The old bridge over the Topolnitsa River in the village of Petrich was built 100 years ago, in 1926.
The bridge has a unique and impressive structure modeled after the old Renaissance bridge structures - with a slight arched shape.
Two high arches, built of large stones, connect the central part of the village of Petrich, which the river cuts in two.
The arches are perfectly outlined by a border of large, well-worked stones. The highest part of the bridge is in the middle of the western arch. The middle base of the road structure, which connects the two arches, rests on a small island in the Topolnitsa River. From the east, the terrain slopes down towards its left bank. For this reason, the bridge is inclined in this direction, in order to level with the space in front of the village's "20th April" square.
On both sides of the roadway, thick stone walls about a meter high have been built to protect those passing along it. The walls are covered with wide and voluminous stone covers, and to the north and south of the protective walls there are stone curbs.
The bridge was built on the foundations of another, built at an unknown date, and from the west it steps onto the solid rock of the bank. About 20 meters east of it, over the Gugov Dol River, a second, smaller bridge with a single arch was built with the same construction techniques and model.
From the west, immediately before the double-arched bridge, runs the road that connects the village of Petrich with the village of Poibrene, which has been actively used since Antiquity. The Byzantine princess Anna Komnina mentions it when she writes about the campaign of her father Alexius I Komnene (1081 - 1118), who led an army against the Cumans in 1114.
Years ago, in the area along the left bank of the Topolnitsa River, south of the bridge, during the traditional spring and autumn gatherings of the village, there was a livestock market. It attracted many livestock breeders who were looking to purchase large or small cattle, horses and poultry for their personal farms.
How to get to the village of Petrich, Zlatitsa municipality?
Petrich is a village in Western Bulgaria, Sofia Region, Zlatitsa Municipality.
It is located in a mountainous area on the border between Sashtina and Ihtiman Sredna Gora.
Part of the village is the Bodyat neighborhood, located a few kilometers from it. In the past, there were many more neighborhoods - Belega, Angelovi Koshari, Varlina, Chebara, Fartunite and others.
The Topolnitsa River flows through the village and four smaller rivers flow into it – Mirkovska, Smolska, Kamenishka and Gugov dol.
It is assumed that this proverb gives the name to the village.
Petrich is located:
66 kilometers (about 1 hour and 02 minutes by car) from the capital
106 kilometers (about 1 hour and 38 minutes by car) from the city of Plovdiv
435 kilometers (about 5 hours and 15 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
344 kilometers (about 3 hours and 34 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
30 kilometers (about 30 minutes by car) from the city of Panagyurishte
How do you get to the old bridge over the Topolnitsa River in the village of Petrich?
The old bridge over the Topolnitsa River is located near the center of the village.
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