Here's an interesting artical I found and thought I would share it with you all

[size=85:196jixb4]Sofia echo 07 June 2010

The number of deserted settlements in Bulgaria continues to rise

Bulgaria has another four deserted villages, as of last year, according to the national register within the National Statistics Institute, as reported on June 7 2010.

In December 2009, there were 144 deserted villages in the country, whereas a year later there are now 148, in 14 different municipalities. The highest number of deserted villages can be found in Gabrovo region in northern Bulgaria where 61 villages have been completely abandoned. This is followed closely by the municipality of Veliko Turnovo, where 39 villages are deserted.

Around Sofia, there are currently six villages without a single permanent resident. The registrar also shows that there are currently 43 villages in Bulgaria that have only one permanent resident and 54 villages with two. There are more than 100 villages in Bulgaria that have less than five inhabitants in them.

As of December 2009, there were a total of 5302 settlements in Bulgaria, 255 of them towns or cities. The largest village in Bulgaria is Aidemir with a population of 6655, followed by Lozen, near Sofia, with 6128, and Kazichene with 5010 people. The smallest town in Bulgaria is Melnik, in Blagoevgrad municipality, where only 364 people reside permanently, the report said.

yes ,I read this in the paper this morning ...reminded me of a village i cut through on a back road about 20k west of Burgas...it was eerie but fasinating , I sat and looked around and almost willed the fallen down houses and factory to tell me their story !!!!!!

as this seems to be on the increase...makes one wonder what the long term prognosis is for bulgarian villages

It does seem to be a very sad state of affairs but it seems that more and more are leaving the rural parts in search of work and lets be honest who can blame them but as you say varnagirl what is the prognosis????????? ::

I to don't see how this will ever be resolved it seems that more and more people are leaving the villages in search of work and as time goes by I think it will get a lot worse because when big brother the EU start the people in the villages won't even be able to grow and sell their produce which then means they have to move out in order to survive

its simple really, bulgaria is experiencing what the uk had 60 years ago, mobile and the 2.2 family, the extended family has ceased and the modern moblile nuclear family is emerging, mobile and free to discover what the world has to offer. no different to the uk some years back when everyone got on the train to blackpool in the wakes weeks, all gone now, people are free to work and explore the whole world and work where they want to. family values sadly are lost to the new emerging big world that bulgaria is opening up to. not sure this is the best option as family values were once so valuable but in a capiltalist society its what you can get. sad in some ways really.

When you read the article below which I got from the Standart newspaper it does make you wonder what will become of Bulgaria and the property market I know its the long term view but I can't help thinking that instead of things getting better they are only going to get worse????

Half Bulgarians to Be of Old Age in 2040

By 2040 the population of Bulgaria will shrink by a million and a half, announced yesterday Hristina Mitreva, head of the National Insurance Institute. To her words, by that time 46% of the Bulgarians will be of age over 65. The number of pensioners will increase by 400,000 compared to their number in 2010.
"
The demographic problem is one of the chief issues concerning the pension system in Bulgaria,"
Mitreva said.
The solution to the case is encouragement of young people's employment and their remaining for longer at the labor market, experts believe. For over a year the pensions expenses have increased by 680 million levs, although in 2010 pensions have not been raised, according to Mitreva. The Institute director believes that the securing of financial stability of the pension system is another serious problem.


I don't know what to think

It looks to me that this situation is getting worse I know of people who have just walked away from their property just to rescue what they can and this seems to be happening more and more and its only because they bought with their eyes closed or without any plan! having said that the same applies to many of the Bulgarians who are now not only leaving the villages but the country.

I think this will add a shock to the system of most of ? I can't believe"
According to data from the register at the end of last year the country had 43 villages, which lives only in one person. Another 54 cities with two people, and 33 - with three. 4 and 5 residents were 42 and 39 villages. Total in 509 cities in our population is 10 or less. "



According to statistics by the National Statistical Institute 'villages without a single resident in Bulgaria are as follows.

