 Razlog is a small town in the southwestern region of Bulgaria, in Blagoevgrad Province, also known as Pirin Macedonia. The province borders four other Bulgarian provinces, as well as Greece and the Republic of Macedonia. The valley of Razlog (800 m above see level), situated on the boundaries of three mountains - Rila, Pirin and Rodopi, is an amazing view of high hills towering high over fertile meadows.
It is nestled between two hills - Golak to the north and Sarovitsa to the south Mesta River flows here. The town is 155 km to the south of Sofia, 53 km to the south-west of Blagoevgrad, 141 km south-west of Plovdiv and 6 km north of Bansko.
The central location of Razllog makes it a starting point for two mountains - Rila and Pirin. To Rila Mountain, one can set out along a marked trail from Predela Saddle, distanced at 12 kilometers, where all buses with destination to Blagoevgrad and Sofia have a stop.
Razlog is an administrative, cultural and economical center of the Municipality of Razlog. Characteristic features of its atmosphere are the charismatic combinations of different architectural styles during the Revival – the style of the old houses in the 30s of the previous century and the modern architecture of nowadays.
The sightseeing tour of Razlog is a pleasant and interesting experience. 41 residential buildings of the Razlog-Chepino house revival architectural type have the qualities of monuments of culture. They are mostly at Macedonia Square and in Vuzrazhdane Street.
The old St. Georgi Church from 1834 is not attractive in outlook, but the murals and the wooden panelled iconostasis, decorated with icons and partially with woodcarving have a high artistic value.
The comparatively new Holy Annunciation Church from 1939 is a very imposing building whose painting still goes on. The water mill for processing woollen cloth at River Yazo (10 minutes to the west of the centre) is attractive and is often used even now. With the mediation of the museum guide, workshops and houses of masters artisans, weavers, knitters and creative artists can be visited - all of them being modern followers of the traditions in artistic clay, wood and textile processing.
Razlog has developed as a centre of winter tourism in the 1990s and 2000s owing to its favourable position in the vicinity of the Pirin, Rila and Rhodope Mountains.
In a cultural and historic aspect, the Municipality of Razlog is famous with its well-preserved Thracian cultural monuments. There are several plates found, dated from the 3rd century B.C.
From later times there are remains of castles, monasteries and churches found. The remains of the “Saint Ilia” monastery are characteristic for the Early-Byzantine Christianity from the 4th until the 6th century; the “Kalyata” castle is typical for the Middle Ages. Another interesting monument is the “Saint Theodor Thyron and Saint Theodor Stratilat” church in the village of Dobarsko, which was built in 1614 and is very well preserved nowadays with its unique wall paintings. It is a cultural monument under the protection of UNESCO.
Razlog is a rapidly developing, vibrant town offering a good range of shops, restaurants, pizzeria, Irish bar, and numerous cafes. It has a pleasant central park with pedalos on the lake for hire from the Beer Garden next to the lake. Each Monday there is a large open-air market. The town is notable for the Church Kukeri rites that take place on January 1, when large processions of costumed revellers take over the centre. |
