Samokov

A gateway town in Sofia Province for the Rila mountain ski resorts of Borovets and Malyovitsa, Samokov sits in a valley between the Rila, Vitosha, and Sredna Gora ranges with a compact centre of cafés and restaurants. The town has its own history as a medieval iron-producing centre — its name derives from the water-powered mechanical forge — and as a hub of Bulgarian National Revival art, associated with painters including Zahari Zograf and Hristo Dimitrov.

• Population26,765
• Nearest water from center0.3 km
• Nearest mountain from center2.4 km
• UNESCO within 50 km6