Petrich is situated at the northern foot of Belasitsa Mountain, 86 km south of Blagoevgrad. It is a balneological resort at an altitude of about 200 m. The population of Petrich is 28 000. The rivers Struma and Strumeshnitsa touch the eastern slopes of Osogovo-Belasitsa mountain group to the west. At this part the valleys of the two rivers designate long and narrow ridges. The territory of Petrich municipality is rich in animal types. There are many Mediterranean types concentrated here, part of which are announced as rare and threatened of extinction. Especially rich of amphibian types is Kozhuh, which has become a shelter for many threatened snakes and turtles.

     Petrich is a health resort using the mineral water of Roupite springs. Sanatorium complex for mud medical treatment is located on the territory of the municipality in the village of Marikostinovo. Close to the town are the remains of the ancient fortress of Istra.

     History

     Petrich is a city where one can find everything: mountain ranges, fields, a river, a centuries-long history as well as culture. But it also possesses something unique: the fascination of southern Bulgaria, the spirit of Baba Vanga - the divine - and the nostalgia after the ancient folk songs. Petrich is a fine starting point for short outings to interesting sights. The town was included in the Bulgarian territory under Knyaz Boris I (852-889). In the Middle Ages it was a significant Bulgarian fortress. Upon the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 the district of Petrich remained under Turkish domination in accordance with Berlin Treaty and was liberated during the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. The Church of the Holy Virgin dates back to 1857.

     Landmarks

     Samouil Fortress is located 15 km west of Petrich, near the village of Klyuch. Built in the reign of Tsar Samuil (997-1014) it was part of the defence system of Bulgaria. The Fortress was demolished in 1014 at the time by Emperor Basil II (named Boulgaroktonos). The remains of the fortress are included in a park-museum built in 1982.

     The History Museum in Petrich is a centre for collecting, protecting, exploring and popularizing the cultural and historical legacy of Petrich and the region. It was found in 1966 as a museum collection in the community town centre "Brothers Miladinovi". In 1974 it became a museum and there was an exhibition in the school building. The exhibition includes an archaeological collection, materials about the National Renaissance period and the cultural development in these times, the Contemporary and Modern history. An ethnographic exhibition in the renovated museum was organized in 1990. There are about 10 000 preserved documents and materials in the museum funds. The greater part of these materials is donated. Very interesting are the idols from the prehistorical settlement near to the village of Topolnitsa (the end of 6th century BC), the collective findings of Byzantine coins (about 8 000) from the 12th century, the seal of Petrich Bulgarian Municipality from 1872, the publishing of Petrich regional newspaper (1922-1933), etc. The exhibitions are grouped in five sections – Archaeology, Ottoman, Renaissance, Ethnography, and Contemporary and Modern history. Here the history and the culture of the town and the region from ancient times till nowadays are presented as well. The museum exposition is one of the most colorful exhibitions among Bulgaria’s museums.