This is a Project Work with Portuguese students from Madeira.This is what Bulgarian students want them to know about Asenovgrad.

LOCATION-

by HRISTIYAN

History

by MERVE

Asenovgrad was founded by the Thracians as Stenímachos around 300–400 BC. In 72 BC the city was captured by the troops of the Roman Empire as part of the Roman expansion towards the Black Sea. In 395 the Roman Empire was divided into two parts and the city fell under Byzantine Empire control. Afterwards, the Slavic tribes flooded the region  and became the majority of the population.

Cultural event-

by Antonia and Simona
The ancient Stanimakh tradition of the “Kalinitsa” custom is one of the symbols of the Rhodope town. Impressive, festive, both white and colorful, it is an invariable part of the cultural life of Asenovgrad residents.
The mother of the second was especially happy, because this is the third child and… first girl. So far she has only been happy with foreign princesses, today she is in a hurry to have her own. By the way, little boys also participate in the celebration, but to a limited extent. Most of them are simply stunned by the sight. Traditionally, the ladybugs, accompanied by mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers on both lines, gather in the Church of St. Nicholas, then, led by banners and an accordion, go to the Chapel of the Introduction of the Virgin or St. Jan on the hill, return are taken, all together, in the city procession, led by a military brass band.
At one point it seems a little strange that three-year-old girls in long skirts are stumbling along to the sound of military marches, but how else would you know it’s a town celebration. This whole white procession goes over a bridge, then over the Main, where the audience cheers them, turns over another bridge, decorated with pink seal cords, and goes to the park, where the children pass under wreaths and receive gifts. Again, according to tradition, last night they put their sights in water and wished for something, it is more certain that their mothers did this.The tradition is alive and maintained both by the old Asenovgrad families and by daughters-in-law and mothers of girls who came from elsewhere. Being the mother of a little girl today in Asenovgrad is a privilege and a celebration. And with the blessing of 500 little girls, all of them touchingly beautiful, the town looks forward to good days ahead.

Belintash – natural phenomenon

by Aleks Ivanova

The Belintash rock massif is about 800-850 meters long and about 20-40 meters wide. It’s located 30 km to the south of Asenovgrad. Red Wall
The reserve “Red Wall” is a typical botanical reserve, created to preserve the floristic richness of Chernatitsa / -Prispanska area in the middle part of the Rhodope Mountain.
It’s located on the lands in the village of Bachkovo, the Village of Dobrostan and the Village of Lucky. In 1977 the Reserve was included in the list of biosphere reserves under the UNESCO “Man and Biosphere “.

Historical sights

by Boyana Shishkova

Asenovgrad is a very beautiful city with many sights in it. The city has an ancient style and has historical sites that are really beautiful and show about the city’s past. One of the sights is the Asen’s fortress. The fortress existed as early as the time of the Thracians. Many visitors view the site every day. Bachkovo Monastery is another beautiful historical object.

Famos people

by Vanesa

Alexander Sano was born on May 2, 1977 in Asenovgrad. Nationality: mixed – half Bulgarian , quarter Armenian and quarter French-Italian . He has two brothers. At the age of seven, his family moved to his father’s hometown – Ruse. There he oriented himself towards music.

After two years at the university, his artistic inclinations led him to NATFIZ “Kr. Sarafov” and he was accepted into the class of Prof. Bonyo Lungov. As a student at the theater academy, Alexander Sano started at the Albena variety theater, where he performed until graduation. Next are the “Ivan Vazov” National Theater, where she played “The Nurse” in the play “Romeo and Juliet”, the “Tear and Laughter” theater – the role of P.N. Sorin in “The Seagull” by Chekhov, SFUMATO, the “Bulgarian Army” Theater – the role of Felice in “Coca-In” by Tennessee Williams and the State Satirical Theater “Aleko Konstantinov” – the role of Dr. Edgar Wolff in “The Annoyance” by Francis Weber and “Independent Theater” – the role of Lemkin in the production “Agents”

You can walk to the most famous landmark for Asenovgrad - the Asenov fortress.
 Here is some information about her:
The famous Asenov fortress, a symbol of Asenovgrad, is located in the
 Chernatitsa region of the Rhodopes. It is located on the Mogilata ridge on
 a lonely rock and overhangs the Asenovgrad-Smolyan highway, which runs
 along the valley of the Asenitsa River.
It is also known as the "City of Wedding Dresses" due to the large number of
 ateliers and shops for wedding dresses and accessories. If you have such a 
celebration coming up, you can choose a dress from there.
There are also natural attractions along the tourist route starting from
 the park "St. Trifon", through the area "Korudere", passing through several
 mountain shelters and a hut ("Momina slza") and reaching, respectively,
 the historical camp "Gonda voda", "Bezovo" or "Dobrostan". The panoramic
 mountain road from the "Parakolovo" area, along the top of the mountain 
ridge through the chapel of "St. Ilia" to the monastery "St. Five". This 
route takes about 2 and a half hours one way. Generally speaking, the
 surroundings of Asenovgrad are easy and accessible for hiking and at 
the same time provide tourists with extremely beautiful and picturesque 
natural views.

by Yoan Dobrev

Eating out (local food)

If you are visiting the city of Asenovgrad, I recommend you to visit   Bakery “Niko” and Confectionery “Niko” .  There are located on the Boulevard “Bulgaria”№ 31 and № 33 directly opposite each other, separated by  a street.

In   Bakery “Niko” you can try the most delicious sandwiches . Freshly baked bread will await you every day. Here you can try traditional Bulgarian dishes such as banitsa and tutmanik. You can enjoy them with a  glass of ayran. Everything is delicious, and the staff is great.
Confectionery  “Niko”   has the most delicious cakes, profiteroles and French macarons. You can enjoy the variety of flavors of the most delicious ice cream. Enjoy them with a cup of  coffee or a glass of lemonade. Don’t miss to try the large selection of flavors of the chocolates. The staff is great.

by Burcin-

How to get to Asenovgrad?

Asenovgrad bus station:
Asenovgrad bus station is the only one in the city. It is located near the center. Many route lines are connected to it. Some of them are: Plovdiv-Asenovgrad; Sofia-Asenovgrad; Stara Zagora-Asenovgrad; The bus station also serves other directions: Yambol, Kardzhali, Kazanlak, Haskovo and others.
Asenovgrad railway station:
The station is one-way, trains run from one direction only. They stop at Mavrudovo, Krumovo and Plovdiv.
By car:
The municipality of Asenovgrad has a natural connection between Central Bulgaria, the White Sea and the Central Rhodopes. The important transport corridor to Greece passes through it, which is Plovdiv-Smolyan-Xanthi. The distance from Sofia to Asenovgrad is about 148 kilometers, from Plovdiv to the city is about 18 kilometers, from Stara Zagora the distance is 78 kilometers, from Burgas – 223 kilometers and from Ruse it is about 225 kilometers.