Klisura (Bulgaria)

Klisura (Bulgarian: Клисура, "gorge") is a small town in the Karlovo municipality of the Plovdiv Province in central Bulgaria. It is situated in a valley surrounded by the Balkan Mountain range and Sredna Gora. As of 2005, its population has numbered 1,478 people and it is located 105 km to the east of Sofia, 35 km west of Karlovo and 25 km northeast of Koprivshtitsa.

The name of Klisura has traditionally been associated with the heroism of its inhabitants during the April Uprising. The then-village was a centre of the revolution and Borimechkata ("the man who struggles a bear") who lived in the village was one of its leaders. The spirit of the rebels can be felt up to the present day. Places of main interest are the Church of St Nicholas, the local Historical Museum, and historic homes such as Chervenakov's house, Pavurdzhiev's house, Kozinarov's house, etc. Klisura is the birthplace of Hristo G. Danov, the founder of the first Bulgarian printing house in Plovdiv.

One and a half kilometres away from Klisura is located a historical place called Zli dol ("Evil glen") where tourists can find the motor tourism complex of the Union of the Bulgarian Drivers. The complex includes 15 small houses with total of circa 60 beds, a restaurant, a bar, a playground, tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, an equestrian place with superb horses and a guarded car park.

Klisura is a starting point for many itineraries to the Central Balkan National Park and to two peaks — Vezhen in the Balkan Mountains and Bogdan in Sredna Gora. The town is easily accessible because of its location: it is only one kilometre distant from the Sub-Balkan principal highway thoroughfare Sofia-Burgas and it has two railway stations.

Honour

Klisura Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Klisura.

References