Most Bulgarians associate Troyan and the region with opportunities for holidaymaking in local tourist villages. This section of the Balkan Range has long industrial traditions too. Under communism the region was the location of some of the country’s largest wood processing and pharmaceutical enterprises providing livelihood to the local population. Today however the economic crisis and demographic decline have both affected the once prosperous town. Nevertheless, the Municipality of Troyan fights back and shows good results thanks to tourism and the business spirit of the locals.

The Troyan plum brandy is one of the emblems of the town coupled with the amazing mountain scenery, mineral springs and trails leading tourists to pristine havens. Troyan is also popular with its handicrafts and more notably with its renowned pottery school.

The Balkan Range town welcomes about 120,000 tourists annually, most of them Bulgarians. Dozens of family hotels and guesthouses with outdoor and indoor swimming pools, spa centers, restaurants and taverns, sports facilities etc. are active around making the region a great destination for mountain lovers. More from Troyan Mayor Donka Mihailova:

„We try to advertise Troyan in various ways, because we are still not present on Europe’s tourist map. We organize various events and festivals. The most popular among them is the Plum Festival which has recently become part of a European Commission project with the motto, Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe.”

Troyan however is not simply about great natural scenery, tourism, festivals and fun. There is also a dark side including poverty, unemployment, low birth rate and the lack of viable prospects for young and qualified people. Many of them move to either bigger towns or abroad and this hurts the local economy. Well, it is also true that there is a light in the tunnel. „We are proud that in the last 4 years unemployment has declined to 6.5% while for the same period youth unemployment went down from 17 to 11%.”, Donka Mihailova says. However she also admits that it is very hard to prevent young and qualified staff from leaving the 22,000-strong town. They are on the lookout for more promising careers and higher incomes.

„Today employment in Troyan is based on crafts on the one hand, and on the connection with the mountain on the other,” the Mayor says. “We have 320 furniture-making companies and some employ up to 300 workers. Two pharmaceutical factories are the source of solid employment as well. The textile industry has been thriving too, and the biggest textile enterprise employs 1200. Troyan also has machine-building enterprises.”

One ambition of local government is to improve living standards. To do this it relies heavily on European funding. During the former EU programming period the Municipality of Troyan absorbed 72 million leva (about 36 million euro). Part of financing has been allocated to the reconstruction of 4 schools, 5 nursery schools, for medical equipment in the municipal hospital etc. Troyan in fact boasts the highest share of absorbed European financing per capita: close to 870 euro.

Photos: Veneta Nikolova