Costez

	Kostenez (Костенец)
	Costez
	Costez
Basic data
State :	Bulgaria
Oblast :	Sofia
Residents :	6291 (December 31, 2016)
Coordinates :	42 ° 18 ' N , 23 ° 52' E Coordinates: 42 ° 18 '0 " N , 23 ° 52' 0" E
Height :	494 m
Postal code :	2030
Telephone code :	(+359) 07142
License plate :	CO
administration
Mayor :	Iwo Todorov
Website :	www.kostenetz.com

Kostenez (also written Kostenets , Bulgarian Костенец ) is a town in southwestern Bulgaria . The city is known as a spa and health resort and the seat of the municipality of the same name . It is located in the district / Oblast Sofia .

In the area of the place there are springs with radon-containing water, which is used for radon balneology .

The place has been known since Roman times . The first medicinal pools are said to have been built here in the 2nd century.

geography

Kostenez is located at the foot of the Rila Mountains, in the Dolna Banja basin , on the upper reaches of the Mariza river . This is where the Rila- Pirin and Rhodope mountain massif meet with the Sredna-Gora mountain massif. The city is around 76 km from the Bulgarian capital Sofia , 80 km west of Plovdiv and 27 km east of the ski resort Borovets .

The region is rich in mineral and medicinal springs, in which today the nearby spa and wellness resorts of Momin Prohod, Villas Kostenetz , Ptschelinski Bani and the village of Kostenetz have arisen. As centers of radon balneology for rehabilitation and recreation, they are of international importance.

The average monthly and annual air temperature in daylight varies from - 4.2 ° C (January) to + 16.1 ° C (July).

traffic

North of the center of Kostenez run the main arteries of traffic from Western Europe via Serbia and on to Istanbul . These are the Thrace motorway as part of European route 80 and the Sofia-Plovdiv-Istanbul railway. Kostenez is connected to the Bulgarian railway network and many tourists use the Kostenez train station as a starting point for their onward journey to Boworez or the nearby health resorts or mountains.

Community structure

The municipality of Kostenez is divided into 2 cities (Kostenez and Momin Prochod ) and 6 villages ( Golak , Gorna Wasiliza , Kostenez , Otschuscha , Podgorie , Ptschelin ).

history

The strategic importance of the region with today's Trojanowi Wtara pass was recognized as early as the Bronze and Iron Ages . The first evidence of settlement comes from this time. In the first millennium BC The region was inhabited by the Thracian tribe Besser , who were part of the Odrysen Empire and protect the pass they called Suki . The Thracian king Sitalkes also marched over the pass against the ancient Macedonians in order to end their domination.

The nearby mineral springs were already used by the Thracians, while the Romans later built large belt systems. At the end of the first and the beginning of the second century AD, the area of today's city became part of the Roman province of Serdica . The Romans also use the pass and built a fortress in the third century to protect the pass. They also built the ancient road Via Militaris to connect the provincial capital Serdica (now Sofia) with Constantinople . Another fortress was built in the area of today's village of Kostenez.

The settlement of the current city Kostenetz began in 1884 with the construction of the railway section Belovo - Wakarel that are part of the Sofia- Konstantin Opel was railway line. With the construction of the matchstick and paper mill, the expansion of the railway workers' settlement accelerated.

In 1964 the three settlements Kostenez Banja , Momin Prochod and Monina Banja (Banja to dt. Bad (health resort) ) were united to the town of Kostenez. In 2006, the former Momin Prochod district was declared a spa town.

Since 2009, the city has given its name to the Kostenets Saddle on Smith Island in Antarctica.