The town of Sliven is the district centre with a population of 97 500 inhabitants. It is situated at a distance of 276 km from Sofia at the southern foot of the eastern part of the Stara Planina Mountains at an altitude of 275 m. The town is the municipal administrative centre of 48 settlements.

The site of the present-day town has been populated for centuries. The first inhabitants of the town are the Thracians. The name of the town at that time is Tuida and has been found inscribed on a stone finding from that period.

The Romans had a garrison on the spot guarding the passes of the Stara Planina Mountains. During the great movement of the nations the fortress has been demolished. In the VII c. many Avar, Slav and Thracian tribes pass through this site. The lands of the settlement enter the limits of Bulgaria in 705.

The name of Sliven is mentioned for the first time by the Arabian traveler Al Idrisi in 1153 when he describes the town as very big and beautiful. In 1388 the town is conquered by the Turks and 24 monasteries from the Small Sveta Gora complex in the vicinity of the town have been burned down. The town gradually turns into a craftsman's centre. In 1834 the first textile factory is established by Dobri Zhelyazkov. Sliven is a centre of a strong rebellious movement during the Ottoman yoke and is known as the town of the 100 rebellion leaders.

The tourist sights of the town are: the churches "St. Dimiter" (1831), "St. Nikola" (1834), "St. Sofia" (1836), the clock tower from 1808, the History Museum, the Art Gallery, the house-museum of Hadzhi Dimiter, the house-museum of Dobri Chintulov.

The Sliven mineral baths are situated at a distance of 12 km southeast of Sliven along the Tundzha River. The mineral water has a capacity of 17 litres per second and a temperature of 44-45^oC. The mineral water is suitable for healing diseases of the locomotory system, the peripheral nervous system, liver and gastro-enteric diseases.

The following natural landmarks are situated in Sliven District: The "Sinite Kamani"/The Blue stones/ Natural Park, The "Orlitza" Reserve, the "Ardachlaka" Reserve, the "Sini Bryag" Reserve; the natural phenomena - " Halkata", "Bachvata", "Urushki Skali" and the caves " Lednika", ‘Orlovi Dupki", "Zmeevi dupki", "Dolnata maza", "Prikaznata".

The most popular wineries in the region are: Sliven, Nova Zagora, Shivachevo, Padarevo and Korten.