Vratsa#Vratsata Gorge

The name comes from the Vratsata Pass nearby, and derives from the Slavic word {{lang|sla|vrata}} ("gate") + the Slavic diminutive placename suffix {{lang|sla|-itsa}}, "little gate",{{cite web |url=http://www.purebulgaria.com/bg_version/cities.php?city_id=27 |title=Враца{{mdash}} кратка справка |publisher=PureBulgaria |language=bg |access-date=2008-09-14 }} used to translate the Latin name {{lang|la|Valve}} ("double door"). The name of the town during Ottoman era was recorded as Ivraca.

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The Ottoman census records of the early 1550s indicate that İvraca was in a continuous development. According to this, there were 82 Muslim households, corresponding to approximately 400 people, and a mosque, later known as "Eski Camii", with also a population of 31 unmarried males. The Christians living in 12 neighborhoods, on the other hand, reached a population of approximately 1840 with 354 households and 172 unmarried males. At this time the ratio of the Muslim population to the general population increased to 18%. In addition, it is mentioned in the defter that the Muslim and non-Muslim population in the city and some residents of the 2 neighbouring villages were working in the mines and therefore these workers and their families were exempted from the avarız property tax. In 1580, Muslims made up 30% of the total population. At that time, the city had 3 Muslim neighborhoods (mahalle-i Câmi-i Atik, Mahalle-i Câmi-i Cedid, Mustafa Çavuş Mescidi mhalle). There were a total of 258 households in these neighbourhoods. The Christian population also increased, reaching a total of 583 households in 12 neighborhoods named after their priests. Apart from these, there were seven Coptic mining households whose statuses were recognized in 1550. The number of monasteries, which was 4 up to this date, increased to 8.{{Cite web |title=İVRACA |url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/ivraca |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi |language=tr}}{{Cite journal |last=GÖKBİLGİN |first=M. TAYYİB |date=1956 |title=KANUNÎ SULTAN SÜLEYMAN DEVRİ BAŞLARINDA RUMELİ EYALETİ, LİVALARI, ŞEHİR VE KASABALARI |url=https://belleten.gov.tr/tam-metin-pdf/1214/tur |journal=Belleten |volume=20 |issue=78 |pages=247–294 |issn=0041-4255 |eissn=2791-6472 }}

1831 Ottoman population statistics show that 74% of the Christians were non-taxpayers in the kaza of İvraca and 83% of the Christians were recorded as middle-class.Kemal Karpat (1985), [https://kupdf.net/downloadFile/59e4a7b908bbc56144e653d7 Ottoman Population, 1830–1914, Demographic and Social Characteristics], The University of Wisconsin Press, p. 36

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The city of Vratsa is located in the foothills of "Vrachanski Balkan" (Vratsa Mountain), on the banks of Leva River, {{Convert|116|km|abbr=on}} from the national capital Sofia.

The area has diverse natural features. Several protected natural attractions and historical monuments are located on the territory of the Vratsa State Forestry.

The climate is humid continental with hot summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature is about {{convert|11|°C|0|abbr=on}}.

Climate in this area has noticeable differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfa" – humid continental climate.{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=155050&cityname=Vratsa%2C+Bulgaria&units=|title=Vratsa, Bulgaria Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|work=Weatherbase}}

{{Weather box

|location=Vratsa (2002–2012)

