The town of Samokov is the biggest settlement in Sofia District. It is situated in the Samokov Valley which lies among the mountains Plana, Vitosha, Verila and Rila. The average height of the valley is 950 m. Samokov has a population of 27 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 62 km southeast of Sofia. The town is a municipal centre with 27 component settlements.

The past of the town is related to the ore-mining which used to be the main means of living of the ancient Thracians. This means of living is kept during the Middle Ages as well. The town is captured by the Turks in 1372 and is mentioned for the first time in the Ottoman documents in XV c. During the Revival period the town is an important metallurgical centre of the Ottoman Empire. Samokov has been well known for its icon painters, masons and wood-cutters. The Samokov art school is founded at the end of XVIII c. from H. Dimitrov. It has a national significance for the development of the Bulgarian art.

Among the biggest town's sights are: the churches "Uspenie Bogorodichno"/The Assumption/ and "Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno"/Virgin Mary's Birth/, Bayrakli Mosque and the fountains. The building of fountains is an ancient tradition which is preserved until present days. The fountains should be made of stone so that they last through the centuries, to be beautiful and bring delight to the people. The most famous among them are the Many-coloured Fountain and the Ear-Ring Fountain which has a stone bird house as annex. The ear-ring consists of three stone parts hewn from a single stone block. The town is the starting point for the "Borovetz' and "Malyovitza" resorts in Rila Mountains.

13 km north-west of Samokov are situated the Belchinovo Mineral Baths. The mineral water of the baths has a temperature of 40-41^oC and is suitable for healing diseases of the locomotory system, neuralgic and other diseases.

Tourist sights

The bishop's church "Uspenie Bogorodichno"/ The Assumption/ in Samokov is built in two stages in 1793 and 1805 at the site of an earlier temple. It is one of the biggest Revival period churches. It is a three-nave church with an open vault narthex to the west and a semi-circle apse to the east. The church is dug into the ground at a depth of 1,20m. The church has a beautiful iconostasis made by the Samokov art school. The central part is made in the Monastery of Aton and is brought back to Samokov in pieces in 1793. The side wings are made later on from icon masters from Samokov.

The Church "Rozhdenie Bogorodichno"/ Virgin Mary's Birth/ in Samokov is built in XIV c. over the foundations of an ancient basilica. It is reconstructed in 1867 and a bell-tower is raised in 1879. The church is proclaimed for a cultural monument. It is situated at a distance of 3 km south of the town.

Bayrakli Mosque in Samokov dates back to the middle of XIX c. and is built from Bulgarian master builders. The praying saloon of the mosque is almost square with four free-standing wooden columns supporting a high drum and a spherical dome. The decoration of the mosque is done by representatives of the Samokov art school.

The Alpino Museum in the village of Alpino is located at a distance of 20 km west of the municipal centre. It is located in Plana Mountains. The monastery church has distinctive priceless mural paintings.

Borovetz is a high-mountains resort located among centuries-old forests in Eastern Rila Mountains. There are perfect conditions for the development of ski Alps disciplines, ski running and biathlon. The ski runs are of different degree of difficulty and are suitable for both beginners and trained skiers. There are ski tow-lifts, cabin lifts and cabin cable line to Yastrebetz peak (2 363 m). These facilities can service up to 10 000 people an hour.

The village of Govedartzi lies at a distance of 13 km from the Municipal centre. There is a ski run, serviced by a ski tow-lift within the territory of the village.

The tourist centre of Malyovitza is located at a distance of 27 km from the village of Malyovitza. It is a famous tourist and Alps centre situated at the northern foot of Malyovitza peak in Rila Mountains.