Dobrich Province(also Dobrichka Region) is a region in Bulgaria. It occupies 4719.7 km2, has a population of 150,146 people. The postal codes of the settlements in the Dobrich region are from 9300 (for the city of Dobrich) to 9699. Its vehicle code is TX.
Balchik Municipality
Albena, Balchik, Bezvoditsa, Bobovets,
Briastovo, Gurkovo, Dropla, Dabrava, Zmeevo, Karvuna, Kranevo, Kremena,
Lyahovo, Obrochishte, Prespa, Rogachevo, Senokos, Sokolovo, Strazhitsa,
Trigortsi, Hrabrovo, Tsarichino, Church
General Toshevo
municipality
Alexander Stamboliyski, Balkantsi, Bezhanovo, Vasilevo,
Velikovo, Vichovo, General Toshevo, Gorica, Gardens, Dabovik, Ziten,
Zograf, Izvorovo, Yovkovo, Kalina, Kardam, Konare, Kraishte, Krasen,
Kapinovo, Loznitsa, Lyulyakovo, Malina, Ograzhden, Petleshkovo,
Pisarovo, Plenimir, Preselentsi, Prisad, Pchelarovo, Ravnets, Rogozina,
Rosen, Rositsa, Sirakovo, Snop, Snyagovo, Spasovo, Sredina, Sarnino,
Uzovo, Chernokovo
Municipality of Dobrich
Dobrich
Municipality of Dobrich-selska
Altsek, Samuilovo, Batovo, Bdintsi,
Benkovski, Bogdan, Bojurovo, Branishte, Vedrina, Vladimirovo, Vodnantsi,
Vratarite, Vrachantsi, General Kolevo, Geshanovo, Debrene, Pobeda,
Dobrevo, Dolina, Donchevo, Draganovo, Dryanovets, Enevo, Zhitnitsa,
Zlatia, Prilep, Primortsi, Pchelino, Pchelnik, Colonel Minkovo,
Rosenovo, Svoboda, Slaveevo, Smolnitsa, Sokolnik, Colonel Ivanovo,
Stefan Karadzha, Stefanovo, Stozher, Sliventsi, Tyanevo, Feldfebel
Denkovo, Hitovo, Tsarevets, Cherna
Municipality of Kavarna
Belgun, Bilo, Bojurets, Bulgarevo, Vidno, Vranino, Irechek, Kavarna,
Kamen bryag, Krupen, Mogilishte, Neikovo, Poruchik Chunchevo, Rakovski,
Sveti Nikola, Selce, Septevriitsi, Topola, Travnik, Hadji Dimitar,
Chelopechene
Krushari municipality
Abrit, Alexandria,
Bistrets, Gaber, Dobrin, Corporal Bakalovo, Zagortsi, Zementsi,
Zimnitsa, Captain Dimitrovo, Koriten, Krushari, Lozenets, Ognyanovo,
Colonel Dyakovo, Lieutenant Kurdzhievo, Severnyak, Severtsi, Telerig
Tervel municipality
Angelarii, Balik, Bezmer, Bojan, Bonevo,
Brestnitsa, Voynikovo, Glavantsi, Gradnitsa, Guslar, Zeglartsi, Zarnevo,
Kableshkovo, Kladentsi, Kolartsi, Kochmar, Mali Izvor, Nova Kamena,
Onogur, Orlyak, Colonel Savovo, Popgruevo, Professor Zlatarski, Sarnets,
Tervel, Chestimensko
Shabla municipality
Bojanovo, Vaklino,
Gorichane, Gorun, Granicar, Durankulak, Ezerets, Zahari Stoyanovo,
Krapets, Prolez, Smin, Staevtsi, Tvarditsa, Tyulenovo, Chernomoretsi,
Shabla
Dobrichka region consists of eight municipalities: Dobrich - city, Dobrichka, Balchik, Shabla, Kavarna, Tervel, General Toshevo and Krushari. the Unava hilly plain on the Dobrudzhan plateau. It borders the Republic of Romania to the north, the Black Sea to the east, the Varna Region to the south, the Shumen Region to the southwest, and the Silistre Region to the west. On the territory of the district are the Durankulak and Jovkovo border crossing points.
