Teteven

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Municipality

Mineral waters

Treatment indications

Historical sites

In the town area there have been discovered objects and coins, which suggest the existence of a Thracian and Roman settlement. It is known that during the late Medieval period Teteven (which at that time was called Altin Teteven) was a rich and flourishing town with wealthy merchants and big houses. There were even several Sultan decrees, which gave to its citizens special privileges.

Teteven is famous for its beautiful scenery. The sensation of calm, which one feels when immersing into this place, is beyond compare. This presents a wonderful opportunity for prophylaxis and rehabilitation of a number of diseases, for recreation and rest.

In order to become familiar with the historic, cultural and religiuos past and present of Teteven, visit the town's Historical museum, the 'St. Iliya' monastery (built in the 13th century), the town church 'All Saints' and the old houses, which are remarkable in architectural context – 'Bobevskata' house, 'Yorgavata' house, 'Hadzhi Ivanovata' house, Glozhenski monastery, the area of 'Kostina' ('The Bloody Well') in Ribaritsa.

The area of Teteven was settled in very ancient times and the earlist artefacts discovered are dated from the 2nd - 4th century. One of the first inhabitants of the area is the Thracian tribe of the Serds. The name of Teteven is mentioned for the first time in a discovered written document from the year of 1421. It is thought that the name originates from the family of Tetyo, who settled in these lands and founded the town (in earlier written documents the town is mentioned as Tetyuven or Tetyuvene). According to the opinion of others, the name of the town originates from the Bulgarian word for 'bow-string' ('tetiva' in Bulgarian), since the town is streched like the string of a bow along the Vit river. In the 16th-17th century Teteven is in its prime, the number of citizens is constantly increasing and trade flourishes. There are 27 crafts, developed in the city at that time, and the Teteven merchants travel all over Europe and Asia. The town used to have the name 'Altin Teteven' (Golden Teteven).
In 1801 Teteven was attacked by marauders and almost completely destroyed and burned down. From 3000 houses in the town only four survive. The town manages to emerge from the ruins and in the 50s and 60s of the 19th century is one of the crafting centres of Bulgaria. The following crafts are developed during that period — production of wollen fabrics, leather processing, wood carving. The town had the statute of a vakif settlement. In 1871 the Bulgarian national hero Vassil Levski founds in the nearby village of Glozhene one of the largest secret revolutionary committees. After the robbery of Arabakonak, the participants in which are mostly members of the Glozhene and Orchanie committees, their members are arrested and sent to Diarbekir prison. Many of the Teteven citizens participate in different rebel bands during the fight for liberation.

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Transport

The larger county and district centres, with which the town maintiains important economic and social ties are:
Pleven: 90 km
Lovech: 83 km
Vratsa: 116 km
Sofia: 124 km
Veliko Tarnovo: 146km
Montana: 157 km
Gabrovo: 125 km