The town of Provadiya has a population of 14 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 47 km west of Varna. The town is located in a valley along the banks of the Provadiyska River. The town is the centre of a municipality of 24 component settlements.

Provadiya is a settlement with a centuries-old history. The oldest traces of human activity on the territory of the town date back to V c. B.C. The town is founded as a Byzantine fortress against the invasions of the northern tribes. The Byzantines call the town Provat or Provaton. At the end of XI c. the Bulgarians impose the name of Ovech. During the Second Bulgarian Kingdom the town is a military fortress, an administrative, economic and spiritual centre. In 1388 after a long siege the fortress falls in the hand of the Turks and gets the name of Provadiya. By the middle of XVI c. the fortress is in a decline and the settlement is moved to its present-day place. After the Liberation from the Ottoman yoke the town has a population of 3 500 inhabitants. Seven kilometers southeast of the town are located the Provadiya Baths with salty mineral water of 14^oC and sulphur mineral water of 21^oC used for spa treatments.

Tourist sights

The medieval fortress Ovech and the fortified rampart from the time of khan Asparuh (VII c.) are located in the vicinities of Provadiya. Ovech is the Slavic name of the fortified town which has existed until 1581. In IX c. the settlement has been a bishop's settlement and later on a bishopric.

The Revival Period ensemble in Provadiya represents the Revival Period atmosphere of the region.