1. Bablon municipality. Smolyan;

2. Balabanchevo municipality. Sungurlare,
3. Balaleya municipality. Dryanovo;

4. Banchovtsi municipality. Ihtiman;

5. Bedrovo municipality. Chernoochene;

6. Bizhovtsi municipality. Veliko Turnovo;

7. Bilkini municipality. Dryanovo;

8. Bogdanovtzy municipality. Ihtiman;

9. Bogdansko municipality. Elena;

10. Boynik municipality. Krumovgrad;

11. Boychovtsi municipality. Veliko Turnovo;

12. Tree, common. Chuprene;

13. Bochkovtsi municipality. Veliko Turnovo;

14. Budiltsi municipality. Kresna;

15. Banzareto municipality. Maglizh;

16. Rapids general. Kirkovo;

17. Valeo general. Elena;

18. Velyuvtsi municipality. Elena;

19. Kestrel, common. Ivaylovgrad;

20. Vladovtsi municipality. Tryavna;

21. Vlasatili municipality. Tryavna;

22. Vlahovtsi municipality. Gabrovo;

23. Valkovtsi municipality. Tryavna;

24. Gabraka municipality. Elena;

25. Gaidar, general. Tryavna;

26. Ganev dol municipality. Elena;

27. Gledachevo municipality. Radnevo;

28. Upper Dragoycha municipality. Dryanovo;

29. Upper Marentsi municipality. Tryavna;

30. Upper Tsonevtsi municipality. Tryavna;

31. Forest, total. Elena;

32. Forestry Pisarevo municipality. Zlataritsa;

33. Forestry, General. Ivaylovgrad;

34. Burn total. Tryavna;

35. Garden general. Antonovo;

36. Giurgiu municipality. Petrich;

37. Neighborhood business, general. Zlataritsa;

38. Dzhurovtsi municipality. Dryanovo;

39. Doynovtsi municipality. Veliko Turnovo;

40. Lower Enevets municipality. Veliko Turnovo;

41. Lower Margatina municipality. Troyan;

42. Lower Marentsi municipality. Tryavna;

43. Lower Radkovtsi municipality. Tryavna;

44. Lower Tomchevtsi municipality. Tryavna;

45. Donkin, total. Tryavna;

46. Chepelare municipality. Chepelare;

47. Dogwood, common. Sevlievo;

48. Durovtsi municipality. Zlataritsa;

49. Woodcutters, total. Tryavna;

50. Darlevtsi municipality. Elena;

51. Daskarite municipality. Tryavna;

52. Quince, common. Rouen;

53. Elentsite municipality. Dryanovo;

54. Hardware, general. Omurtag,
55. Zhergovets municipality. Gurkovo;

56. Zhidov dollars, total. Troyan;

57. Zanoga municipality. Petrich;

58. Star general. Rouen;

59. St. John, general. Kurdzhali;

60. Phosphor, total. Kurdzhali;

61. Ivan Dimov, total. Tryavna;

62. Ivanivanovtsi municipality. Elena;

63. Irinetsi municipality. Tryavna;

64. Kalchovtsi municipality. Gabrovo;

65. Kamenski, total. Sungurlare;

66. Karaivantsa municipality. Elena;

67. Karanda, total. Elena;

68. Kiselkovtsi municipality. Tryavna;

69. Wrist joint. Rouen;

70. Koevtsi municipality. Tryavna;

71. Kokortsi municipality. Rudozem;

72. Kolishovtsi municipality. Gabrovo;

73. Kolyu Ganev general. Tryavna;

74. Konarskoto municipality. Tryavna;

75. Kosilka municipality. Dryanovo;

76. Kraypole municipality. Antonovo;

77. Krastenyatsite municipality. Tryavna;

78. Doll overall. Dryanovo;

79. Kartipanya municipality. Dryanovo;

80. Kashle municipality. Tran;

81. Lesiche municipality. Elena;

82. Leshko extruded overall. Troyan;

83. Lisets municipality. Samokov;

84. Raspberry, common. Sevlievo;

85. Small Bulgari general. Dryanovo. there are so many villages that are empty
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Itemid=7

And that's only half the story read on

Champion! Silistra Village is more crowded than 140 cities

Bulgarian villages in 148 people living there permanently. This shows data from the register of settlements that is supported by the National Statistical Institute (NSI). Only in the month, the depopulated villages increased by 4.

The fastest card of the country's disappearing neighborhoods in the Central Balkan region. Migration and demographic processes are most severely affected villages in the small mountain communities Tryavna and Dryanovo. Overall in Gabrovo 61 settlements have no permanent population. Veliko Turnovo 39 deserted villages, and the third is Kardjali 9.

According to data from the register at the end of the month, the country had 43 villages, which lives only in one person. Another 54 cities with two people, and 33 - with three. 4 and 5 residents were 42 and 39 villages. Total in 509 cities in our population is 10 or less. These villages have throughout the country. Well ahead in the ranking by population is the Rila Monastery. In the monastery have a registered address 39 people.

