Belchin Explained

Belchin
Native Name:Белчин
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Bulgaria
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Belchin within Bulgaria
Coordinates:42.3618°N 23.3807°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Bulgaria
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Sofia
Subdivision Type2:Municipality
Subdivision Name2:Samokov
Leader Party:GERB
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Angel Dzhorgov
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:35.147
Elevation M:931
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population As Of:2024
Population Total:367
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:EET
Utc Offset1:+2
Timezone1 Dst:EEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+3
Postal Code Type:Postal Code
Postal Code:2025
Area Code:07124 from Bulgaria, 003597124 from outside

Belchin (bg|Белчин) is a village in the Sofia Province southwestern Bulgaria, located in the Samokov Municipality. As of the 2024 the village had a population of 367.[1]

Geography

Belchin is located in the Samokov Valley at the foothills of the Rila mountain range, very close to mountain ranges of Vitosha, Verila and Plana. It is close the river Palakaria of the Iskar drainage. The village lies some 13 km west of the municipal center Samokov and about a kilometer west of the spa resort of Belchinski Bani. Belchin has a territory of 35.147 km2.[2]

It lies just north of the second class II-62 road KyustendilDupnitsa–Samokov.[3] There are favourable conditions for agriculture, the main crops include potatoes, linen and grain. Livestock include cattle and sheep.

History and landmarks

The area was populated during the Late antiquity. The village existed during the Second Bulgarian Empire in the 13th and 14th century. The fortress of Tsari Mali Grad near Belchin has been restored and is part of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria.[4] There are two churches, Saint Apostles Peter and Paul consecrated in 1883 and Saint Petka, constructed in the 17th century over an older medieval church dated to the 13th–14th centuries.[4]

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tables of Persons Registered by Permanent Address and by Current Address. Official Site of the Civil Registration and Administrative Services (GRAO). 9 November 2024.
  2. Web site: Bulgaria Guide, Belchin . 9 November 2024.
  3. Web site: A Map of the Republican Road Network of Bulgaria. Official Site of the Road Infrastructure Agency. 9 November 2024.
  4. Web site: 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria: Tsari Mali Grad, Belchin. Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. 9 October 2017. 9 November 2024.