Twardiza
| Twarditsa (Твърдица) | |||
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| Basic data | |||
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| State : |
 Bulgaria
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| Oblast : | Sliven | ||
| Residents : | 5681 (December 31, 2016) | ||
| Coordinates : | 42 ° 42 ' N , 25 ° 54' E | ||
| Height : | 396 m | ||
| Postal code : | 8890 | ||
| Telephone code : | (+359) 454 | ||
| License plate : | CH | ||
| administration | |||
| Mayor : | Katja Doitschewa (Катя Дойчева) |
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| Website : | www.tvarditsa.is-bg.net | ||
Twardiza [ ˈtvɤrditsɐ ] ( Bulgarian Твърдица ) is a town in the administrative district ( Oblast ) Sliven in central Bulgaria , which is also the seat of the municipality of the same name. Because of the inconsistent transcription , the place is also spelled Tvardica , Tvurdica , Tvrdica , Tvarditsa , Tvurditsa and similar.
geography
Geographical location
Twarditsa is located in central Bulgaria, at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains (Bulgarian Stara Planina / Стара Планина ). Together with the surrounding villages, Twardiza forms the municipality of the same name. The place is the starting point of a well-known Balkan pass ( Bulgar . Twardischki Prochod / Твърдишки проход ), which connects the region via Elena with the northern Bulgarian Veliko Tarnowo and at the same time represents the shortest Balkan pass from north to south Bulgaria.
One of the most important railway lines in Bulgaria runs through Twarditsa from Sofia via Karlovo to Burgas on the Black Sea . To the south, the largely parallel Magistrale 1-6 also touches the municipality of Twardiza.
Only 6 km south of Twarditsa is one of the largest lakes in Bulgaria, Žrebtchevo / Жребчево , which is popular among anglers because of its abundance of fish .
Approx. 13 km south of Twardiza rises the Sredna Gora mountain range .
City structure
The city center, in which there are a dozen prefabricated buildings from the 1970s, is surrounded by homogeneous residential areas. Only the Roma quarter to the east forms a separate district.
history
Twardizas origin is on the 3rd – 4th centuries. Century. Remarkable is Twardiza's almost unchanged name, which was previously "Twardina".
Religions
The vast majority of the population are Bulgarian Orthodox Christians. A few hundred Roma also live in the city.
Population development
The population of Twardiza has declined by over 25% since the early 1990s due to the closure of nearby coal mines and the associated loss of jobs. As a consequence, the demographic structure of Twardiza has changed to the extent that only a few young people still live in the town.
politics
Municipal council
The local council is multi-party.
mayor
The mayor is Atanas Atanasov (Атанас Атанасов).
coat of arms
The motif is a fortress with two towers on a green background. Below is a sword on a red background that is held vertically by one hand.
Culture and sights
theatre
The local cinema with a large projection room, which was also used for cultural performances, has been closed since the 1990s.
Buildings
The church Sveta Petka / Света Петка (German Saint Petka ), with its old wall paintings, is worth seeing . On the nearby summit of Kutra are the ruins of a medieval fortress.
Natural monuments
Near the city is a cave system called Magliwija Snjag / Мъгливия сняг (German foggy snow ), which has so far been explored to a depth of 3500 m, but not yet completely.
Economy and Infrastructure
The city's most important industry was the nearby coal mines in the Balkan Mountains, the workforce of which was almost entirely drawn from the residents of Twardizas. An extensive cable car system carried the coal away for processing in Twardiza. After the political upheaval in the 1990s and the introduction of the market economy, however, operations could no longer be maintained at the previous level due to a lack of profitability. Today very little coal is mined for the domestic market and transported by truck to Twardiza, where it is processed. The cable car has now been completely dismantled. Today there is only a textile factory that u. a. Makes towels for IKEA and the catering trade, notable employer. In addition, agriculture, especially arable farming, viticulture and animal husbandry, is an important source of income in the area. Many residents, especially pensioners, operate agriculture for self-sufficiency out of existential necessity ( subsistence farming ).
traffic
Twarditsa has a train station on one of the most important railway lines in the country, where trains stop daily from Sofia via Karlovo to Burgas on the Black Sea and in the opposite direction. There are also several daily bus services to Sliven and Nowa Sagora .
Public facilities
There is a small polyclinic, but the equipment and the supply situation are poor.
education
The city has a comprehensive school in which the university entrance qualification can be acquired after completing the twelfth grade. There is also a Chitalischte , a typical Bulgarian institution that combines a cultural center, library and adult education center.
telecommunications
The entire city including the surrounding area is supplied by the three national mobile network operators with GSM-900 networks. The network operator Telenor has also been offering UMTS network coverage in the entire city area since July 2010. In 2010, the wired telephone network was digitized, making broadband ADSL2 + connections available. In addition, an Ethernet network for Internet access is also available in large parts of the town .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Data & photos of the Magliwija Snjag cave system : http://www.cavesbg.com/index.php?cave_id=5113