Beautifully located at the foot of the Balkan Mountains, Troyan is the center of a settlement system of 21 villages, with a total area of 893 sq. Km. According to NSI data, in 2022 the population was 26,391 inhabitants, which puts the municipality in second place in the district after the district center of Lovech (37,850 inhabitants), with 55% of the population (14,506 people) of working age.
The favorable geographical location of Troyan (only 160 km from Sofia and about 120 km from Plovdiv) and the well-maintained road and railway networks create conditions for establishing excellent transport links with the rest of the country, and the proximity to the Troyan Pass provides an opportunity for easy and fast communication and transfer of passengers and goods between North and South Bulgaria.
Troyan was declared a town in 1868, but emerged in the 15th century, and archaeological excavations testify that the area was inhabited as early as the Paleolithic. The town gets its name from the ancient Roman road Via Trayana (the road of Emperor Trajan), connecting the Danube with the White Sea as early as the 1st-2nd century AD. In the first half of the 19th century the crafts flourished in Troyan. Leading is pottery, which gradually created the unique to this day Troyan ceramic school.
Troyan offers good conditions for both holidays and business.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE
The city is a national center of crafts, woodworking, furniture production, clothing industry and pharmacy. Troyan is the right place for entrepreneurs seeking stability and security, highly qualified staff and responsiveness from local authorities. Local taxes and fees are below the national average – the local tax burden index for 2023 is 34.3 (vs. max. 100).
Undertakings
On the territory of the municipality operate 1730 companies, 63.3% of which work in the field of manufacturing. Troyan companies create added value of 8933 BGN/capita and produce production for 24462 BGN/person. Export-oriented industries are highly developed – export revenues are BGN 12,637 per capita, with their share in the total revenues of non-financial enterprises being 38.8%.
Among the larger enterprises in Troyan are: Velde Bulgaria AD – manufacturer of veneers and wood panels, Kalinel EOOD – a leading company in Europe in the field of home textiles, specialized in the production of decorative pillows, sleeping pillows, duvets, protectors and mattress covers (one of the largest suppliers of Ikea), Vitex AD – a factory for the production of woolen and special fabrics (hard to burn, hydrophobic and acid-resistant) with over 70% export, "Elimex" – manufacturer of electronics and electrical engineering, the mechanical engineering company "Copa Hydrosystem" Ltd., "Rico Style" Ltd. – manufacturer of tables and chairs, "Balkanpharma Troyan" – part of the group "Teva" (global leader in the production of generic medicines), etc.
Investment
FTA acquisition costs amount to BGN 1,952 per capita and foreign direct investments (cumulative) are EUR 914 per capita, which puts Troyan in 50th place in terms of investment activity among all 265 municipalities in Bulgaria. The absorbed funds from the European funds (2007-2023) amount to BGN 89.9 million. (3406 BGN/person).
Labour market
Unemployment in Troyan is 4.3% (2022) – 44th place among all municipalities, and by employment rate (66.6%) the municipality ranks 21st. 15% is the share of employees in the public sector, and 64.6% of employees are engaged in the manufacturing industry.
Daily to work in Troyan, 781 people travel from neighboring municipalities and 568 are labor migrants from Troyan to other municipalities.
Education
There are 9 schools in the municipality of Troyan, where a total of 1800 students are educated. The provision of teachers is 79 teachers per 1000 students, which is below the national average.
According to the latest census in 2021, 29.8% of the inhabitants of Troyan have higher education, 56.7% have a secondary education, 21.2% have primary or lower and the share of illiterates is 0.4%.
The average grades from the state matriculation exams in 2023 are as follows: Bulgarian language and literature – 3.8 (46th place in the country), English – 4.68 (23rd), mathematics – 4.25 (22nd place).
Health care
On the territory of Troyan there are two hospitals with state and municipal property – Troyan Hospital and the Specialized Hospital for Pulmonary Diseases. The insurance with medical staff is one doctor per 276 inhabitants, which is below the national average.
Tourism
The municipality is an attractive place for tourism, which offers good opportunities for rest and entertainment. The wonderful combination of natural resources – hot mineral water, proximity to the Central Balkan National Park and fresh air create conditions for complete relaxation throughout the year. On the territory of the municipality are two of the emblematic for our country centers for SPA tourism - Shipkovo and Chiflik.
In addition, the preserved cultural and historical heritage and the diverse festive and festival program make the city a place worth visiting.
Unique for the country cultural organizations and institutes contribute to the establishment of Troyan as a tourist and cultural center – the Museum of Crafts in Troyan, the National Exhibition of Crafts and Applied Arts in the village of Oreshak, the Natural History Museum in the village of Cherni Osam. Troyan offers its guests memorable views and experiences – a walk in time, starting from the Roman fortress "Sostra", through the beauty of the Troyan Monastery and the wonderful Renaissance churches scattered throughout the villages, to art installations and graffiti.
Since 2014, Troyan has an officially registered trademark in the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria – brand and slogan ("The Heart of the Balkan"), created by the Trojans Petko Tsochev and Dimitar Dobrev, who donate the created visions to the Municipality of Troyan. In 2020, a comprehensive brand communication concept described in the Brand Guide has been developed. A tourist portal has also been created, offering rich information about all tourism opportunities on the territory of the municipality - https://visit.troyan.bg/.
10 things to know about Troyan:
- Troyan is the birthplace of a number of prominent Bulgarians – the first Bulgarian sociologist Ivan Hadzhiyski, the famous Bulgarian scientist Acad. Angel Balevski, the philosopher prof. Tsocho Boyadzhiev, cartoonist Milko Dikov, TV presenter Sasho Dikov, actress Anya Pencheva and many others.
- The ancient road "Via Trayana", of which remains are preserved on the territory of the municipality, is the longest Roman road in the country.
- In 1871 Vasil Levski founded the only monastic revolutionary committee in the country in the Troyan Monastery.
- In 1911 the first light bulb was lit and Troyan became the third city with electricity in Bulgaria, after Sofia and Plovdiv.
- The temperature of the mineral springs varies from 18° to 57° C, and the warm mineral pools can be used even in winter.
- In the resort complex "Beklemeto" is the best biathlon track in Bulgaria.
- On the territory of the municipality of Troyan there are two reserves of the Central Balkan National Park - the Steneto Biosphere Reserve and the Kozya Stena Reserve, created to protect the edelweiss, listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Bulgaria.
- In the municipality you can visit three destinations that are part of the 100 national tourist sites – Museum of Crafts – Troyan, Natural History Museum in the village of Cherni Osam and Troyan Monastery "Assumption of St. Mother of God."
- In the municipality there are two unique schools for the country – the National High School of Applied Arts "Prof. Venko Kolev" (Troyan) and the only school for mountain guides in Bulgaria – "V. Levski" Secondary School (village of Cherni Osam).
- Over 100 herbs are put by the monks from the Troyan Monastery in the special rakia they prepare according to a secret recipe.
*The article uses NSI data and materials from the official website of Troyan Municipality.
