Bulgaria Municipalities

A Bulgarian province narrows a round down to a quarter of the country, and the municipality (obshtina) is the tier that names a town. Almost all of them are named for the town at their centre, so the map is a list of the places a road sign in Bulgaria will say, and this page is the full list.

The quiz: Name to place, on the map
Grouped by: Planning region: the six regions Bulgaria reports its statistics under
In the game: 265 municipalities

Start

What you are looking at

The municipalities, the lowest tier that covers the whole country. Each is a town and the villages around it under one mayor, from Sofia, which is a municipality and a province at once, down to small ones such as Chelopech in the hills east of the capital.

The map is drawn from OpenStreetMap, which has all 265. Two names occur twice: there is a Byala in the north (Ruse Province) and a Byala on the Black Sea coast (Varna Province), and the game writes each with its province. Names are written in English as a Bulgarian map has them, and the start dialog can switch every one to Cyrillic, which is what the road signs say.

The first time you open the game it starts on the Southwest region, the capital and its surroundings, because 265 names is a long first sitting. The groups are the six planning regions, and the provinces within each are in Bulgaria Provinces, which uses the same groups.

How to place one

Pick one region and learn it. The Southwest has the capital and the Rila and Pirin mountains, and the Northeast the Black Sea north of Varna.
Find the town the province is named for. Each province's municipality of the same name is its centre, with the others around it.
Use the rivers and ranges. The Danube is the northern border, so a northern municipality is on the river or one back from it; the Balkan range cuts the country in two east to west.
Watch the small ones. The towns in the Sofia and Plovdiv areas are far smaller than the rural municipalities around them, and the game gives the smallest a tap area wider than its outline.

Every municipality, by planning region

North Central36 municipalities: Alfatar (Алфатар), Borovo (Борово), Byala (Ruse) (Бяла), Dryanovo (Дряново), Dulovo (Дулово), Dve Mogili (Две могили), Elena (Елена), Gabrovo (Габрово), Glavinitsa (Главиница), Gorna Oryahovitsa (Горна Оряховица), Isperih (Исперих), Ivanovo (Иваново), Kaynardzha (Кайнарджа), Kubrat (Кубрат), Loznitsa (Лозница), Lyaskovets (Лясковец), Pavlikeni (Павликени), Polski Trambesh (Полски Тръмбеш), Razgrad (Разград), Ruse (Русе), Samuil (Самуил), Sevlievo (Севлиево), Silistra (Силистра), Sitovo (Ситово), Slivo Pole (Сливо поле), Strazhitsa (Стражица), Suhindol (Сухиндол), Svishtov (Свищов), Tryavna (Трявна), Tsar Kaloyan (Цар Калоян), Tsenovo (Ценово), Tutrakan (Тутракан), Veliko Tarnovo (Велико Търново), Vetovo (Ветово), Zavet (Завет), Zlataritsa (Златарица)
South Central58 municipalities: Ardino (Ардино), Asenovgrad (Асеновград), Banite (Баните), Batak (Батак), Belovo (Белово), Borino (Борино), Bratsigovo (Брацигово), Brezovo (Брезово), Chepelare (Чепеларе), Chernoochene (Черноочене), Devin (Девин), Dimitrovgrad (Димитровград), Dospat (Доспат), Dzhebel (Джебел), Harmanli (Харманли), Haskovo (Хасково), Hisarya (Хисаря), Ivaylovgrad (Ивайловград), Kaloyanovo (Калояново), Kardzhali (Кърджали), Karlovo (Карлово), Kirkovo (Кирково), Krichim (Кричим), Krumovgrad (Крумовград), Kuklen (Куклен), Laki (Лъки), Lesichovo (Лесичово), Lyubimets (Любимец), Madan (Мадан), Madzharovo (Маджарово), Maritsa (Марица), Mineralni Bani (Минерални бани), Momchilgrad (Момчилград), Nedelino (Неделино), Panagyurishte (Панагюрище), Parvomay (Първомай), Pazardzhik (Пазарджик), Perushtitsa (Перущица), Peshtera (Пещера), Plovdiv (Пловдив), Rakitovo (Ракитово), Rakovski (Раковски), Rodopi (Родопи), Rudozem (Рудозем), Sadovo (Садово), Saedinenie (Съединение), Sarnitsa (Сърница), Septemvri (Септември), Simeonovgrad (Симеоновград), Smolyan (Смолян), Sopot (Сопот), Stamboliyski (Стамболийски), Stambolovo (Стамболово), Strelcha (Стрелча), Svilengrad (Свиленград), Topolovgrad (Тополовград), Velingrad (Велинград), Zlatograd (Златоград)
Southwest52 municipalities: Anton (Антон), Bansko (Банско), Belitsa (Белица), Blagoevgrad (Благоевград), Boboshevo (Бобошево), Bobov Dol (Бобов дол), Botevgrad (Ботевград), Bozhurishte (Божурище), Breznik (Брезник), Chavdar (Чавдар), Chelopech (Челопеч), Dolna Banya (Долна баня), Dragoman (Драгоман), Dupnitsa (Дупница), Elin Pelin (Елин Пелин), Etropole (Етрополе), Garmen (Гърмен), Godech (Годеч), Gorna Malina (Горна Малина), Gotse Delchev (Гоце Делчев), Hadzhidimovo (Хаджидимово), Ihtiman (Ихтиман), Kocherinovo (Кочериново), Koprivshtitsa (Копривщица), Kostenets (Костенец), Kostinbrod (Костинброд), Kovachevtsi (Ковачевци), Kresna (Кресна), Kyustendil (Кюстендил), Mirkovo (Мирково), Nevestino (Невестино), Pernik (Перник), Petrich (Петрич), Pirdop (Пирдоп), Pravets (Правец), Radomir (Радомир), Razlog (Разлог), Rila (Рила), Samokov (Самоков), Sandanski (Сандански), Sapareva Banya (Сапарева баня), Satovcha (Сатовча), Simitli (Симитли), Slivnitsa (Сливница), Sofia City (София-град), Strumyani (Струмяни), Svoge (Своге), Tran (Трън), Treklyano (Трекляно), Yakoruda (Якоруда), Zemen (Земен), Zlatitsa (Златица)
Southeast33 municipalities: Aytos (Айтос), Bolyarovo (Болярово), Bratya Daskalovi (Братя Даскалови), Burgas (Бургас), Chirpan (Чирпан), Elhovo (Елхово), Galabovo (Гълъбово), Gurkovo (Гурково), Kameno (Камено), Karnobat (Карнобат), Kazanlak (Казанлък), Kotel (Котел), Maglizh (Мъглиж), Malko Tarnovo (Малко Търново), Nesebar (Несебър), Nikolaevo (Николаево), Nova Zagora (Нова Загора), Opan (Опан), Pavel Banya (Павел баня), Pomorie (Поморие), Primorsko (Приморско), Radnevo (Раднево), Ruen (Руен), Sliven (Сливен), Sozopol (Созопол), Sredets (Средец), Stara Zagora (Стара Загора), Straldzha (Стралджа), Sungurlare (Сунгурларе), Tsarevo (Царево), Tundzha (Тунджа), Tvarditsa (Твърдица), Yambol (Ямбол)
Northeast35 municipalities: Aksakovo (Аксаково), Antonovo (Антоново), Avren (Аврен), Balchik (Балчик), Beloslav (Белослав), Byala (Varna) (Бяла), Dalgopol (Дългопол), Devnya (Девня), Dobrich (Добрич), Dobrichka (Добричка), Dolni Chiflik (Долни чифлик), General Toshevo (Генерал Тошево), Hitrino (Хитрино), Kaolinovo (Каолиново), Kaspichan (Каспичан), Kavarna (Каварна), Krushari (Крушари), Nikola Kozlevo (Никола Козлево), Novi Pazar (Нови пазар), Omurtag (Омуртаг), Opaka (Опака), Popovo (Попово), Provadiya (Провадия), Shabla (Шабла), Shumen (Шумен), Smyadovo (Смядово), Suvorovo (Суворово), Targovishte (Търговище), Tervel (Тервел), Valchi Dol (Вълчи дол), Varbitsa (Върбица), Varna (Варна), Veliki Preslav (Велики Преслав), Venets (Венец), Vetrino (Ветрино)
Northwest51 municipalities: Apriltsi (Априлци), Belene (Белене), Belogradchik (Белоградчик), Berkovitsa (Берковица), Borovan (Борован), Boychinovtsi (Бойчиновци), Boynitsa (Бойница), Bregovo (Брегово), Brusartsi (Брусарци), Byala Slatina (Бяла Слатина), Cherven Bryag (Червен бряг), Chiprovtsi (Чипровци), Chuprene (Чупрене), Dimovo (Димово), Dolna Mitropoliya (Долна Митрополия), Dolni Dabnik (Долни Дъбник), Georgi Damyanovo (Георги Дамяново), Gramada (Грамада), Gulyantsi (Гулянци), Hayredin (Хайредин), Iskar (Искър), Knezha (Кнежа), Kozloduy (Козлодуй), Krivodol (Криводол), Kula (Кула), Letnitsa (Летница), Levski (Левски), Lom (Лом), Lovech (Ловеч), Lukovit (Луковит), Makresh (Макреш), Medkovets (Медковец), Mezdra (Мездра), Miziya (Мизия), Montana (Монтана), Nikopol (Никопол), Novo Selo (Ново Село), Oryahovo (Оряхово), Pleven (Плевен), Pordim (Пордим), Roman (Роман), Ruzhintsi (Ружинци), Teteven (Тетевен), Troyan (Троян), Ugarchin (Угърчин), Valchedram (Вълчедръм), Varshets (Вършец), Vidin (Видин), Vratsa (Враца), Yablanitsa (Ябланица), Yakimovo (Якимово)

Worked examples

Sofia City

The capital

Sofia is a municipality, a province and the capital all in one, and it is the only one drawn without a province around it. It answers under the same name in Bulgaria Provinces.

Chelopech

One of the smallest

Chelopech is a mining town in the hills east of the capital and among the smallest municipalities on the map, beside Zlatitsa and Chavdar. It is easy to miss without the tap area.

Sredets

The biggest of them

Sredets is the largest municipality, in the Strandzha mountains on the Turkish border in the far southeast, bigger than a typical province in Western Europe.

Frequently asked questions

How many municipalities does Bulgaria have?

265, counting Sofia, the capital, which is a municipality and a province at once.

Why do two municipalities share a name?

There are two towns called Byala, one in Ruse Province in the north and one in Varna Province on the coast, so the game names each with its province.

Are the names in Cyrillic?

In English by default, spelled the way a Bulgarian map in Latin letters has them. The start dialog can switch to the Cyrillic name, which is what a road sign says.

The tier above this one is Bulgaria Provinces. For another country at this level, see Belgium Arrondissements.

Sources

Kontur boundaries for Bulgaria, the boundaries, from OpenStreetMap, and the Bulgarian names
Municipalities of Bulgaria, the tier, and which municipality is in which province

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