Maps of Cities in Bulgaria

About Cities in Bulgaria

Cities in Bulgaria are settlements with official town status. More than 250 settlements in the country have this status, and they vary from the capital, which has over one million inhabitants, to small historic towns with only a few hundred residents. About three-quarters of the population of Bulgaria lives in urban areas.

The largest city and capital is Sofia, with a population of about 1.2 million. It lies in the Sofia Valley at the foot of Vitosha Mountain. Sofia is the political, economic and cultural centre of the country. It is the seat of the government, the National Assembly and most national institutions.

Plovdiv is the second-largest city. It stands on the Maritsa River in the Upper Thracian Plain and is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. It was a European Capital of Culture in 2019.

The Black Sea coast has two major urban centres, Varna and Burgas. They are the third- and fourth-largest cities in the country. Both are important ports and centres of tourism, trade and industry.

Other large cities include Ruse on the Danube, Stara Zagora, Pleven and Sliven. Veliko Tarnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire from 1185 to 1396. It is known for the medieval Tsarevets fortress.

Administratively, Bulgaria is divided into 28 provinces and 265 municipalities. Each province is named after its administrative centre, which is usually a city. The capital forms its own province, Sofia City Province, which is separate from Sofia Province.

Several Bulgarian towns are known for their historical heritage. The old town of Nesebar has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Melnik, with fewer than 400 inhabitants, is often described as the smallest town in the country.

Since the late 20th century, many Bulgarian towns, especially smaller ones, have lost population. The main causes are emigration, low birth rates and internal migration to the largest cities.