About Sliven
WHAT IS SLIVEN?
A REALLY attractive town as well as a region and the region is governed by the town. Our population is approximately 115,000 and regionally this extends to approximately 150,000. There are 50 villages in the region, some of which are in the mountains just behind the town, and some in the plains just in front of the town. The region itself covers more than 1300km.
HOW DO I SAY "SLIVEN? "Sleevin"!
WHERE IS SLIVEN?
It's in the southeastern part of Bulgaria, about 100km from the coast (via the new highway) and sits just at the foot of the "The bluestones" mountains. International highway A-773 passes by Sliven and connects it to both Sofia and Bourgas. The town is about an hour's drive from the coast, Turkey, Greece, and the other towns of Bourgas, Veliko Turnovo and Stara Zagora. Elhovo is about 40 minutes from Sliven and Yambol and Nova Zagora about 30 minutes.
WHAT'S SLIVEN LIKE?
It's a really pleasant town, family oriented, pretty, lots of education and culture, and it's got a holiday feel about it. We think this is because it's got mountains in the background which you can see from almost any location in town, there's always a pleasant kind of "holiday breeze", there's lots of little terraces, and large pedestrian walkways where people "amble", there's lots of green space, and the buildings are colorful and more and more of them are being done up. It's just a relaxed way of life. Our clients who are predominantly 35 and up, all tell us they love it. They feel safe, relaxed, enjoy the shopping and just being in the town. The region is mainly agricultural with some mountain tourist destinations. It is one of the most fertile areas in the country as the climate is the best for growing the most variety of crops. The little villages around Sliven are picturesque, with farmers still driving horse and mule carts, chickens and geese roam about, flocks of sheep and goats come and go with the shepherds in the morning and evening, and in the summer every home has fruit trees and grape vines under which the families sit at old wooden tables, eating, socializing, planning, doing chores and drinking their rather lethal national drink "RAKIA".
WHAT MAKES SLIVEN SPECIAL?
Where do we start!!!! Great weather, wonderful people, beautiful backdrop of the mountains, clean air (chuck your inhaler), relaxed lifestyle, great shopping, great food, sports, near coast, Turkey, Greece, inexpensive living both in town and outside, great business opportunities, good education, very good medical care, great dentists at low low price, wonderful environment, caffe culture, safe and low crime rate, "Smart" development (not overcrowded - new builds are kept low with plenty of green space in between). There's golf, mineral baths, a year round mountain lift, one of the largest nature reserve parks in Europe with many rare and protected species of plant and animal life. There's a slope for skiing and snowboarding, a great park with tennis, swimming, and childrens amusement park. There's a large world-class stadium for international sports events. There's a theater, art galleries, folk song and dance Ensemble, and a Symphony Orchestra. It's just an IDEAL town to live and BE in.
WHAT's THE INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE IN SLIVEN
In general good. In the center, roads need improving, but that is beginning to occur, it's near the major highway connecting Bourgas and Sofia, so only 1 hour to Bourgas and 3 to Sofia. Water is good, and new system is being put in to improve further. Garbage collection has been a problem, however several months ago funds have been made available and a refuse center has now been designated in Yambol (goody, goody, not here!!) where the refuse will go, and funds are in place for trucks now. Even in the villages, the population is now receiving refuse bins from which the waste is now collected (as opposed to be dumped in local grounds).
WHAT DOES SLIVEN OFFER?
• Golf
• Skiing
• Snowboarding
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Hiking
• Fishing
• Hunting
• Horseriding
• Lots of restaurants
• Clubs
• Discos
• Mountain biking
• Stadium
• Mineral baths
• Paragliding
• Mushroom gathering
• National reserve park
• Nature
• Mountain lift
• Festivals
• Great shopping
• Supermarkets
• Arcades
• Close to coast
• Close to Turkey
• Close to Greece
• Close to Pamporovo
• Close to Veliko turnovo
• Close to Stara Zagora
• Own radio station
• Own TV station
• Schools
• Hospital
• Dental care
• Horse riding
• Parks
• Children amusement park
• Coffee culture
• Market
• Valley of the peaches
• Cherries
• Sliven car rally
• Museum(s)
• Library
• Tourist villages
• Fantastic seasonal fruits and vegetables
• Vineyards
• One of the cleanest air regions in the country
WHAT'S THE CLIMATE LIKE IN SLIVEN?
Spring is mild and lovely, generally sunny. It starts towards end of March and lasts till May. Temperatures range from 05-20 in March, 10-25 in April, 15-30 in May. Summers are hot, occasional thunder showers. Temperatures range from 25-40. In Sliven there's almost always a breeze and the air is quite dry, so the heat is not unpleasant. Fall starts mid September till end of October - temperatures range from 10-25. Mostly sunny, chilly mornings and evenings, and some rain storms in October. Winter starts in November and lasts till March. Temperatures range from -05-15. The mountains will have snow, in general the town itself and the plains villages have very little snow.
WHAT SPECIAL EVENTS ARE THERE IN SLIVEN?
• Baba Marti
• The mask festival
• Sliven motor rally
WHAT'S THE ARCHITECTURE LIKE IN SLIVEN?
It's varied, there are some old communist blocks, revival style homes, modern new build designs, traditional bulgarian wooden homes (see the photo gallery for a better idea!)
WHAT'S NIGHTLIFE LIKE IN SLIVEN?
Currently there are 5 clubs and 4 Discos. One club regularly has excellent live performances by top Bulgarian bands. We're told by young Brits that it Fudging great.
WHAT'S SHOPPING LIKE IN SLIVEN?
Fantastic! Great value on clothes, accessories, shoes, white goods, food. Prices are lower than on the coast, ski resorts and Sofia. More and more shops are opening weekly as the local population is earning more. Many cute little shops and boutiques, and everything is VERY affordable. The styles for women are much more interesting than in UK, and women look and dress very feminine. For men, you too will enjoy the bargains, whether it's sports wear or suits and shirts.
HOW MANY BRITS ARE THERE IN SLIVEN?
No idea, we'll try to find out
WHAT ARE PRICES LIKE IN SLIVEN?
Low, Low, Low! A beer in restaurant £0.75, a large pizza £2, A4 wheel drive Lada Niva £5 500, a stylish skirt £18, Air-conditioner £300, Boiler £80, massage £8, Hair cut and blow dry £7, A doner kebab £0,80, a kilo of peaches £1, A cocktail in a club £1,50, A taxi ride 20KM £3,50.
WHAT FRUITS AND VEGETABLES GROW IN THIS REGION?
Fruits: Cherries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots, plums, chokeberries, mulberries, figs, pomagranites, apples, pears, sharron fruit, quince, blueberries, blackberries, melon, grapes, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, beechnuts, sunflowers, pumpkin, courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, potatoes, carrots, leeks, cabbage, radish, cauliflower, broccoli, beans, peas, lettuces, spinach, eggplant, jerusalem artichokes, corn, celery, beetroot, and on and on.
WHO IS THE BEST AGENT IN SLIVEN?
Lifestylehomes!!!!!
