Location

Targovishte region includes 5 municipalities (Antonovo, Omurtag, Opaka, Popovo, Targovishte) and 196 settlements. The total area of the region is 2 710.4 sq. m, the population numbers to 138 160 people (as per 2003 census).

The town of Tragovishte is the administrative center of the region. It is situated 320 km away from the city of Sofia, 121 km away from the city of Varna and 100 km away from the town of Ruse.

climate and natural resources

The climate in trhe region is temperate continental. In winter cold north eastern winds. The summer is dry and hot. Therefore artificial irrigation of the agricultural lands is needed.

The water resources in the area are scarce and many water sources were built in the region.

Targovishte Mineral Springs are situated 8 km to the southwest from the town of Targovishte. The temperature of the spring water is 27 degrees centigrade. There are regular public bus-lines from the town to the Mineral Springs.

economy

Near the town of Targovishte there are two factories for the production of  glass and glass products. Planned is the development of concomitant production of glass for the consumer sector, vehicle windshields, packagings, joinery, glass for the furniture production industry, development of quaries for the basic  raw materials: quarz sand, calcinated sodium, limestone.

On the territory of the region operates one of the largest manufacturers of lead-acid batteries under the license of VARTA company in Europe. the company is ISO-9001 registered. ISO-9001 is an international quality control standard.

Other industries developed in the region are: vine growing and wine-making, tailoring, production of soft drinks under the license of Coc-Cola company, production of refined sunflower oil, construction, furniture making, lumbering and woodworking industry, trade and services.

Agriculture is a main part of the economy in the region. On the territory of the region there are perfect conditions for grownig grain, technical and fodder crops. Wheat is the main crop grown in the area.

Of industrial importance is the deposit of clay marl 1 km away from the town of Targovishte, the deposit of red clay for ceramsit - for the production of ceramics and bricksл

education

The total number of schools in the region in 2005 is 94 (81 common schools, 8 vocational and 5 specialized schools), 7 ediucation-serving units.

culture

Targovishte region is a famous and active cultural center. The town is a host of traditional national happenings. Held are holidays of the women's and girl's choirs, a theatre festival "Days of the big theatre in the small town", an international festival for professional children's spectacles "The Magic Curtain". In the town of Popovo once in two years is held the festival for cameraman art "The Golden Eye" in memory of the famous Bulgarian cameraman Dino Kolarov.

There are also many museums, theatres, community centers, libraries, galleries etc.

tourism

The main features of the region (such as the strategic location, the favourable climate and geography conditions, the richness of the natural and cultural heritage) are a good predisposition for the development of various alternative tourism forms and economy activities engaged into the tourism sector.

Landmarks

The rich cultural, historical and natural heritage of the municipality of Targovishte, combined with its geographic position creates serious potential for the development of the tourism as a key economic centre.

Targovishte attracts with its residential quarter Varosha built in the period of the National Revival, where one could visit The Assumption church (1851), the Slaveykov school (currently the Historical Museum - 1863), Hadzhi Angelova house (Etnographic Exposition), the house of Hadzhi Roussi (Archaeological Exposition). Other places of interest are the houses of the famous persons from Targovishte: standard-bearer of Botev detachment - Nikola Simov-Kouruto, the artists - prof. Nikola Marinov and Stephan Kutsarov.

The beautiful lake Borovo Oko is a pleasant place for recreation. In the vicinity you can also visit the Nikola Marinov art gallery and museum-house.

A natural forest park, called by the locals The Park, is situated 7 kilometers to the south of the town next to the Targovishte passage. Its beautiful nature, the mineral spring and the comfortable first-rate road from Sofia to Varna attract both citizens and guests of the town. A treatment   centre is built based on the healing properties of the mineral water.

Some of the interesting landmarks in the area are as follows: Konyat - unique figure resembling a horse formed on the almost vertical eastern slope of Lale Balkan, the natural phenomen on Vodopada (The Waterfall), the cave Marinina dupka. The Krumovo Kale castle is also situated here. All these sights are located in the picturesque gorge of the river Vrana. In the recreational zone the tourists could find plenty of lilac-shrub as well as the rare Urumovo tulip.

The surroundings of Targovishte reveal the wine traditions of the region. The vineyard massifs of the wine sort Muscat near the village of Kralevo and the winery in the village of Nadarevo are of a tourist interest - in the latter you could taste selected wines from Targovishte.

The region has favourable natural and climate conditions and offers attractive possibilities for development of tourism in all its forms - cultural, historical, ecological, balneo-therapeutical, fishing, hunting, rural, child, congress and business tourism.

In a distance of only 100 km away from Targovishte you can find unique sights from the Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage, such as Veliki Preslav, Pliska, Zheravna, Kotel, Elena, Svestari, and Isperih.