STARA ZAGORA

Stara Zagora is a province of south central Bulgaria. Its main city is Stara Zagora, while other towns include Chirpan and Kazanlak. There is another town nearby called Radnevo. On the edge of Radnevo there is a coal production facility.Radnevo is 20 kilometers south of Stara Zagora. There are approximately 410,000 residents of Stara Zagora Province, while the population of Stara Zagora and Kazanlak towns is 183,000 and 80,000 respectively.

Stara Zagora has the following municipalities:

• Bratya Daskalovi
• Chirpan
• Galabovo
• Gurkovo
• Kazanlak
• Maglizh
• Nikolaevo
• Opan
• Pavel Banya
• Radnevo
• Shipka
• Stara Zagora

Stara Zagora is a cultural centre of particular significance for Bulgaria as it is an ancient Thracian, subsequently Greek, Roman and Byzantine metropolis. The oldest Neolithic remains were found in Stara Zagora. The famous film of BBC The History of Europe starts with the Neolithic museum in Stara Zagora. It shows the remains of the first homes of the people in Europe. Stara Zagora is one of the oldest cities in Europe.

In October 2004, Stara Zagora Province was awarded for having the best quality of life in Europe, together with Greater Zürich (Switzerland), and ahead of Andalucia (Spain), and Flanders (Belgium). The award was given by fDi Magazine, produced by the renowned Financial Times Group, for the region's low-cost, newly built accommodation and rich cultural heritage.