The town of Petrich has a population of about 30 000 inhabitants and is located at a distance of 93 km south of Blagoevgrad. The town is a municipal administrative centre with 56 settlements. Petrich is an agricultural region specialized in the manufacturing of vegetables, vineyards and technical cultures.

Petrich is the successor of the ancient settlement Petra which lies not far away from the present town of Petrich. The ancient Petra town was situated at the foot of the extinct volcano Kozhuh. The town is demolished and the survivals settle along the river where the present town is situated. The town enters the limits of Bulgaria in IX c. During the Middle Ages the town is a strong Bulgarian fortress which plays a key role against the Byzantine invasions. In 1014 in the narrow pass between Belasitza and Ograzhden Mountains is waged the Belasitza Battle between Bulgarian and Byzantine soldiers. During the Ottoman yoke the town has the name of Petridzhe and is mentioned in the tax registry books from 1491. Until 1913 Petrich is part of the Ottoman Empire.

The tourist sights in the region are: The churches "Sveta Bogoroditza" /Holy Virgin/(1857), "Saint Georgi", "St. Nikola", "Uspenie Bogorodichno"/The Assumption/, ancient buildings proclaimed for monuments of culture, the remains of the ancient settlement Petra, the Samuil fortress, the extinct volcano Kozhuh and the "Rupite" site.

10 km north-east of Petrich lies the village of Marikostinovo. There are mineral springs with a temperature of 38-62^oC in this village. The water is suitable for healing diseases of the locomotory system, the nervous system and others.

Tourist sights

The Samuil fortress is located at a distance of 18 km from the town. Here is waged the Belasitza Battle from 1014 between Bulgarians and Byzantines in the narrow pass between Belasitza and Ograzhden Mountains. The Bulgarians at the village of Klyuch are attacked from behind and are defeated. More than 14 000 soldiers are captured and blinded by the enemy. At every group of 100 blinded soldiers is left one single-eyed to lead them. Seeing his blinded soldiers King Samuil gets a heart attack and dies while the Byzantine emperor is called Vasilius- Bulgaroctone. The Samuil fortress is a park-museum with a monument of Samuil and his blinded soldiers inside. There is a panoramic square where one can see the whole historic site where the battle between the Bulgarian and the Byzantine soldiers was held. There is a museum exhibition as well.

The remains of the ancient Petra town lie at 8 km northeast of the town. Nowadays, only the main fortified walls and some public buildings have been preserved.

The "St. Petka Balgarska" Church is situated at a distance of 10 km northeast of the town in the "Rupite" site. The church is related to the activity of the Bulgarian prophet Vanga (1911-1996). The mural paintings of the temple are made by the famous Bulgarian artist Svetlin Russev.