Dobrich Province, known in Bulgarian as Oblast Dobrich, is situated
in northeastern Bulgaria and forms part of the historical Southern
Dobruja region. It borders the Black Sea to the east, Varna Province to
the south, Shumen and Silistra provinces to the west, and Romania to the
north. The province covers an area of approximately 4,700 square
kilometers and is divided into eight municipalities: Dobrich (the
administrative center), Balchik, General Toshevo, Dobrichka (rural),
Kavarna, Krushari, Tervel, and Shabla. With a population of around
186,000 as of the 2011 census, it is an agriculturally rich area often
called the "granary of Bulgaria" due to its fertile plains. The
province's history is deeply intertwined with the broader Dobruja
region, marked by ancient settlements, medieval invasions, Ottoman rule,
and repeated territorial shifts between Bulgaria and Romania in the 20th
century.
Prehistoric and Ancient Periods
Human activity in the
Dobrich region dates back to the prehistoric era, with the earliest
evidence of settlement emerging in the 4th or 3rd century BC.
Archaeological finds, including artifacts from the Neolithic Age and
Chalcolithic periods, indicate Thracian tribes inhabited the area,
engaging in early agriculture and trade. During the Roman era, the
region was part of the province of Moesia Inferior. A notable Roman
settlement known as Abrittum existed near present-day Dobrich, serving
as an important city and even a suffragan bishopric under the
metropolitan see of Marcianopolis (modern-day Devnya). Ruins from the
2nd to 4th centuries AD, including fortifications and burial sites, have
been uncovered, highlighting Roman influence in infrastructure and
administration.
By the 7th to 11th centuries, the area saw Bulgar
influences, with necropolises revealing pagan graves that provide
insights into early Slavic-Bulgar burial practices. An ancient Bulgarian
settlement is documented from the 8th century, reflecting the
integration of Proto-Bulgars who arrived in the late 7th century.
However, much of the prehistoric and ancient material culture was
disrupted by later invasions.
Medieval Period
The medieval
history of Dobrich Province is characterized by instability and
depopulation. In the 11th century, Pecheneg invasions ravaged the
interior of Dobruja, leaving many settlements abandoned during the era
of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396). The plains of Dobrudzha were
nearly depopulated, with surviving communities struggling amid nomadic
incursions. By the 14th century, the region gained prominence under the
rule of Dobrotitsa, a medieval Bulgarian lord who governed the Despotate
of Dobruja (also known as the Dobrudzha Despotship). This
semi-independent principality, centered in the area, resisted Ottoman
expansion and Byzantine influences, marking a period of relative
autonomy. Dobrotitsa's legacy is so significant that the region—and
later the city of Dobrich—was named after him. The Despotate fell to the
Ottomans in the late 14th century, integrating the province into the
expanding Ottoman Empire.
Ottoman Period (15th–19th Centuries)
Ottoman rule over Dobrich Province began in the 15th century,
transforming the area into a key agricultural and trade hub. The modern
precursor to the city of Dobrich emerged in the 16th century as
Hadjioglu Pazardzhik, founded by a Turkish merchant of the same name at
a crossroads of ancient routes from the Danube to the Black Sea and from
Eastern Europe to the Balkans. By the mid-17th century, Ottoman records
describe a thriving town with over 1,000 houses, 100 shops, three inns,
three baths, 12 mosques, and 12 schools. The settlement grew as a center
for handicrafts, including weaving, homespun tailoring, coppersmithing,
leatherworking, and agriculture, exporting wheat, linseed, wool, and
cheese.
The population swelled in the early 19th century to around
12,000, bolstered by Bulgarian refugees fleeing eastern regions after
the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1806–1812 and 1828–1829. A large fair
established in 1851 attracted merchants from Varna, Ruse, and Shumen,
enhancing economic ties. Cultural developments included the construction
of the first Orthodox church, Saint George, in 1843, and a monastic
school in 1844. Urban infrastructure advanced in the 1860s with a town
park (now Sveti Georgi Park), a telegraph link to Varna, a post office,
and a hospital. Despite Ottoman dominance, Bulgarian national revival
sentiments grew, setting the stage for liberation.
Liberation and
Early 20th Century
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 ended Ottoman
rule in the region. Russian forces under General Zimmerman liberated
Dobrich on 27 January 1878 with minimal damage. In 1882, at the
residents' request, the town was renamed Dobrich by decree of Prince
Alexander I, honoring the medieval ruler Dobrotitsa. The province became
part of independent Bulgaria, but territorial disputes soon arose.