|metric first=yes

|single line=yes

| Jan high C=3.2

| Feb high C=5.8

| Mar high C=11.0

| Apr high C=17.5

| May high C=23.1

| Jun high C=26.8

| Jul high C=29.5

| Aug high C=29.7

| Sep high C=25.3

| Oct high C=18.4

| Nov high C=11.6

| Dec high C=5.3

|year high C=17.3

| Jan mean C=-0.6

| Feb mean C=1.6

| Mar mean C=6.4

| Apr mean C=12.5

| May mean C=18.1

| Jun mean C=21.8

| Jul mean C=24.1

| Aug mean C=24.1

| Sep mean C=20.0

| Oct mean C=13.5

| Nov mean C=7.9

| Dec mean C=1.8

|year mean C=12.6

| Jan low C=-4.3

| Feb low C=-2.7

| Mar low C=1.8

| Apr low C=7.5

| May low C=12.1

| Jun low C=15.8

| Jul low C=17.7

| Aug low C=17.5

| Sep low C=13.6

| Oct low C=8.5

| Nov low C=3.7

| Dec low C=-1.4

|year low C=7.5

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm=48

| Feb precipitation mm=41

| Mar precipitation mm=52

| Apr precipitation mm=71

| May precipitation mm=112

| Jun precipitation mm=106

| Jul precipitation mm=78

| Aug precipitation mm=61

| Sep precipitation mm=59

| Oct precipitation mm=65

| Nov precipitation mm=62

| Dec precipitation mm=54

|year precipitation mm=809

|source 1=Stringmeteo.org

}}

The number of the residents of the city reached its peak in the period 1990–1991 when it exceeded 85,000.{{in lang|bg}}[http://statlib.nsi.bg:8181/isisbgstat/ssp/lister.asp?content=/Fullt/extpages/DN_21_2_1992_1994/DN_21_2_1992_1994_P*.pdf&from=1&to=282&index=&cont=/Fullt/extpages/DN_21_2_1992_1994/DN_21_2_1992_1994_content.pdf&type=%F1%F2%F0%E0%ED%E8%F6%E8 National Statistical Institute – Towns population 1956–1992]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} As of February 2011, the town has a population of 60,692 inhabitants.{{in lang|bg}}[http://www.nsi.bg/census2011/pagebg2.php?p2=36&sp2=37&SSPP2=45 National Statistical Institute – Main Towns Census 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408064046/http://www.nsi.bg/census2011/pagebg2.php?p2=36&sp2=37&SSPP2=45 |date=8 April 2011 }} {{historical populations|1887|11323|1910|15250|1934|16177|1946|19620|1956|26582|1965|39091|1975|61134|1985|75451|1992|75518|2001|68975|2011|60692|2021|51020|2022|50012|align=right|cols=1|source=Censuses{{cite web |url=http://www.geography.iit.bas.bg/2009/1-09/13-17.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-02-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142758/http://www.geography.iit.bas.bg/2009/1-09/13-17.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-06 }}{{cite web|title=National statistical institute|url=https://www.nsi.bg/bg/content/21568/bg018c-%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B0|date=31 October 2024}}{{cite web|title=Cities of Bulgaria|url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/bulgaria-cities.htm|date=3 April 2024}}}}File:Община Враца.jpg

According to the latest 2011 census data, the individuals declared their ethnic identity were distributed as follows:{{in lang|bg}} [http://www.nsi.bg/ORPDOCS/Census2011_1.pop_by_age.xls Population on 01.02.2011 by provinces, municipalities, settlements and age; National Statistical Institute][http://www.nsi.bg/ORPDOCS/Census2011_4.pop_by_ethnos.xls Population by province, municipality, settlement and ethnic identification, by 01.02.2011; Bulgarian National Statistical Institute] {{in lang|bg}}

• Bulgarians: 53,275 (97.3%)
• Roma: 1,045 (1.9%)
• Turks: 54 (0.1%)
• Others: 185 (0.3%)
• Indefinable: 216 (0.4%)
• Undeclared: 5,937 (9.8%)

Total: 60,692

The ethnic composition of Vratsa Municipality is 64334 Bulgarians and 2215 Gypsies among others.

File:Vratsa-museum-Rogozen-treasure-10.jpg

File:Vratsa022.jpg

Vratsa is an ancient city found by ancient Thracians. Vratsa was called {{lang|la|Valve}} ("door of a fortress") by the Romans due to a narrow passage where the main gate of the city fortress was located. Nowadays, this passage is the symbol of Vratsa, and is shown on the town's Coat of arms.

After the fall of Rome, Vratsa became part of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium).

At the end of the 6th century AD, Vratsa was populated by the South Slavic tribes. Even if they came from Pannonia and Dacia on the north, the town remained under Byzantine rule.

In the 7th century, the Bulgars and the Slavs found the First Bulgarian Empire and the Slavic Vratsa became part of it. The city grew into important strategic location because of its proximity to the South State border. Vratsa became famous for its goldsmiths and silversmiths production and trade, high-quality earthenware and military significance.

In the 8th century, the Bulgarian army captured Sofia, which led to the decreasing of Vratsa's importance because of the better strategic position of Sofia, its more developed economy and larger size. But Vratsa was again key for the resistance against the Byzantine, Serbian and Magyar invasions in the Middle Ages.

On 1 May 1966 in the village of Sgorigrad, a Mir-Plakanista mine tailings dam collapsed, causing a flood of mud and debris that killed 488 people. It remains one of the biggest disasters in Vratsa since the 30 September 1923 fire and the Anglo-American bombing of 23 January 1944.

File:The Tower of the Meshtchii Vratsa.JPG

The mountains and forests are suitable for development of different types of tourism – hunting and fishing, skiing, speleology, delta-gliding, photo-tourism, etc.

Good opportunities exist for exercising different sport activities such as mountaineering, bicycle sport and for those who enjoy being thrilled can go for hang-gliding and paragliding, or set out for carting, buggy and motocross racing tracks.

Conditions are provided for rest and entertainment – children's and adults' swimming pools, water

cycles, discos, bars, restaurants, excellent hotel facilities and good service. To accommodate winter sports enthusiasts, there are rope lines near the Parshevitsa Chalet, and the skiing tracks are said to be well maintained.

There are also a Museum of History and an Ethnographic and Revival Complex.

File:Hristo Botev monument.JPG monument]]

Ledenika is the most frequently visited Bulgarian cave.

Ledenika is located in the Stresherski part of the Vratsa mountain. Its entrance being at 830m above sea level. It features an abundance of galleries and impressive karst formations including stalactites and stalagmites, dating back a thousand years. The cave is about 300m long and contains ten separate halls. The cave is part of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria

Vratsata Gorge – the highest cliffs on the Balkan Peninsula (400 meters high).
Vratsata Gorge is situated in Vratsa Mountain. The area is easily accessible from Vratsa.

The limestone of Vratsata Central Wall and the other rocks offer many possibilities for climbing and alpinism, connected by more than 70 alpine routes of all categories of difficulty.

Skaklya waterfall – highest temporary waterfall in Bulgaria and the Balkans – 141 meters.

File:Regional Historical Museum Vratsa.JPG

Regional historical museum in Vratsa preserves the Rogozen Treasure – the biggest Thracian treasure that was ever discovered on the territory of Bulgaria{{cite web|url=http://vratsamuseum.ovo.bg/virtualen_musei/EVK/index.html|title=ovo.bg|website=vratsamuseum.ovo.bg}}{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/regionalhistoricalmuseumvratsa/|title=Регионален исторически музей – Враца|website=Facebook }}

The main building of the museum houses several exhibitions.

• Prehistory Hall
• Antiquity Hall
• The Middle Ages Hall
• The Thracian Treasures Hall
• The Rogozen Treasure Hall
• Hristo Botev exhibition Hall
• New History Hall
• Stone arc Hall
• Lapidarium.

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File:Train station in Vratsa, Bulgaria.jpg

The strategic location of Vratsa is determined by the major rail and road corridors. Its geographical position became even more important with the construction of the Danube Bridge 2 at the town of Vidin (providing the most direct land access from the Thessaloniki port and Sofia towards Western Europe).

Vratsa connects to the villages and city within the region and throughout the country by bus and railway transport. There are regular bus lines to Sofia, Pleven, Vidin, Montana, Kozloduy, Oryahovo, Mezdra (at short intervals), as well as to the smaller villages, scattered around the city. The bus station is located on the way between the railway station and the centre of the city. Vratsa is an important railway station along the railway route Sofia — Vidin (Lom).

Vratsa Peak on Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Vratsa.

Vratsa is the home of a professional Quidditch team operating within the fictional Harry Potter universe. The Vratsa Vultures have won the European Cup seven times.{{cite book |first=Kennilworthy|last=Whisp|title=Quidditch Through the Ages|year=2001 |publisher=WhizzHard Books|pages=31–46|isbn=1-55192-454-4}}

In the area of Vratsa are developed many branches of industry: textile (production of cotton fabrics and silk), tailoring, food processing (bakery, confectionery, meat processing, dairy processing, soft drinks production, etc.) mining of rock lining materials from the Vratsa region – limestone), furniture, light, machine-building (production of lathes and mills), metal casting and metalworking, etc.

File:Botevvratza2.JPG

• FC Botev Vratsa

Vratsa is twinned with:{{cite web |title=Побратимени градове|url=http://www.vratza.bg/?category=33&sub=90|website=vratza.bg|publisher=Vratsa|language=bg|access-date=2019-10-31}}

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• {{flagicon|SRB}} Bor, Serbia
• {{flagicon|ROU}} Craiova, Romania
• {{flagicon|MKD}} Kičevo, North Macedonia
• {{flagicon|BLR}} Kobryn, Belarus
• {{flagicon|RUS}} Serpukhov, Russia
• {{flagicon|UKR}} Sumy, Ukraine
• {{flagicon|FRA}} Villeneuve-le-Roi, France

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File:Ledenika_TodorBozhinov_(5).JPG|Ledenika cave

File:Vratsa-by-night.jpg| Vratsa by night

File:Vratsata gorge.JPG| Vratsata gorge

Image:Vratsa 16.jpg|Street scene

Image:Vratsa 17.jpg|Ethnographic complex

File:Teatur vratsa.jpg|Theatre

Image:Vratsa 13.jpg|Medieval Tower of Kurt Pasha

Image:Vratsa 12.jpg|Medieval tower

Image:Vratsa 14.jpg|Tourist centre

Image:Vratsa 11.jpg|School

File:Str Kozloduiski Brjag Vratsa.JPG| Street in Vratsa

File:Vratsa_in_the_winter-2.jpg| Vratsa in the winter

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [https://www.vratza.bg/ Vratsa Municipality website]
• [http://wikimapia.org/#lat=43.1946644&lon=23.5449028&z=13&l=0&m=b&tag=50 Hotels in Vratsa (map)]
• [http://vratsamuseum.com/index.php?lang=en Vratsa Historical Museum]
• [http://www.vr-balkan.net/en/home/ “Vrachanski Balkan” Nature Park]
• [http://www.visitvratsa.com local tourism website www.visitvratsa.com.]

{{Cities of Bulgaria}}

{{Vratsa Province}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Populated places in Vratsa Province