The largest village in the country is Silistra Aydemir (6655 people). It is followed by Sofia Lozen (6128 people) and Kazichene (5010 inhabitants). Aydemir is larger in population than 140 cities across the country. Lozen outpaced population 137 town and Kazichene - 119.

The smallest city of Melnik. Its permanent inhabitants are only 364. Secondly backwards is Madjarovo (Haskovo region) with 590 inhabitants. The third among the smallest towns with Pliska 1051 inhabitants.
Villages without a single resident in Bulgaria:

Bablon municipality. Smolyan;
Balabanchevo municipality. Sungurlare;
Balaleya municipality. Dryanovo;
Banchovtsi municipality. Ihtiman;
Bedrovo municipality. Chernoochene;
Bizhovtsi municipality. Veliko Tarnovo Bilkini municipality. Dryanovo;
Bogdanovtzy municipality. Ihtiman;
Bogdansko municipality. Elena;
Boynik municipality. Krumovgrad;
Boychovtsi municipality. Veliko Turnovo;
tree, common. Chuprene;
Bochkovtsi municipality. Veliko Tarnovo Budiltsi municipality. Kresna;
Banzareto municipality. Maglizh;
rapids general. Kirkovo;
Valeo general. Elena;
Velyuvtsi municipality. Deer, kestrel, common. Ivaylovgrad;
Vladovtsi municipality. Tryavna;
Vlasatili municipality. Tryavna;
Vlahovtsi municipality. Gabrovo Valkovtsi municipality. Tryavna;
Gabraka municipality. Helena, bagpipers, general. Tryavna;
Ganev dol municipality. Elena;
Gledachevo municipality. Radnevo, Upper Dragoycha municipality. Dryanovo;
Upper Marentsi municipality. Tryavna;
Upper Tsonevtsi municipality. Tryavna;
Forest, total. Helen, Forest Pisarevo municipality. Zlataritsa, Forestry, General. Ivaylovgrad;
burn total. Tryavna;
garden general. Antonovo;
Giurgiu municipality. Petrich, Business quarter, total. Zlataritsa;
Dzhurovtsi municipality. Dryanovo;
Doynovtsi municipality. Veliko Tarnovo Lower Enevets municipality. Veliko Tarnovo Lower Margatina municipality. Troyan;
Lower Marentsi municipality. Tryavna;
Lower Radkovtsi municipality. Tryavna;
Lower Tomchevtsi municipality. Tryavna;
Donkin, total. Tryavna;
Chepelare municipality. Chepelare;
dogwood, common. Sevlievo;
Durovtsi municipality. Zlataritsa, logger, total. Tryavna;
Darlevtsi municipality. Elena;
Daskarite municipality. Tryavna;
Quince, common. Rouen;
Elentsite municipality. Dryanovo;
blacksmiths, general. Omurtag;
Zhergovets municipality. Gurkovo;
Zhidov dollars, total. Troyan;
Zanoga municipality. Petrich, Star, total. Rouen;
Zvanika municipality. Kurdzhali;
Zornitsa municipality. Kardjali, Ivan Dimov, total. Tryavna;
Ivanivanovtsi municipality. Elena;
Irinetsi municipality. Tryavna;
Kalchovtsi municipality. Gabrovo Kamenski municipality. Sungurlare;
Karaivantsa municipality. Helena, Karanda, total. Elena;
Kiselkovtsi municipality. Tryavna;
Wrist municipality. Rouen;
Koevtsi municipality. Tryavna;
Kokortsi municipality. Rudozem;
Kolishovtsi municipality. Gabrovo Kolyu Ganev general. Tryavna;
Konarskoto municipality. Tryavna;
Kosilka municipality. Dryanovo;
Kraypole municipality. Antonovo;
Krastenyatsite municipality. Tryavna;
Dolls, total. Dryanovo;
Kartipanya municipality. Dryanovo;
Kashle municipality. Tran;
Lesiche municipality. Elena;
Leshko extruded general. Troyan;
Lisets municipality. Samokov;
Malinovo municipality. Sevlievo;
few Bulgarians general. Dryanovo.

