Harmanli

Harmanli is a town in south-eastern Bulgaria. Its population is about 22,000. Harmanli came into being in about 1510 along the road that connects Europe and Asia.

Harmanli is the main town in Harmanli municipality. Its territory spreads over some parts of the Upper Thracian lowlands between the oblique south slopes of the Sredna Gora and precipitous north slopes of the Rhodope Mountains. The south boundary of the Thracian lowlands is outlined by the north Rhodope foot, along which it leans close on the north Rhodopes, between the lower end of the Momina Klisura defile (at 300 m elevation) and the beginning of the Harmanli defile (at 80 m elevation). The current of the Maritsa River flows near along the whole extent of this boundary, dividing the municipality into two almost equal parts. The tributaries of the Maritsa River, Harmanli and Bisser rivers flow through it as well.

The climate of the area is temperate continental, which determines the variety of the vegetative types, some of which pertain to the evergreen groups (south of Harmanli). The soils are mainly maroon and woody. The water resources are formed mainly from the flow of Maritsa river and its tributaries. Two transcontinental roadways intersect the municipality. The first one is from West and Central Europe, through Sofia - Harmanli - Svilengrad and Istanbul (Е-80 or І-8), and the second one is from North Europe through Rousse - Haskovo - Harmanli and Mediterranean, on which basis corridor 9 will be developed in the future.