The Balkan Wars (1912–1913) drastically altered borders. After the
Second Balkan War, the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913 ceded Southern
Dobruja, including Dobrich Province, to Romania. The city was renamed
Bazargic (a Romanian adaptation of Bazardzhik, its Ottoman-era name) and
became the center of Caliacra County. Romanian administration lasted
until 1916, when Bulgarian, Ottoman, and German forces recaptured it
during World War I in the Battle of Dobrich (5–7 September 1916), known
as the "Dobrich Epic." However, the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1919
reaffirmed Romanian control, leading to another period of occupation
until 1940. During this time, Bulgarian resistance persisted, including
cultural and political efforts to reclaim the region.
World War
II and Communist Era
In 1940, amid World War II, the Treaty of
Craiova returned Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria without conflict.
Bulgarian troops entered Dobrich on 25 September 1940, an event now
celebrated as the city's holiday. This marked the end of Romanian rule
and solidified the province's place in Bulgaria. However, the transition
involved population exchanges; many Romanians were expelled to Romania,
while Bulgarians from northern Dobruja resettled southward.
Post-1944, under Soviet influence, Dobrich was renamed Tolbukhin in 1949
after Soviet Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin, who led the 1944 invasion of
Bulgaria. The Communist era brought rapid industrialization and
urbanization, with agriculture collectivized and industries like flour
milling, vegetable-oil extraction, textiles, and machinery parts
developed. Large-scale demolitions in the 1960s and 1970s erased much of
the old town, replacing it with Brutalist architecture, wide squares for
rallies, and prefabricated housing. Cultural projects included the Old
Dobrich ethnographic complex (built from 1973) to preserve traditional
crafts and the 1981 monument to Khan Asparuh for Bulgaria's 1300th
anniversary. Despite ideological suppression, such as omitting the 1916
Battle from history books, the province prospered as an agricultural
powerhouse.
Post-Communist Period and Contemporary Developments
Following the fall of Communism, a presidential decree on 19 September
1990 restored the name Dobrich to the city and province. The 1990s and
2000s focused on economic transition, emphasizing agriculture, tourism
(near Black Sea resorts like Balchik and Kavarna), and cultural
preservation. The province retains a multi-ethnic character, with
Bulgarians, Turks, and Roma communities. Modern challenges include
depopulation due to migration, but it remains a key grain-producing
region. Archaeological sites, museums, and natural attractions like
Shabla and Durankulak lakes draw visitors, highlighting the area's rich
heritage from Neolithic times through the Middle Ages.
The Danube plain is characterized by lowland and hilly-plateau relief
and little precipitation.
Peculiarities of the climate in the area
are determined under the influence of the proximity of the Black Sea. It
is characterized by a hot summer - in the beginning, large amounts of
precipitation are observed, while towards the end of the summer - a
characteristic drought. Winter in the region is cold with strong winds.
There are often snowstorms and snow drifts, which lead to traffic
difficulties.
There are two serious deposits of minerals on the
territory of the district. Europe's largest manganese deposit near the
village of Obrochishte and the village of Church. Two local quarries for
limestone mining are also operating on the territory of the district.
Momchil quarry - cut stone, gravel and Lyahovo quarry - blasted rock
mass.
In the municipality of General Toshevo, there is a deposit of
bentonite clay, which is currently not exploited. From renewable natural
resources, the district has several mineral springs.
The main branches of the economy are the food industry, tourism,
agriculture, light industry and mechanical engineering, vegetable
production and plant breeding.
The advantages of the district are the
well-organized infrastructure, the absence of industrial pollution, the
fertile lands and the proximity to the Black Sea resorts.
In
addition, many wind generators operate on the territory of the district.
The places of interest are extremely numerous and varied: the Botanical Garden and the Palace in the city of Balchik, the tekke in the village of Obrochishte, Cape Kaliakra, the architectural-historical complex "Yaila", the Bird's Bay, the prehistoric necropolis "Temple of Cybele" dating from 3 in BC, Lake Shablen and Lake Durankula, numerous protected areas, dams, hunting farms.
The road and communication network of the district is in excellent
condition and provides access to all points of the region and other
parts of Bulgaria. The roads to the Black Sea coast, Romania and
international roads to Poland, Ukraine and Russia pass through the
territory of the region. The only exception is the international road
E-87, connecting the CIS countries and Finland with Turkey.
The
railway also passes through Dobrich region. the Constanta - Varna line,
which is also a connection between Russia, Ukraine and Moldova with the
Republic of Turkey. An important part of the district is occupied by
coastal cities such as Balchik, Shabla and Kavarna.