The town of Pazardzhik is the centre of the Pazardzhik District. The town has a population of 77 000 inhabitants. It lies at a distance of 109 km from Sofia and 36 km from Plovdiv. The town is a municipal centre of 31 settlements.

Pazardzhik is located at the central part of the Upper Thracian Valley along the Maritza River. The town is known under the name of Tatar Pazardzhik until 1934. The region has been populated since ancient times. In the vicinity of the town there are remains of settlements and settlement mounds from the New Stone Age, the Stone-Copper and Bronze Age. Its favourable location turns it into one of the centres of the ancient culture. Fortresses of strategic military and administrative significance have been built here during the Middle Ages. The present-day town is founded in the first half of XV c. as a trade settlement at the international road connecting Europe with Istanbul. During XVI c. many big public buildings are built such as mosques, inns and hammams so the town becomes an administrative centre. During the Revival period a lot of houses are built to the likeness of the ones in Plovdiv. There are more than 150 monuments of culture in the town. The town is liberated in 1878. Pazardzhik is the home town of Konstantin Velichkov, Nikola Furnadzhiev, the musician Maestro Georgi Anastasov, the artists Georgi Mishev, Georgi Gerasimov and Stoyan Vasilev.

The tourist sights of the town are the History Museum, the ethnographic exhibition, the museums of Konstantin Velichkov and Stanislav Dospevski, the churches " Sveta Bogorditza"/ Holy Virgin/ ( 1836-1837), "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" (1872), "St. Petka"(1852) and the Big Synagogue (1850).

Other cultural-historic sights of the district are: Besapara - a Thracian settlement and a Roman fortress near the village of Sinitovo, the Thracian tomb by the town of Streltcha from V-IV c. B.C., Tzepina - a medieval Bulgarian fortress from XI - XIII c. by the village of Dorkov, The Batkunski Monastery and the church "St. Dimiter" at the village of Patalenitza.

On the territory of Pazardzhik District are located: the "Rila" National Park, the reserves "Dupkata", "Mantaritza" and "Kupena"- all in Rhodope Mountains, as well as the lake "Kleptuza" which is a karst spring.

The most famous rocky phenomena are: "Pobit Kamak", "Zhabata"/The Frog/, "Turchinov kamak", "Garvanov Kamak" and "Kiselitzata"

The following wineries are situated on the territory of the district - Pamidovo, Peshtera, Kalugerovo and Radilovo.

Tourist sights

The History Museum has one of the richest museum collections. The first museum is established in 1911 and in 2000 it has been transformed into a Regional History Museum for the Pazardzhik and Plovdiv districts. The exhibits are displayed at a specially-built building and represent the period from the Paleolith (100-400 millennia B.C.) until the middle of XX c. At the lapidarium of the museum are displayed findings which are not included in the internal collection such as statues, road columns, sacrificial altars, cult figures, chapiters, columns and others.

The Ethnographic Museum in Pazardzhik is situated in the biggest housing building from the Revival period. The house has 18 rooms and interesting painting decoration. It has been owned by the rich merchant Nikolaki Hristovich.

The House of Stanislav Dospevski in Pazardzhik is the home where the artist has lived and worked. The house represents the Revival period atmosphere with authentic furniture and the original works and mural paintings of the artist. Stanislav Dospevski is one of the originators of the refined painting in Bulgaria. He is the son of the talented Revival period artist Dimiter Zograph. Dospevski graduates from the Art Academy in Petersburg. He is the reporter of foreign newspapers in which he describes the hard condition of the Bulgarian people under the Ottoman yoke. He dies at a prison in Istanbul. His works can be seen at the Art Gallery of Pazardzhik where there is a specialized section for the works of the artist.

The House of Konstantin Velichkov in Pazardzhik is proclaimed for a cultural monument of national significance. The traditional Revival period atmosphere is represented in the house. Authentic materials and photographic exhibition tell about the life of Konstantin Velichkov. He takes part in the battles for the national liberation. He is also a public figure and a statesman after the Liberation, a teacher, a poet, a translator and an artist.

The church "Sveta Bogoroditza" /Holy Virgin/ in Pazardzhik is a monument of culture. It is the biggest Revival period church in Bulgaria. Built in 1836 it is a thee-nave church with 3 apsides from the east and arcades from the south and north. It is a cultural-historic heritage with its architecture and magnificent wood carved iconostasis.

The church "St. Dimiter" in the village of Patalenitza is among the most significant medieval monuments. It is one of the few preserved dome churches. It is proclaimed for a monument of culture in 1978.

The prehistoric settlement mound at the village of Yunatzite is also known under the name of The Flat Mound. So far on the archaeological site have been studied the medieval necropolis, a Roman-times fortification, a Thracian settlement and two settlements from the Stone-Copper Age. The greatest significance of the mound and the uniqueness of the findings make the name "Culture Yunatzite" popular since 1939.

Besapara at the village of Sinitovo lies at a distance of 6 km southeast of the town of Pazardzhik. Besapara is an ancient Thracian settlement. It has been the main town of the Bessi tribe. During the Roman times the settlement is a road station between Serdika and Philipopol and in I century becomes a Roman fortress. In VI c. the emperor Justinian I fortifies the walls. In the region of Besapara have been discovered archaeological monuments, ritual slabs, coins and other findings.

Pistiros at the village of Vetren has been an important trade and manufacturing centre of the Bessi tribe. The Pazardzhik field has a key role in the life of that tribe. The significance of Pistiros is also predestined by the functioning of important roads connecting the middle European lands with Mala Asia, as well as the short road to the sanctuary of Dionysius and the road along the Topolnitza River where gold is obtained.

The Sanctuary of the three nymphs is situated in the Besapara hills at the foot of the Western Rhodope Mountains. The highest point is the Elena peak at 36 m. The sanctuary of the three nymphs is located along the banks of the karst spring "Trivoditzi" with a capacity of 900 litres per second. It dates back to II-III c. and is one of the two big sanctuaries on the territory of Pazardzhik District. The sanctuary is situated close to the ancient town of Besapara at a distance of 2 km from the settlement mound of Mal Tepe.

The sanctuary of Asclepius Zelmidrenski is the other big sanctuary in Pazardzhik District where the ancient healing practices of the Thracian people have been performed. The sanctuary has been a square building of 19x19 size situated close to the spring. There are archaeologcal findings of statues of Asclepius and Hygia, ritual slabs and others. The sanctuary dates back to I-IV c.

Tzepina at the village of Dorkovo lies at a distance of 14 km northeast of the town. The region of Dorkovo is proclaimed for an archaeological reserve. On the territory of the village are discovered remains of a Halcolithic building, settlements from the Roman and the early Byzantine epochs. The medieval fortress has been established in XI c. During XII c. it becomes the headquarters of the boyar Aleksii Slav from the king Asen's kin. After 1215 he unites with the despot Todor Komnin and moves his residence to Melnik. From Tzepina are preserved the fortified walls, churches, water reservoirs etc.