Sandanski ( bg, Сандански ; el, Σαντάνσκι, formerly known as Sveti Vrach, bg, Свети Врач, until 1947)
is a town and a recreation centre in south-western
Bulgaria, part of
Blagoevgrad Province
Blagoevgrad Province ( bg, област Благоевград, ''oblast Blagoevgrad'' or Благоевградска област, ''Blagoevgradska oblast''), also known as Pirin Macedonia or Bulgarian Macedonia ( bg, Пиринска Маке ...
. Named after the
Bulgarian revolutionary
Yane Sandanski
Yane Ivanov Sandanski (, ) (originally spelled in older Bulgarian orthography ) (18 May 1872 – 22 April 1915), was a Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary.Per Julian Allan Brooks' thesis the term ‘Macedo-Bulgarian’ refers to the Exarchist pop ...
, it is situated in
Sandanski–Petrich Valley at the foot of
Pirin Mountains, along the banks of
Sandanska Bistritsa River. Sandanski is about 20 km away from Bulgaria-Greece border and 100 km away from
Aegean sea.
The town has a convenient location, a mild to warm climate (with the highest average annual temperature in the country, +16
°C
The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius scale (originally known as the centigrade scale outside Sweden), one of two temperature scales used in the International System of Units (SI), the other being the Kelvin scale. The d ...
) and relatively high concentration of thermal water springs, which all make it a popular destination for relaxation and recreation.
Geography
Sandanski is located in the
Sandanski–Petrich Valley, surrounded by the
Pirin,
Belasitsa
Belasica ( Macedonian and Bulgarian: , also translit. ''Belasitsa'' or ''Belasitza'', Ottoman Turkish: بلش Turkish: ''Beleş''), Belles ( el, Μπέλλες, ''Bélles'') or Kerkini (, ''Kerkíni'';), is a mountain range in the region of M ...
and
Ograzhden mountain ranges. The town is about 160 km south from Bulgaria's capital
Sofia along the major
European Route E79. Following the same route at almost the same distance is
Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city.
Sandanski has developed in an amphitheatrical fashion on the outer south-west flanks of Pirin Mountains along the lower reaches of
Sandanska Bistritsa River. The town's altitude varies between 240 and 300 meters. Its geographical location between
Kresna and
Rupel Gorge
The Rupel () is a tidal river in northern Belgium, right tributary of the Scheldt. It is about long. It flows through the Belgian province of Antwerp. It is formed by the confluence of the rivers Dijle and Nete, in Rumst. It flows into the Sch ...
s determines town's mild winter temperatures. Statistically Sandanski has the warmest temperatures in Bulgaria with a total of around 2700 annual sunshine hours.
Within a short drive from Sandanski is
Melnik, the smallest town in Bulgaria in terms of population, but an attractive tourist destination for its authentic architecture and wine production. In a close proximity are the village of
Rozhen and
Rozhen Monastery
The Rozhen Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God ( bg, Роженски манастир "Рождество Богородично", ''Rozhenski manastir "Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno"'', Greek: Μονή Ροζινού, ''Moni Rozinou'') is ...
. The
Ancient Roman
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
city of
Parthicopolis was located nearby.
Climate
Sandanski is on the northern border of the continental
mediterranean climate. Summers are very hot and dry with occasional thunderstorms and during heat waves the temperature may exceed 40 °C reaching to 45 °C, the highest recorded temperature in the city. Winters are damp and relatively mild, lasting for about three months from December through February. Springs and falls are generally about two months each. The summer is longest season in Sandanski, lasting 4 months – from early June to late September. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year except for July and August when droughts often occur.
Climate table:
Municipality
Sandanski is the seat of
Sandanski Municipality, which includes the following 54 places:
Honour
Sandanski Point
Sandanski Point (Nos Sandanski \'nos san-'dan-ski\) is the point forming the north side of the entrance to Stoyanov Cove on the east coast of Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, projecting 60 ...
on
Livingston Island in the
South Shetland Islands,
Antarctica is named after the town of Sandanski.
References
External links
Sandanski Online – Information, news, articles, photography, maps, companies and services from Sandanski and the region.Sandanski Online – The most comprehensive resource to Sandanski & SurroundingsSandanski.org – Site of the Town Of SandanskiSandanski.infoGuide to Sandanski municipality, BlagoevgradPictures from Sandanski
{{Authority control
Spa towns in Bulgaria