Kostinbrod
Encyclopedia
Kostinbrod is a town in western Bulgaria
. It is located 15 km west of the capital city of Sofia
. It is located on two important transport corridors: Lom — Sofia — Thessaloniki
and Sofia — Belgrade
. The international railway line to Western Europe
passes through the municipality, with a train stop at Kostinbrod Station.
The town is crossed by two rivers, the Blato in the north and the Belitsa in the south, both tributaries of the Iskar River.
According to the legends, the town was founded by a certain Kosta, who settled near the crossing (брод, brod) of the Belitsa, thus giving the name to the town (Kostinbrod means "Kosta's ford"). There he opened a pub that became popular among the merchants arriving in the capital, some of them settling and organizing a village, whose centre of the time is now located west of the road between Sofia and Lom. Historically, an early reference to the locality (as КОСТИНЪ БРОДЪ) can be found in Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
's Oryahov Charter
of 1 December 1348.
The economy of Kostinbrod was largely based on poultry
farming and stock breeding during the Communist period, but a number of factories, including a 120,000 m² Coca-Cola
one, have emerged in democratic times due to the town's favourable position and the liberal zoning policy of the municipality.
Kostinbrod is also famous for the mineral water
s in the area. Thermae
were built in the Izvoro country in Roman times
.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. It is located 15 km west of the capital city of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
. It is located on two important transport corridors: Lom — Sofia — Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
and Sofia — Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. The international railway line to Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
passes through the municipality, with a train stop at Kostinbrod Station.
The town is crossed by two rivers, the Blato in the north and the Belitsa in the south, both tributaries of the Iskar River.
According to the legends, the town was founded by a certain Kosta, who settled near the crossing (брод, brod) of the Belitsa, thus giving the name to the town (Kostinbrod means "Kosta's ford"). There he opened a pub that became popular among the merchants arriving in the capital, some of them settling and organizing a village, whose centre of the time is now located west of the road between Sofia and Lom. Historically, an early reference to the locality (as КОСТИНЪ БРОДЪ) can be found in Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
Ivan Alexander , also known as John Alexander, ruled as Emperor of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on February 17, 1371. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history...
's Oryahov Charter
Medieval Bulgarian royal charters
The medieval Bulgarian royal charters are some of the few secular documents of the medieval Bulgarian Empire . The eight preserved charters all date to the 13th and 14th century, the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire, and were issued by five tsars roughly between 1230 and 1380...
of 1 December 1348.
The economy of Kostinbrod was largely based on poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
farming and stock breeding during the Communist period, but a number of factories, including a 120,000 m² Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
one, have emerged in democratic times due to the town's favourable position and the liberal zoning policy of the municipality.
Kostinbrod is also famous for the mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
s in the area. Thermae
Thermae
In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...
were built in the Izvoro country in Roman times
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
.
Municipality
Kostinbrod is the seat of Kostinbrod municipality, part of Sofia Province. It has an area of 62.2 km² and a population of 16,278. The municipality includes the following 14 localities:
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Opitsvet Opitsvet is a village in Kostinbrod municipality, Sofia Province, located in western Bulgaria approximately 31 km from the capital city of Sofia and 11 km west of the town of Kostinbrod. The village was first mentioned as Opiçvud and Opiçved in Ottoman registers of 1576... Petarch Petarch is a village in Kostinbrod municipality, Sofia Province, located in western Bulgaria approximately 5 km south-west of the town of Kostinbrod. In the centre there is a monument, several pubs and a computer club. There exist an Orthodox church and a school... Ponor A ponor is a natural surface opening that may be found in landscapes where the geology and the geomorphology is characterized by some kind of karst.... Tsarichina Tsarichina is a village in western Bulgaria, located in the Kostinbrod province.... |