Location and historyThe region of Targovishte is situated in the fertile and picturesque Danube plain and covers 2.5 % of the country’s territory. The region comprises 5 municipalities: Popovo, Antonovo, Omurtag, Opaka and Targovishte, which is the regional administrative centre. It borders on the regions of Shumen, Razgrad, Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo and Sliven. The proximity of the town to the two exit points of the country - the city of Varna (120 km) and the city of Rousse (100 km) turns it to a natural strategic crossing on those two routes. It is situated on an important historical and geographic crossroad - between the Danube River and the Stara Planina Mountain, on the international road Е 772 "Sofia - Veliko Tarnovo – Varna” and on the road "Rousse - Sliven".There is a convenient road connection via the town of Kotel to the southern Bulgaria. The central road - transporting arteries cross the municipal area in 4 directions. It is foreseen that highway “Hemus” will pass at a distance between 1-15 km away from the town.The total municipal highway network covers 305 km, which is partially being reconstructed under the EU PHARE Programme. The Sofia - Varna railway section also passes by the town. Thirteen kilometers away from the town of Targovishte is situated the Targovishte airport base. Its existence is an advantage for the region and its reconstruction is foreseen so that it will serve the territory of three districts - Targovishte, Shumen and Razgrad. In the remote past The archeological studies prove that there was a human presence on these lands ever since the Chalcolithic Age - V-IV millennium B.C.In 1573 in the tax register of the Ottoman Empire the old name of the town appeared for first time - Eskii Jumaia. In XVII century it already became administrative centre as well as the centre of the most popular fair in the European part of the Empire. Austria, Germany, England, Russia, the Near East and the Arab world goods and cultures have met here.After the liberation, the town choose the European model and took the road of development at the same time preserved its good traditions from the past.In 1934 Eski Jumaia was renamed to Targovishte, in 1959 it became administrative centre of the county, and later - of the district.The municipality possesses well-developed power and telecommunication networks. Currently gas network is being developed. The industrial zone and the social institutions in the town of Targovishte are entirely gas supplied. In the moment the gas network for the households is being developed.Close to the town of Targovishte as well as in the town itself there are few mineral springs with healing and prophylactic characteristics. Investments and development of the real estate marketBecause of its strategic position in the country as well as the fast process of development the region is preferred by international investors. The Turkish company Shishedzham AD, Istanbul for flat glass and glass articles production which construction started in July 2004 indisputably gave a positive impetus to the economy of the municipality. The investment which counts to USD 160 millions is the biggest one made in the country during the last ten years. In addition, Shishedzham AD has a 3 % share on the world flat glass market and a 9 % market share in Europe.Another big company - “BulMed” Ltd is developing its new factory near the town of Targovishte. The project is for over 1 000 000 €. The company is specialized in buying up, remaking, control and export of honey for the countries of the EU. “BulMed” Ltd is a family company, set up in 1998. Its partners are big companies and holdings from France, Germany, England and Italy.Another famous company which is working here is “Energia” Ltd. It was was set up under the license of the German company Varta. The company initially specialized in manufacturing lead-acid tubular batteries for the forklift trucks in Bulgaria. The leading companies in the food and tobacco industries are LVK ”Vinprom” Targovishte, famous on the European wine market and “Targovishte Bottling Company” for bottling the products of “Coca Cola”. The company is the first international investment in the region.There are foreign investments in the clothing industry. The most popular representatives are “Bojur 71” which is working mainly for export to Germany and Italy and the German “CVW MOD” which is working for export to Germany. Good investment environment It is important to say that the town of Targovishte is now in process of development. The municipality is leading politics directed to attracting foreign investments. The investment priorities are due to the fact that companies which reinvest their earnings are free from the corporate tax. Other preconditions for good investments are the well developed infrastructure as well as the telecommunications, the big potential of non- employed human resources and the key geographic position between the ports of Varna (Black Sea) and Rousse (Danube River). The main plus of the region is that the property market is developing very fast. The real estate prices have increased double during the last 3- 4 years. And this is a result from the development and the prosperity of the private enterprise. Thanks to the good investment politics there is obvious growth of the rental incomes. It is imposed from the labor market, because the companies are generating new jobs and there are a lot of unemployed people from the smaller towns and villages who migrate to live and work here. The rents vary from 80 € - 300 € depending on the location, the square surface and the condition of the property. The region provides a lot of opportunities for interesting, varied and comfortable way of living. In the district there are over 13 hotels; 50 cafés, restaurants, night bars; discotheques, swimming pools with barbeque area; an aqua park; a tourist hostel; spa and cosmetics centers; over 30 branches of different banks; car companies where you could buy and rent a car.The priority of the small towns comprising the region is that they provides all the amenities required of the big town and at the same time the quietness and the calmness of the rural life. They keep and bring the spirit of the past with the atmosphere of the present and the unknown future. We believe that your acquaintance with the past and the present of Targovishte region will make you our friend, visitor, partners, inhabitants, associates and investors.Come to see this incredible recess of the nature enclosed in Targovishte region. Tourism and places of interestIf there is a place in picturesque Bulgaria which you must not skip, this is definitely Targovishte – a natural crossroad of ancient cultures and trade roads. The region is attractive for tourism during all seasons thanks to its beautiful natural sites and rich cultural and historical heritage. There are possibilities for development of cultural and urban, adventurous and hunting tourism, ecotourism, photo-safari and sports fishing. A number of comfortable family and business hotels operate in the town of Targovishte as well as in the surrounding areas. Besides the peace and the silence, the numerous cultural monuments, the scenery and the mineral springs the visitors of the town could also enjoy the traditional culinary specialties of the region and could taste local wines with international acknowledgement..The ecologically protected regions “Gerlovo” and “Sarta” are placed on the territory of the municipality of Targovishte. Together with the beautiful forests in the areas “Parka” and “Boaza”, the dam-lakes and the landmarks set the prerequisites for the development of the ecotourism.Sports orientation, bicycle-tourism, water tourism, cave tourism and walking tourism are traditionally developed on the territory of the municipality. Also the following sports are traditionally popular in Targovishte – football, motoring, wrestling, table–tennis, rifle practice, eurhythmics and others.Plenty of family hotels and private lodgings are suitable for rural tourism. The bulk of the village houses in the region are small farms, where you could feel the unique rural atmosphere. On the territory of the municipality of Targovishte there is a game preserve of 300 hectares, where rare and demanded game could be found – deer, hinds, wild boars, foxes, barger holes, wolves, etc. The bird world shows a big variety of species. Objects of hunting are: partridges, pheasants, quails, pigeons, turtle-doves. Plenty of dam lakes in the region offer opportunities for fishing tourism. The town of Targovishte is famous with its annual spring fair. The municipality follows a single-minded policy for development of the economic significance of Targovishte fair along with the providing of a new meaning to its content and organization of production and commercial exhibitions. The first Targovishte Exhibition was opened in May 1992 in the framework of the spring fair. In the halls of the Art Gallery “Nikola Marinov” producers and commercial agents, representatives of Bulgarian and foreign companies show their production. The traditions established as well as the acknowledged name of the fair attract many participants.
Source: www.bgp.bg |
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