History
Sliven is one of the oldest settlements in Europe. Here lived Thracians, Romans, Slavs, Ancient Greeks. The first Roman settlement on this place - Tuida ( III century BC) was a famous trade center. Sliven is mentioned as a big town for the first time in 1153 by the Arab traveller Idrisi.![]() |
Tourism
The beautiful nature, mineral water springs and the numerous cultural and historical monuments are an important part of the biggest potential opportunities of Sliven in the sphere of international tourism. The park "Sinite Kamani"("The Blue Stones") comprises of about 7 thousand hectares and it is the third biggest after Pirin and Vitosha. Apart the fact that it is extremely picturesque, the region is remarkable with the preserved in its boundaries rare vegetative and animal species, some of which are under the protection of the country and Europe. The nearest and the most frequently visited part - Karandila - can be reached by a rope lift line.Culture
Sliven is a town with cultural traditions starting from the epoch of the National Revival, with significant contribution in the cultural treasure of the country. Three state Cultural Institutes work in Sliven - a Drama Theatre, a Puppet Theatre and a National Museum of the textile industry. The Municipal professional cultural institutes are: The Historical Museum, The Art Gallery, Folk Song and Dance Ensemble, The Symphony Orchestra, the Universal scientific library and community centres, some of which have over a 100-years history.