Only 70 miles away from the capital city of Sofia, at an altitude of 370 m - the town of Vratsa is one of the most picturesque cities in Bulgaria. Nesting in the foothills of Vrachanski Balkan , with Leva River calmly crossing the town and with fearful rocks overhanging the roofs. Few Bulgarian towns have a history passing through thousands of years and several historical ages. Vratsa is one of them.

The name of the town Vratsa itself comes from the name of the spectacular gorge Vratzata (The Door) on Leva River.

The European Civilization originated around Vratsa. This is the belief of archeologists who in the last week of October 2004 found the oldest sceleton in Europe near the village of Ohoden. According to the scientists this is a truly sensational discoverybecause it shows with certainty that the birthplace of Europe agriculture is here. Today the sceleton can be seen in the local museum. In the museum is also displayed the Thracian treasure from Rogozen, which went all around the world, and the treasure of Mogilanska Mound.

There are plenty of natural sights that one can see in Vratsa and in the vicinity of Vratsa - the gorge Vratzata, the Ledenika Cave, the Okolchitza site where the poet -revolutionist Christo Botev was killed, and so on. In the town itself, there are two medieval towers dating back from the XVI century.

The natural park Vrachanski Balkan is one of the 10 parks in the country declared as a Protected Site of International Importance. The park is rich of some of the most interesting caves and abysses - their number is about 500. The caves are among the natural miracles of the world.

The Limescale rocks are one of the most attractive in Europe for many rock climbers. It is here where many national and international competitions are held. The Vratsa Rocks has an imposing vertical wall (over 400m), where more than 116 alpine tracks of Level 4 difficulty are traced.

Worthy seeing as well are The Gods Bridges - a natural rocky bridge and the karst spring in the Liliache village region; The Borovanska mogila - an ancient Thracian fortress; The highest waterfall Skaklia - 141m. The existing mountain and forests are suitable for the development of different tourism types - fishing, skiing, cycling, hiking, climbing, etc. If you are admirer of the winter sports, there is attractive ski resort nearby Parshevitsa.

Excellent conditions are provided for rest and entertainment - swimming pools, water cycles, discos, bars, restaurants, excellent hotel facilities, holiday villas.

Visit Vratsa and you will know what we are talking about...