The town of Dobrich is situated in Northeast Bulgaria in the Dobrudzha Plateau. The town, which lies 37 km away from the border with Romania, is known as the ‘capital’ of the fertile land of Dobrudzha, the biggest grain-growing region of the country. Its population numbers slightly above 100 thousand people.
First traces of settlers in the area lead to antiquity, while remains of a fortified Roman settlement date back to the 3-4th century BC. The modern town emerged in the 15th century AC as a big trade and crafts centre. In the 18-19th century, the town often acted as a battlefield of Russian-Turkish wars. Following the Bulgarian State’s Liberation in 1878, in which the town took an active part with guides, translators and suppliers of food and weaponry, in 1882 the town was named Dobrich upon the insistence of its inhabitants. It was named after Dobrotitsa, a Bulgarian leader in medieval times, who used to be ruler of the area. In more recent times, the opening of the Razhdena-Dobrich-Kardam railway link and its extension to Romania in 1916 spurred its development. The town was occupied by Romania in WW1 and remained so until 1916. It was again annexed to the territory of Romania in 1919 under the Neuilly Treaty. The town was returned to Bulgaria only during WW2, when on September 25, 1940, the Bulgarian army entered Dobrich. From 1949 to 1991, the town was named Toulbuhin.
Once in Dobrich, tourists can visit the Historical Museum of a renowned Bulgarian writer, Yordan Yovkov. The Ethnographic Museum, hosted by a beautiful house of the Bulgarian Renaissance period, is another interesting sight. The Old Dobrich ethnographic complex, which exhibits traditional arts and crafts of the region, is worth seeing as well. Other places of tourist appeal are the Archeological Museum of the city, the Art Gallery, remains of a Roman settlement, the St George’s Church, etc.
