The county of Stara Zagora is situated in the central part of South Bulgaria. Its administrative centre – the town of Stara Zagora, is the largest town in the East Thracian valley and the sixth largest in Bulgaria as a whole. The town is a strategic crossroads of vital transport routes from north,south, east and west. It is the central railway point of the whole railway network in Bulgaria, providing access to all Bulgarian cities and towns. During the years Stara Zagora emerged as a unique modern town, the only one in Bulgaria with long straight wide roads, square to each other. The numerous remnants from antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Bulgarian Revival keep the memories for the centuries long gone by. The whole central part of the town is proclaimed an architectural reserve. The Bereketskata hill is in fact the largest prehistoric tumulus in Bulgaria. The town of Chirpan (population of 20 468 people) is located at 180 metres altitude in a hilly area, formed by the southern slopes of the Sredna Gora mountain, along the valley of the Tekirska river. Of special interest here is the home museum of the the Bulgarian poet Peyo Yavorov, situated in the centre of the town. The town of Kazanlak is situated in the picturesque Rose Valley at the foot of the Stara Planina mountain. Here is the real geographical centre of Bulgaria and an important crossroads of many national and international tourist routes. The varied landscape of the vicinity offers excellent opportunities for relaxation and sport both in the summer and in the winter months. In the summer the preferred place is the Koprinka dam, providing great possibilities for water sports, angling and sun-baths, along with a cool coniferous forest nearby and newly-built elegant hotels. In the neighbourhood of the town of Kazanlak one can practise pedestrian- and bicycle-based tourism, sport orientation, mountaineering, rock climbing, ski tourism, etc. Interesting high-mountain walking trips are organized with trained mountain guides. The town of Shipka is situated on the southern slopes of the Stara Planina mountain. The local weather is characterized by absolute low minimal temperatures and low volumes of precipitation in the winter. The summer is moderately hot. Here the climatic conditions are best suited for the growth of the basic natural grown trees – beech, winter oak, hornbeam, blagun oak. In the region the traditional handicrafts are well developed, especially cutlery making and woodworking. In the past many traditional national music instruments were made here, such as kaval and Bulgarian bagpipe. The settlement of Shipka was created some 630 years ago with the purpose to defend and maintain the mountain pass. The local hills were all covered with briars, hence the name of the town – Shipka (briar). The houses here are over 130 years\' old. The town is famous with its creamy sheep yoghurt. Here strawberries, herbs and apples thrive. Near the town is the Orthodox Church “The Birth of Christ” dedicated to the glorious dead in the Liberation War (the Turkish – Russian war of 1878) Russian soldiers and Bulgarian volunteers. The modern settlement of Pavel Banya was created immediately after the Liberation of Bulgaria. Its prime assets are the curative mineral springs. They spout from 7 natural spout mouths, and the temperature of some of the water is as high as 63 degree centigrade. The climate is transitional continental, the summer is hot, the autumn is dry and winter – mild. Pavel Banya is a starting point for many tourist routes in the Stara Planina and the Sredna Gora mountains. The village of Starozagorski bani is situated in the southern part of the Sredna Gora mountain at 360 metres altitude. The whole neighbourhood is covered with oak, yoke-elm, hazel and newly-planted coniferous forests. The climate is transitional continental, soothed by the Mediterranean influence. The hot mineral spring spouting here is gives an excellent opportunity for all year round health, prophylactic and rehabilitation activities. The resort is suitable for medical treatment of many maladies.