I went to a lot of trouble to find this and now I find its been copied from here and pasted onto My Bulgaria Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:17 am by one of the members on this forum which I don't think she should have done, if she's trying to impress another forum then please do it by finding your own stuff and not copying posts that the members on this forum have made. You know who you are so I don't have to mention your name

cheekychops wrote:

I think this will add a shock to the system of most of ? I can't believe"
According to data from the register at the end of last year the country had 43 villages, which lives only in one person. Another 54 cities with two people, and 33 - with three. 4 and 5 residents were 42 and 39 villages. Total in 509 cities in our population is 10 or less. "



According to statistics by the National Statistical Institute 'villages without a single resident in Bulgaria are as follows.

1. Bablon municipality. Smolyan;

2. Balabanchevo municipality. Sungurlare,
3. Balaleya municipality. Dryanovo;

4. Banchovtsi municipality. Ihtiman;

5. Bedrovo municipality. Chernoochene;

6. Bizhovtsi municipality. Veliko Turnovo;

7. Bilkini municipality. Dryanovo;

8. Bogdanovtzy municipality. Ihtiman;

9. Bogdansko municipality. Elena;

10. Boynik municipality. Krumovgrad;

11. Boychovtsi municipality. Veliko Turnovo;

12. Tree, common. Chuprene;

13. Bochkovtsi municipality. Veliko Turnovo;

14. Budiltsi municipality. Kresna;

15. Banzareto municipality. Maglizh;

16. Rapids general. Kirkovo;

17. Valeo general. Elena;

18. Velyuvtsi municipality. Elena;

19. Kestrel, common. Ivaylovgrad;

20. Vladovtsi municipality. Tryavna;

21. Vlasatili municipality. Tryavna;

22. Vlahovtsi municipality. Gabrovo;

23. Valkovtsi municipality. Tryavna;

24. Gabraka municipality. Elena;

25. Gaidar, general. Tryavna;

26. Ganev dol municipality. Elena;

27. Gledachevo municipality. Radnevo;

28. Upper Dragoycha municipality. Dryanovo;

29. Upper Marentsi municipality. Tryavna;

30. Upper Tsonevtsi municipality. Tryavna;

31. Forest, total. Elena;

32. Forestry Pisarevo municipality. Zlataritsa;

33. Forestry, General. Ivaylovgrad;

34. Burn total. Tryavna;

35. Garden general. Antonovo;

36. Giurgiu municipality. Petrich;

37. Neighborhood business, general. Zlataritsa;

38. Dzhurovtsi municipality. Dryanovo;

39. Doynovtsi municipality. Veliko Turnovo;

40. Lower Enevets municipality. Veliko Turnovo;

41. Lower Margatina municipality. Troyan;

42. Lower Marentsi municipality. Tryavna;

43. Lower Radkovtsi municipality. Tryavna;

44. Lower Tomchevtsi municipality. Tryavna;

45. Donkin, total. Tryavna;

46. Chepelare municipality. Chepelare;

47. Dogwood, common. Sevlievo;

48. Durovtsi municipality. Zlataritsa;

49. Woodcutters, total. Tryavna;

50. Darlevtsi municipality. Elena;

51. Daskarite municipality. Tryavna;

52. Quince, common. Rouen;

53. Elentsite municipality. Dryanovo;

54. Hardware, general. Omurtag,
55. Zhergovets municipality. Gurkovo;

56. Zhidov dollars, total. Troyan;

57. Zanoga municipality. Petrich;

58. Star general. Rouen;

59. St. John, general. Kurdzhali;

60. Phosphor, total. Kurdzhali;

61. Ivan Dimov, total. Tryavna;

62. Ivanivanovtsi municipality. Elena;

63. Irinetsi municipality. Tryavna;

64. Kalchovtsi municipality. Gabrovo;

65. Kamenski, total. Sungurlare;

66. Karaivantsa municipality. Elena;

67. Karanda, total. Elena;

68. Kiselkovtsi municipality. Tryavna;

69. Wrist joint. Rouen;

70. Koevtsi municipality. Tryavna;

71. Kokortsi municipality. Rudozem;

72. Kolishovtsi municipality. Gabrovo;

73. Kolyu Ganev general. Tryavna;

74. Konarskoto municipality. Tryavna;

75. Kosilka municipality. Dryanovo;

76. Kraypole municipality. Antonovo;

77. Krastenyatsite municipality. Tryavna;

78. Doll overall. Dryanovo;

79. Kartipanya municipality. Dryanovo;

80. Kashle municipality. Tran;

81. Lesiche municipality. Elena;

82. Leshko extruded overall. Troyan;

83. Lisets municipality. Samokov;

84. Raspberry, common. Sevlievo;

85. Small Bulgari general. Dryanovo. there are so many villages that are empty

Thank you cheekychops this is quite interesting and useful to anyone who wants to know about certain villages especially if they are considering moving as I am so this is just great thank you

