city of Shumen is famous in the region for the Monument to 1300 years of Bulgarian History. The monument is in the cubist style and is 1300 steps (each step representing a year) above the center of the town. Other places of note are the Shumen fortress, Tombul Mosque,and Shumen Plato National park. The center of the town has a historical museum, large library, and large theater. The municipality building, also in the center, has a concert hall that features regular symphony performances. Shumen is also the location of the Shumensko Brewery, a popular beer in Bulgaria. The area surrounding Shumen plays a significant part in Bulgarian History with the first and second capitols of historical Bulgaria within thirty kilometers from the city.

Transportation

Shumen lies on the main route between Varna and Sofia and is served by numerous trains and buses serving the city. The city is also very well connected with Istanbul which serves the large Turkish community in the region.