Municipality of Blagoevgrad Information

Blagoevgrad Municipality is the most populated municipality in Blagoevgrad Province. It includes Blagoevgrad and 25 villages with population of around 100,000. Blagoevgrad is the economic and cultural center of South-Western Bulgaria. It is located in the valley of the Struma River at the foot of the Rila Mountains, 101 kilometers (63 miles) south of Sofia, close to the border with North Macedonia. Blagoevgrad features a pedestrian downtown, with preserved 19th-century architecture and numerous restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, and boutiques. It is home to two universities, the South-West University "Neofit Rilski" and the American University in Bulgaria. Because of the large number of students (partly due to the South-West University and the American University in the town), its cross-road location, nature and number of social factors, the town has relatively well developed economy. There are many clothing stores, cafés, and restaurants. The district has the sixth largest economy in Bulgaria, for its share of the GDP, after the more industrial districts of Sofia City, Varna, Sofia District, Plovdiv, and Burgas. The unemployment rate is less than the average for the country.