Septemvri–Dobrinishte Narrow-gauge Line
The Septemvri–Dobrinishte narrow-gauge line (, ''tesnolineyka Septemvri–Dobrinishte'') is the only operating narrow-gauge line in Bulgaria. It is operated by Bulgarian State Railways (BDŽ). The line is actively used with four passenger trains running the length of the line in each direction per day. The journey takes five hours through the valleys and gorges between the mountain ranges of Rila, Pirin and Rhodopes. The route leads from Septemvri on the mainline Sofia–Ihtiman–Plovdiv to Dobrinishte, passing towns of Velingrad, Yakoruda, Razlog, Bansko and Dobrinishte, linking the western part of the Upper Thracian Plain with the Western Rhodopes, Rila and Pirin mountains. Due to the characteristics of the route through the mountains, the narrow-gauge line Septemvri–Dobrinishte is also known as the Alpine railway in the Balkans. Avramovo station, situated at 1267 meters above the sea, is the highest station in the Balkans. Thanks to the proposal for the construction of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Narrow-gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structure gauges, and lighter rails; they can be less costly to build, equip, and operate than standard- or broad-gauge railways (particularly in mountainous or difficult terrain). Lower-cost narrow-gauge railways are often used in mountainous terrain, where engineering savings can be substantial. Lower-cost narrow-gauge railways are often built to serve industries as well as sparsely populated communities where the traffic potential would not justify the cost of a standard- or broad-gauge line. Narrow-gauge railways have specialised use in mines and other environments where a small structure gauge necessitates a small loading gauge. In some countries, narrow gauge is the standard: Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Sout ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Yakoruda
Yakoruda ( ) is a Bulgarian town located in the southwestern part of the country. A part of the Blagoevgrad Province, it is the seat of Yakuroda Municipality which is the north-easternmost in the province. The town lies in the Rhodope Mountains, along the Mesta River, 26 km west of the town of Velingrad. Yakoruda was proclaimed a town on 9 September 1964, having previously been officially classified as a village. A plurality of the residents are Muslim Bulgarians (Pomaks), the rest being for the most part Eastern Orthodox. Notable natives are ''Survivor BG'' season one runner-up Ahmed Shuganov, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Emiliya Maslarova, and Dr. Anna Petrova-Mayor, Professor of Physics at California State University Chico. Honour Yakoruda Glacier on Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Yakoruda. Gallery Yakoruda entrance.jpg, Entrance road to Yakoruda from Yundola View of yakoruda.jpg, View of Yakoruda central parts Yakoru ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Standard-gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the most widely used track gauge around the world, with about 55% of the lines in the world using it. All high-speed rail lines use standard gauge except those in Russia, Finland, Uzbekistan, and some line sections in Spain. The distance between the inside edges of the heads of the rails is defined to be 1,435 mm except in the United States, Canada, and on some heritage British lines, where it is defined in U.S. customary/ British Imperial units as exactly "four feet eight and one half inches", which is equivalent to 1,435.1mm. History As railways developed and expanded, one of the key issues was the track gauge (the distance, or width, between the inner sides of the rail heads) to be used, as the wheels of the rolling stock (locomoti ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gotse Delchev (town)
Gotse Delchev ( ), List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, is a town in Gotse Delchev Municipality in Blagoevgrad Province of Bulgaria. In 1951, the town was renamed after the revolutionary leader Gotse Delchev. It had hitherto been called Nevrokop (in , ; in ; and in ). Nearby are the remains of a walled city established by the Roman Empire, Romans in the 2nd century AD. The town was a township, kaza in the Sanjak of Siroz, Siroz sanjak of the Salonica vilayet before the Balkan Wars. Geography Gotse Delchev is situated in a mountainous area, about from the capital Sofia and from the city of Blagoevgrad in the southern part of Blagoevgrad district. The town center is Above mean sea level, above sea level. The Gotse Delchev Hollow is characterized by a continental climate; rainfall occurs mainly during spring and autumn, and summers are hot and dry. Winter temperature inversions are possible. Population History Antiquity and medieval period Nicopolis ad Nestum was one of tw ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Belitsa
BelitsaTown of Belitsa, Municipality Belitsa, District Blagoevgrad at Guide-Bulgaria.com ( ) is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, located in the Belitsa Municipality of the province of Blagoevgrad. Geography Belitsa is close to the municipalities of Razlog, Yakoruda, and[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chepino
The Chepino Valley (), or Chepino (), is the largest valley in the Rhodope Mountains in southern Bulgaria. It is situated along the course of the river Chepinska reka near the Batak Mountains in the northwestern part of the Rhodopes. Located at around 750 m above sea level, it is between 4 and 7 km wide and 18 km long. The bottom of the Chepino Valley is comparatively flat, although hills can also be found. The valley's fault structure is the reason for the frequent earthquakes in the area, as well as for the high number of mineral springs, numbering more than 80 and making the Chepino Valley an important tourist destination in the Rhodopes. Due to its geographic location, the valley has a considerably milder climate than that in other parts of Bulgaria. The slopes that surround the valley are covered with venerable coniferous forests, mainly of spruce. The second highest peak of the Rhodopes, Golyama Syutkya, is located nearby, and an important city in the valley is V ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Razlog Valley
The Razlog Valley () is a valley in southwestern Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad Province, containing the Razlog, Bansko, and Belitsa municipalities. It is bounded by the Rila Mountains to the north and northwest, the Pirin Mountains to the south and southwest, and the Rhodope Mountains to the east. The transitional continental Mediterranean climate and nature of the valley are influenced by both the high alpine mountain “walls” of Rila and Pirin and the vast and wild Rhodopes, and the warm Mediterranean climate of the Aegean Sea entering from the south via the Mesta river course. It is home to Bansko, a renowned winter resort center and one of the top tourist destinations in Bulgaria. Another popular ski center is Semkovo. The valley is a syncline representing a structural sedimentary basin with an average altitude of the valley bottom of more than 800 m. The highest mountain ridges surrounding the valley reach almost 3000 m, and are rich in glacial landforms. In its northeastern ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Branch Line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Branch lines may serve one or more industries, or a city or town not located on a main line. Branch lines may also connect two or more main lines. Industrial spur An industrial spur is a type of secondary track used by railroads to allow customers at a location to load and unload railcars without interfering with other railroad operations. Industrial spurs can vary greatly in length and railcar capacity depending on the requirements of the customer the spur is serving. In heavily industrialized areas, it is not uncommon for one industrial spur to have multiple sidings to several different customers. Typically, spurs are serviced by local trains responsible for collecting small numbers of railcars and delivering them to a larger yard, where these railcars are sorted and dispatched in larger trains with other ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik ( ) is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, southern Bulgaria. It is the centre of Pazardzhik Province and Pazardzhik Municipality. It is located in the Upper Thracian Plain and in the Pazardzhik-Plovdiv Field, a subregion of the plains. It is west of Plovdiv, about , southeast of Sofia and from Burgas. The population is 55,220, as it has been growing around from the end of the 19th century to the end of the 20th century. The city reached its highest milestone, exceeding 80,000. Due to poor economic performance in Bulgaria during the 1990s and early 2000s, emigration of Bulgarians began, which affected Pazardzhik as well. The history of Pazardzhik can be traced back to the 7th millennium BC, with early civilisations being brought from Asia-Minor. They were agro-pastralists and settled near Maritsa, Pazardzhik and Sinitovo. A clay idol named the Pazardzhik Venus was founded in 1872. The Drougoubitai tribe settled in the early Middle Ages. Many ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |