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Balkan Heritage Towns and regions: | |||||
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The landscape of the area is a mixture of low and medium height mountains and highlands as well as the valleys of the Struma and Nishava River basins. The climate is moderate continental but at higher altitudes it has cold winters and fresh summers.
The region was a crossroad in the heart of the peninsula from very early times. Through the migration roads came the first European Neolithic settlers 8200 years ago, the traces of invading Indo-European tribes some 6000 year ago, Celtic, Macedonian and Roman troops in the first millennium BC, and barbaric tribes during the Great migration of peoples etc. Though not much has remained standing, the earth still hides many uncovered treasures and monuments in these areas which, due to their position near the country’s border in the last century, remained remote and abandoned. The written history of the area started in the first millennium BC when it was the border between the Thracian and Illyrian tribes and kingdoms. The Romans, after having conquered the area in the first century BC - the first century AD, brought with them relative peace and stability for several centuries. They developed urbanization and the infrastructure of the region. The Roman highway Via Militaris – from Vindibona (Vienna) – Aquincum (Budapest) - Singidunum (Belgrade) to Byzantium (later Constantinople and Istanbul) - crossed the area along with other important Roman roads, bringing funds and goods to the local population. The prominent Roman cities of Serdica (Sofia), Pautalia (Kyustendil), and Naisus (Nish) influenced the economic and cultural development of the region. During the Great migration of peoples, newcomers repeatedly destroyed and plundered the area which belonged to the East Roman diocese of Ilyricum. The Middle Ages began with an invasion by the Slavs in the 6-7 century AD who settled down and formally recognized the authority of the East Roman Emperor although they lived almost independently until their lands were incorporated in the emerging Bulgarian Empire in AD 809. From that time on, the area remained ethnically and culturally connected with the Bulgarian people until the end of the 19 century, no matter who ruled it formally.
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History facts in brief:
First century AD – 809 AD - the region is part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires. 809 - 1010s – the region is part of the First Bulgarian Empire.
864 – Baptizing of the Bulgarians. 1110s - 1180s - the region is part of the Byzantine Empire. 1180s - 1330 - the region is part of the Second Bulgarian Empire. 1330 – 1380s – Ponishavie remains part of the Second Bulgarian Empire but Kraishte was conquered by the emancipated Serbian Kingdom (inherited after 1355 by Despot Konstantin Dragash). 1380s - 1390s – The region was conquered by the Ottomans who, despite some Christian reconquista trials, remained there until 1878. 1680s – Rebellions by the Bulgarians in support of the Anti-Ottoman powers 1809 - 1821- Rebellions by the local Christians were brutally smashed by the Ottomans. 1870 – Christians from Ponishavie and Kraishte join the Bulgarian Orthodox Exarchate. 1878 – The Russo-Turkish war liberated the region from Ottoman rule and it became a part of the Bulgarian Kingdom except for the areas of Nish and Pirot - which were occupied by Serbia as a reward for participating in the war on the Russian side. 1919 – 1944 – The Soviet army occupied
1989 – The breakdown of the socialist system opened new horizons for the people on both sides of the border.
Major towns of the area are:
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