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Description:

The town of Pernik is the largest town in Southwestern Bulgaria after Sofia. It is situated in the high Pernik Plain between Vitosha, Lyulin and Golo Burdo Mountains, along the Strouma River. The town is 30 km to the southwest of Sofia, 59 km to the northeast of Kyustendil and 70 km to the north of Blagoevgrad. The largest coal mining centre in Bulgaria. Regional administrative centre. There are 86 133 inhabitants and the town is 710 metres above sea level.

History: In the 9th century the small Slav settlement of ancient history became part of Danubian Bulgaria. It was named Pernik (Perunik, Perinik) probably at its establishment. The town was turned into a strategic medieval centre and the 4.5 m thick fortress walls kept back the Byzantine invasions towards Sredets (Sofia) and Northwestern Bulgaria. The fortress withstood seige twice - in 1004 and in 1016. The local boyar Krakra Pernishki (from Pernik) led the defence. Already under Byzantine domination the fortress survived a devastating earthquake in the middle of 11th century. It was restored and expanded and existed till 1189 when it was destroyed and set to fire by the Serbian joupan Stefan Neman. Because of the numerous raids of kurdzhalii (Turkish brigands) during the Ottoman rule Pernik was a small, scattered cattlebreeding village. It numbered barely 1000 people in 1879. After the liberation the settlement developed as a mining village. In 1891 Pernik coal mining region was declared state property (first in Bulgaria) and the village became main energy centre of developing Bulgaria . In 1929 Pernik was declared a town.

Landmarks: The Town Museum of History (in the centre of the town, 2, Phyzkoultourna Str., tel.: 076 25747) displays more than 40 000 exhibits. The Museum of Coal Mining. A Thracian sanctuary was found in Daskalovo Quarter, nearby Sofia-Koulata road, at the bank of Roudaritsa River. The sanctuary is in the form of an irregular quadrangle and existed in 2nd - 4th centuary. It is not the only one in Bulgaria but is the best preserved one with most complex construction. The remains of the famous Pernik Fortress (Krakra) are nearby the town. The Art Gallery and the Theatre of Drama are open throughout the year. Every five years Pernik hosts The Kukeri and Survakari Festival.