Lovech Province


Lovech Province is one of the 28 provinces of Bulgaria, lying at the northern centre of the country. It is named after its main city: Lovech. As of December 2009, the population of the area was 151,153. It covers a total area of approximately 4,129 square km and includes 8 municipalities.
WWW Official SiteFB OblastnaAdministraciaLovech

Geography and Nature

The region is characterized by a mix of mountainous and lowland terrain, with significant rivers including the Osam, Vit, and Zlatna Panega flowing through it. Much of the province lies within the northern foothills of the Balkan Mountains, contributing to a varied landscape of forests, rivers, and karst formations.
Lovech Province is home to parts of the Central Balkan National Park, one of the largest protected areas in Bulgaria. The park includes several reserves such as:
Numerous karst caves can be found in the region, including:
  • Devetashka Cave – one of the largest caves in Bulgaria, known for its impressive natural arches and archaeological significance.
  • Prohodna Cave – known for the two eye-like holes in its ceiling, called God's eyes.
  • Saeva Dupka Cave – famous for its beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, and acoustics suitable for concerts.

Cultural and Historical Sites

The province has a rich historical heritage with over 600 cultural monuments, ranging from Thracian and Roman times to the Bulgarian National Revival. Notable landmarks include:
The architectural reserve Varosha, located in Lovech, preserves numerous Revival-style houses and churches, and the Vasil Levski Museum honors the legacy of Bulgaria’s national hero.

Tourism and Economy

Lovech Province is a growing tourist destination, attracting visitors with its natural beauty, cultural landmarks, and thermal springs. The village of Shipkovo is known for its mineral water and balneotherapy, while Apriltsi, Teteven, and Troyan offer mountain tourism, hiking, and traditional crafts.
Economically, the province is supported by industries such as food processing, woodworking, and machine-building, with tourism playing an increasingly important role.

Municipalities

The Lovech Province contains eight municipalities. The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town or village, and the population as of December 2009.
MunicipalityCyrillicPop.Town/VillagePop.
ApriltsiАприлци3,554Apriltsi3,207
LetnitsaЛетница5,101Letnitsa3,739
LovechЛовеч53,578Lovech38,579
LukovitЛуковит19,469Lukovit9,630
TetevenТетевен22,016Teteven10,613
TroyanТроян33,827Troyan21,997
UgarchinУгърчин7,181Ugarchin2,832
YablanitsaЯбланица6,427Yablanitsa2,896

Demographics

The Lovech province had a population of 169,951 according to a 2001 census, of which were male and were female.
As of the end of 2009, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 151,153 of which are inhabitants aged over 60 years.

Ethnic groups

Total population : 141 422
Ethnic groups :
Identified themselves: 130 180 persons:
A further 11,000 persons in the Province did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census
In the 2001 census, 167,877 people of the population of 169,951 of Lovech Province identified themselves as belonging to one of the following ethnic groups :
Ethnic groupPopulationPercentage
Bulgarians152,194
Turkish8,476
Romani6,316
Russians269
Armenians12
Vlachs 458
Macedonians7
Greeks21
Ukrainians29
Jewish1
Romanians 3
Other91

Language

In the 2001 census, 168,307 people of the population of 169,951 of Lovech Province identified one of the following as their mother tongue :
154,157 Bulgarian,
6,994 Turkish,
6,033 Romani,
and 1,123 other.

Religion

Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census: