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The Town of Sopot

 Although numerous Thracian, Roman, and Bulgarian settlements have been established through the ages in the area, the contemporary town of Sopot first appeared in the 14th century. It is situated in the fertile Stryama River valley in the foothills of Stara Planina (Balkan) mountain at an altitude of 410m, 5km west of Karlovo, 136km east of Sofia, 63km north of Plovdiv, and 61km south of Troyan (see the map).
 The starting point of the Nezabravka chair lift, the longest on the Balkan peninsula, is just outside the city limits.
 If you are an extreme sports enthusiast, Sopot is the best place for paragliding, mountain biking, rock climbing, and mountain marathon in Bulgaria and Europe. The European Center for Extreme Sports and Meditation Shambhala hosts a number of national and international competitions on a yearly basis. Sopot organized a start of the Paragliding World Cup in April 2005. The town offers excellent conditions for active sport and training camps—a football stadium with two training fields, a volleyball/basketball gym, indoor swimming pool, weight-lifting gyms, and tennis courts.
 Sopot has emerged as a preferred destination for Bulgarian and foreign tourists due to its rich cultural life, well-kept traditions, picturesque scenery, exceptional conditions for sport and tourism, the romantics of its old houses and historical places, and its good infrastructure.