The town of Pernik is situated at 710 metres altitude. It is the largest town in south-west Bulgaria, after the city of Sofia. It is located some 30 km to the south-west of Sofia. The town is a regional and the coal-mining centre of Bulgaria also. It is a transport hub with convenient links to Sofia, the towns of Blagoevgrad, Kulata and Kyustendil. The Pernik county is sited in a pan. The favourable climate and the vast hilly pastures are the major prerequisites for the early settlement of men in ancient times. The bottom of the pan is hilly, and has two rivers that run through it – the Struma and its tributary Konska rivers. The relief of the pan is varied. As far as the climate is concerned, in the Pernik county it is continental climate, with the only exception of Vitosha slope, where it is mountainous. These climatic conditions are predetermined by the high average altitude of the county. The requisites for the development of tourism are numerous: the abundant natural and cultural resources, the proximity to Sofia and the sporadic visits paid by foreigners and Bulgarians from the other parts of the country. The Tran corner of the county is lavish with the beauties of nature, typical for Bulgaria. It is situated among the high hillside, formed from the flow of the river Erma. The town of Tran itself is situated in the Znepole valley. The Tran corner is famous for the craftsmanship of its builders and with the unique Businska ceramic school. The village of Kovachevtzi is situated along the valley of the Svetlya river, 28 km to the west of the town of Radomir. It is mentioned in a document dated 1676 under the name of Kovachovcha. The tourists are fascinated by natural diversity. The county of Zemen occupies an area of 253 square kilometres and encompasses 19 settlements, united in 14 municipalities. It is sited along the valley of the Struma river, where the Treklyanska and Divlyansnka rivers flow into the Struma river. In the vicinity of the town of Zemen the famous monastery of Zemen is situated, built in the eleventh century and preserving murals from the fourteenth century, as well as the Zemen gorge with its unique rock formations and remnants from the fortress, dated back to the First Bulgarian Kingdom. The main occupation in the county is the production of slacked lime and quarry products. The town of Breznik is situated in the Breznishka glen, at 750 metres altitude. Today the town produces agricultural machines, merchant equipment, aluminium joinery, the textile and wine industries are developed. The town of Radomir is situated at the west foot of the Golo bardo mountain, some 13 km away from the town of Pernik. It is an old medieval town, which has emerged on the remnants of an ancient, prehistoric settlement with a necropolis. The town has a well developed heavy industry, with several ceramic and wood-processing works. The old fame of the town of Radomir comes from its “boza”(millet-ale) craftsmen and their famous drink.
