To the north Bulgaria borders Romania via the Danube River and Serbia and Montenegro to the west. The northwestern part of Bulgaria changes in height from the Danube River to the Stara Planina Mountains. The region consists of four natural-geographical zones from northwest to southwest - the Danube Plains, the Danube Hilly Plain, the Fore-Balkan and the Stara Planina Mountains. These zones have characteristic climatic, soil and vegetation traits.

The coastal line by the Danube River occupies about 10 % of the territory of the region. The average altitude is from 20-30 m. It is a very fertile land and people grow maize, hemp, vineyards, fruits and other cultures here.

The Danube Hilly Plain is the most spacious zone. It occupies 50 % of the territory of the region. Here are grown sunflower, sugar beet and fodder cultures.

The Fore-Balkan occupies about 30 % of the territory of the region. It is 10 to 30 km high with an altitude of 200 to 800 m. The Rivers Lom, Ogosta and Botunya cross it with picturesque gorges.

The Western part of the Stara Planina Mountains occupies 10% of the territory of the region. It is a comparatively high and hard-to-reach at some places.

The climatic conditions in the Northwestern region, like those of all Northern Bulgaria, are characterized as temperate-continental.

The plains in the region are covered with fertile alluvial-meadow soils. The Danube Hilly Plain is covered with black earth and the Fore-Balkan -with brown forest soils.

The forest fund of the Western Stara Planina Mountains is mainly of oak, beech, hornbeam, ash and other tree types.