Dobrich is the 9th most populated city in Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Dobrich Province and the capital of the region of Southern Dobrudzha. It is located in the northeastern part of the country, 30 km west of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, not far from resorts such as Albena, Balchik, and Golden Sands. In January 2012, Dobrich was inhabited by 90,375 people within the city limits. The city is named after the Bulgarian medieval lord of the surrounding region – Dobrotitsa. Agriculture is the most developed branch of the economy.
Dobrich Knoll on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Dobrich. A point of interest is the Dobrich TV Tower.
Economy
The general condition of Dobrich District cannot be described as good. GDP per capita is only 69% of the national average of BGN 9,359. Unemployment remains relatively high despite the marked revitalisation of the labour market in 2012. Household incomes are rising, but the companies show no optimism for the future. The district has one of the most developed agricultural sectors in the country, generating nearly a quarter of all company revenues in the district. Mostly grain is grown, which also brings some negatives. Grain production does not create many jobs, and to some extent is the cause of nitrate pollution. The population in the district has been decreasing at a faster rate than the national average, but still maintains a relatively positive age structure. Education and health are inadequate. The rate of enrolment in schools has declined, while the number of dropouts is still high. In terms of medical services, there is a pressing need for specialists. Nearly 40% of those in need of treatment in the past 12 months have sought such treatment outside the district. The district has potential for development, but there is a need for bolder reforms in the business environment.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the most developed branch of the economy. The main reason for this is the environment – climate, soils and clean lands. 81% of all the land in Dobrich is agricultural, almost 4,000,000 decares. More than 70% of it is cultivated, which makes Dobrich №1 cultivated region in the country. Farming, plant-growing and stock-breeding are the most important part of the economy in Dobrich. Dobrudja territory, called the “granary of Bulgaria” is part of the district. Some of the end products made in Dobrich are: bread and flour products, all kinds of sausages, milk and dairy products, poultry products, margarine and vegetable oils, wine, soft drinks. The biggest bird-farm is located in the district. Other factories of great importance are the milk factory (one of the biggest factories in Bulgaria), the bread factory (one of the biggest factories in Bulgaria). Additional important products from other industries are cement, electric appliances, clothes, confection, furniture, car batteries, containers and there are many other factories from the food and beverage industry.
Gasification
The municipal strategy provides that the household, utility and industrial sectors be supplied with gas under a project for gasification. The network of gas pipelines has been extended to 43,808 metres. Currently we are working on the gasification of the residential areas. All municipal establishments from the educational, administrative, healthcare and social service sectors have already been covered by the gas supply network.
Culture
| Name | Description | Photo |
|---|---|---|
| Ethnographic House | The Ethnographic House was built in 1860 by a rich trader of wheat. It represents a typical for the renaissance age architectural monument. A century later the house was restored and turned into a museum representing the life and livelihood of the population of Dobrudzha of the end of 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Visitors of the museum have the opportunity to meet and see the traditional clothing of the local people, the house (kitchen), the bedroom and the basement where exhibited are original dishes for preparing and preservation of conserved food and agricultural tools and items related to the household work. On the upper floor, in the guestroom recreated is the atmosphere of the home of a rich trader, emigrated from Kotel. In the rest of the rooms restored are the previous looks of the house, the closet as well as the cozy porch. | |
| Architectural – Ethnographic Complex “The Old Dobrich” | Established in the city center of the contemporary town, on the place of the Odun Charshiya, the ethnographic museum “The Old Dobrich” preserves and represents the traditional Dobrudzha crafts from the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. In the renovated old city charshiya craftsmen continue a tradition from many centuries. Using old hand technologies and with original instruments, in more than 30 workshops created are traditional items of pottery, blacksmith, embroidery, weaving, cooperage, homespun, goldsmith and others. In the center of the complex restored is the old clock tower built in the 18th century – a symbol of the Bulgarian renaissance spirit of the town. | |
