The town of Rakovski has a population of 16 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 25 km northeast of the district town of Plovdiv. It is a municipal centre with 6 component settlements. The town has been founded in 1966 after the unification of three villages - the villages of General Nikolaevo, Sekirovo and Parchevich.

The lands of the Municipality of Rakovski have been populated since ancient times. The first traces are from the Copper-Stone Age. The first settlement on these lands - the village of Sekirovo dates from that period. At a distance of 2 km from the town there are ruins and a Roman road. The archeologists continue to discover ritual slabs with images of the Thracian deity Heros and many silver coins from II and III c. The town of Rakovski has been founded by Bulgarian -pavlikyan people worshiping one of the most significant heresies of the Middle Ages. In XVII c. they take the catholic religion.

The tourist sights of the town are: the catholic cathedrals "St. Archangel Michael" and "Presveto Sartze Isusovo"/Holy Jesus' Heart/ which are some of the biggest catholic cathedrals on the Balkan Peninsula.