Interesting topic and well done on you finding this Michelle I have to admit I'm quite shocked at the amount of places that are deserted or have very few people living there but I suppose as time goes by this number will get greater with the younger generation moving out into the towns for work or moving out of Bulgaria which is a great shame but I would imaging most countries around the world have had this situation at one time or another so they just build industrial site on them or retail parks. I found something slightly connected to to your topic so have a read. And I'm afraid you won't stop certain people copy and posting from here or anywhere else for that matter so don't worry about it I know who you are talking about and its no surprise she's done it before.

A 25-year-old American national, who went missing in Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountain in July, has been found, the US Embassy in Sofia told Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency).



He has already left Bulgaria safe and sound, the Embassy said.

The authorities in the southern Bulgarian District of Smolyan were searching for the missing US tourist who went to visit an uninhabited local village.

The 25-year-old tourist is of African-American origin but his name has not been revealed.

Before disappearing, the US tourist had sent an email to his telling them he was going to the uninhabited village of Chamla near the village of Mugla in the Rhodope Mountains.

The village of Chamla is located 5 km away from Bulgaria’s border with Greece, close to the famous Trigrad Gorge.

It used to be the highest-located inhabited place in Bulgaria (1850 m above sea level). The last inhabitants of the ghost village left or died in the 1980s.

Around 2000 the place became known as a hippie commune called “Kralstvo Champla”, i.e. the Kingdom of Chamla. The walls of the houses in the ghost village are said to be covered in drawings.

The name "
Kingdom of Chamla"
was given to the village in 2002 by a foundation called "
Destination Bulgaria"
that was hoping to turn it into a place for writers and artists.

In 2004, a Frenchman named Olivie Luc spent a year living on his own in Chamla. A Spaniard named Oscar Corea did the same thing the following year.

In 2006-2007, the Bulgarian press reported that the village and the adjacent lands were bought by a company owned by the richest Bulgarian Vasil Bozhkov in order to turn it into a base for the development of rural tourism.

The road to Champla disappears at certain spots in the rough terrain. The village has no electricity and no water and sewerage system. The best way to access the village is to use a GPS device. The coordinates of the village are 41° 37' 19.04"
N, 24° 27' 14.63"
E. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I don't see the problem myself as the fewer people the better for me, but so long as your near to a town and as long as you can drive, you have more or less everything that you could need. Maybe Bulgaria will progress like the rest of europe has . There was a time when decent old country houses were very cheap. I think that in future years, the young families of today that have gone to live in the towns and cities to be able to work and to find what they call a better life style, will in the future return to the villages where they can have the best of both worlds.

"
quote
by cheekychops » 27 Sep 2011 09:12

I went to a lot of trouble to find this and now I find its been copied from here and pasted onto My Bulgaria Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:17 am by one of the members on this forum which I don't think she should have done, if she's trying to impress another forum then please do it by finding your own stuff and not copying posts that the members on this forum have made. You know who you are so I don't have to mention your name "
end quote



No you dont ..but i own up anyway .as I DONT do things underhanded...I apologise if it upset you...there was no source on your post and i did try to find the original ...but couldn,t...so yes copied it , .......to help someone out who was enquiring......

I did also state on the mybg forum that it was "
borrowed "
. so not my own find , so not underhand there either !...as for trying to impress another forum...after being a member for many years ...

finally I know if Admin has a problem with my action ..he will be in touch !

varnagirl wrote:

"
quote
by cheekychops » 27 Sep 2011 09:12

I went to a lot of trouble to find this and now I find its been copied from here and pasted onto My Bulgaria Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:17 am by one of the members on this forum which I don't think she should have done, if she's trying to impress another forum then please do it by finding your own stuff and not copying posts that the members on this forum have made. You know who you are so I don't have to mention your name "
end quote



No you dont ..but i own up anyway .as I DONT do things underhanded...I apologise if it upset you...there was no source on your post and i did try to find the original ...but couldn,t...so yes copied it , .......to help someone out who was enquiring......

I did also state on the mybg forum that it was "
borrowed "
. so not my own find , so not underhand there either !...as for trying to impress another forum...after being a member for many years ...

finally I know if Admin has a problem with my action ..he will be in touch !

Not wishing to get involved in this but there is a link above [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... 7&
Itemid=7 Maybe you missed it??