| House Memorial “Yordan Yovkov” | In 1980 to the house-museum is built a house memorial where settled is the one of its kind in Bulgaria permanent museum exposition “Yordan Yovkov – life and creative path” and located is the richest fund of the writer.Of interest are the cabinet of Yovkov and the remarkable mural of Stoimen Stoilov “In the world of Yovkov’s characters”.The new exhibition “Dora Gabe” is a lyrical continuation of the exposition “Yordan Yovkov – life and creative path”, an unforgettable moment of eternity. During the years the house-museum with house memorial “Yordan Yovkov” confirmed itself as a center of the view of Yovkov, recognized not only among Bulgarians but among international scientific community as well. | |
| The House of Yordan Yovkov and Yordan Yovkov Museum | They commemorate the classic of Bulgarian literature, the great writer and humanist, the master of the short story genre – Yordan Yovkov. Some of his works have been translated in 40 languages and included in anthologies of world literature.The museum houses a remarkable piece of art – the ceramic collection The World of Yovkov’s Personages by artist Stoimen Stoilov.On the 30th anniversary of the Union of Bulgarian Architects, the building of the museum was awarded the highest architectural design prize Archscar (architects A. Stoyanov, P. Ganchev, A. Koev, G. Mihaylov). | |
| Museum of Military Cemetery | In the town of Dobrich located is the largest military cemetery in Bulgaria of the time of the World War I. The cemetery is a unique monument of culture related to the fights of the town in 1916. In it, buried are over 3000 soldiers of four religions and seven nationalities – Bulgarians, Russians, Romanians, Germans, Turkish, Serbians and Jews. In 1922 the people of Dobrudzha, with their own money build an ossuary chapel St. Archangel Michael, iconography by the Dobrich painter Nikola Tahtunov.In the museum you may view the exposition “Dobrich Epic 1916”. | |
| New and newest history | The museum of new and newest history is located in the building of the old casino in the town of Dobrich. It collects evidence of the history of Dobrudzha of 1878 up to today. In its funds preserved are over 100 000 museum valuables. Interesting are the collection of the Old Dobrich, the Dobrudzha Question (1878 – 1940), the Dobrich epic 1916, the City Park St. George, Weapon of New Time, Political Parties Today. The exposition of the museum represents the faith of Dobrudzha during the Romanian domination, the peaceful retrieving of the south part to Bulgaria in 1940 as well as many other valuable museum collections. | |
| Art Gallery – Dobrich | The Art Gallery of Dobrich is in the city center. It is a unique statute of culture, one of the 100th national touristic sights of Bulgaria. It was built in the beginning of the 20th century for a judicial-administrative purposes, it takes a key place in the city life. Along the decades it has housed different institutions. In 1981 the building becomes a gallery. In it you may see a permanent exposition of masterpieces of Bulgarian art – paintings, sculptures and graphics of the beginning of the 20th century to the 1990s – paintings of the most famous Bulgarian painters as Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, Vladimir Dimitrov – Maystora, Dechko Uzunov, Bencho Obreshkov and many others, part of the national golden fund of Bulgaria as well as graphics of the most famous contemporary artists. |
Places of interest
The City Park St. George
The City Park St. George or the city garden as known among people of Dobrich is the most visited place in Dobrich by its citizens and guests. In the far year of 1867 Bildieto (the City Municipal Council) selects a place in the neighborhood of Karabokluka for establishment of the first city garden. An enormous contribution for development of the city-park art has the family of Gradinarovi. Its area is 430 dca and is divided into several sectors – “The Old Garden”, Children’s sector – a zone for games and fun, park lakes zone, zone of rock terrace gardens, sports zone etc. In 1999 the old garden of the city park is announced to be a monument of culture and garden park art. The park is located immediately next to the central pedestrian zone in Dobrich. The park is one of the five oldest city parks in the country. It covers – the old garden, declared to be a cultural heritage site, a children’s area, lakes, terraced rock gardens and a sports area. Even today the visitors can see some plant species imported from Europe at the beginning of the last century. The park hosts also one on the town museums, with a separate room for temporary and visiting exhibitions.
Nature and Animal Protection Centre
The centre is the only one of its kind not only in Bulgaria but also in Eastern Europe. Founded under a Bulgarian-Swiss project, it boasts an area of 16 hectares, 50-year-old vegetation (trees and bushes), and a convenient access. The zoo houses over 40 animal species – deer, roe, raccoon, alpaca, llamas, mouflons, goats, Przhevalski’s horses, brown bears, bison, pheasants, storks, pelicans exotic and water birds, turtles, etc. – which live in conditions very close to their natural habitats. A priority for the zoo is the reproduction and re-introduction of endangered animal species.
Dobrich TV Tower
Dobrich TV Tower houses broadcasting equipment for radio, television and telecommunications. It is 146 metres tall and built of reinforced concrete. The tower, which was designed by Petar Andreev, was completed in 1979 and has an observation deck open for tourists. It is also remarkable by its design.
