Vratsa

The Tower of Kurt Pasha (Bulgarian: Куртпашова кула, Kurtpashova kula), also rendered as Kurt Pasha Tower or Kurtpashov(a) Tower, is an Ottoman-era tower house in the town of Vratsa in northwest Bulgaria. Built in the 17th century, nowadays it is used as an exhibition space and souvenir shop adjacent to the Vratsa Regional Historical Museum. Like other tower houses in the Balkans from that age, the Tower of Kurt Pasha belongs to a specific type of habitable defensive tower which emerged in parts of the Balkans during a turbulent and anarchic period in the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century. The Tower of Kurt Pasha was constructed by a local feudal lord of the period as a fortified abode for his family, collectively known as Kurtpashovtsi. A legend claims that the family stems from medieval Bulgarian nobility and, having converted to Islam under Ottoman rule, preserved its holdings in the region.The tower has a square foundation of 6 by 6 m (20 by 20 ft) and reaches 11 m (36 ft) in height. It has a total of four stories, including the basement and ground level. The two top stories were occupied by the family of the owner. The construction of the tower employs trimmer joists, mortar and stone to separate the top floor from the one below, preventing potential fires. The top floor features twelve arrow slits as well as openings designed for pouring boiling liquids over potential enemies. These openings were positioned between the corbels. Although it is smaller in size and more modern than the nearby Tower of the Meshchii, the Tower of Kurt Pasha has the appearance of a small medieval fortress, due to its lack of windows and characteristic shape.In late 2011, the Tower of Kurt Pasha underwent minor conservation works worth 10,000 Bulgarian leva. Currently, the tower houses a souvenir shop on the first floor as well as exhibition space for exhibits of the Vratsa Regional Historical Museum. From early 2012 to mid-2013, the tower had been visited by a total of 40,000 people.

Vrachanska Skaklya (Bulgarian: Врачанска Скакля) or Skaklya is a plunge waterfall in the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park of Vratsa Province in northwestern Bulgaria. With a height of 141 or 148 m, it is claimed to be the highest intermittently flowing waterfall in Bulgaria and the Balkans. The waterfall lies 1.5 km south of Vratsa, behind the Kaleto hill, and can be observed from the town centre.The Vrachanska Skaklya waterfall is protected as part of the Vrachanski Karst Reserve within the nature park. Several marked tourist trails lead to the waterfall, with lengths ranging from 1.5 to 5 km.The waterfall is at its most powerful in May and June, when its flow rate averages 200 litres per second (with a recorded maximum of around 300 L/s). In spring, Vrachanska Skaklya is up to 20 metres wide. During the rest of the year, its flow rate is much reduced and in August and September, it typically dries up entirely. When the waterfall freezes in winter, it is popular as an ice climbing destination.

Ledenika (Bulgarian: Леденика, English: icy or glacial) is a cave in the Northwestern parts of the Balkan Mountains, 16 km away from the Bulgarian city of Vratsa. Its entrance is approximately 830 m above sea level. The cave features an abundance of galleries and impressive karst formations including stalactites and stalagmites. It was first discovered around the beginning of the 20th century and has been open to tourists since 1961. Ledenika Peak on Graham Land in Antarctica is named after the cave, in recognition of its cultural importance.

Okolchitsa (Bulgarian: Околчица) is a Bulgarian mountain, the highest peak in the Vratsa mountains in the west part of the Balkan Mountains. On the peak on June 2, 1876, the last battle of Hristo Botev's army took place.

Borov Kamak (Bulgarian: Боров камък, "Pine Stone") is a waterfall in the Vratsa mountain, western Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria. The waterfall is situated on one the tributaries of the river Leva which flows through Vratsa. It is located on the territory of Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park. The waterfall is 63 m (207 ft) high.

Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park (Bulgarian: Природен парк „Врачански Балкан“) is a nature park in Bulgaria with an area of 30129.9 ha established on 21 December 1989.

Parshevitsa (Bulgarian: Пършевица) is a ski resort in the Balkan Mountains of Bulgaria. Located at 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) above sea level, it is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Vratsa.

Chelopek (Bulgarian: Челопек) is a village in Vratsa Municipality, Vratsa Province in northwestern Bulgaria. Located in the western Balkan Mountains, it is known as the home village of Ivan Vazov's heroine Baba Iliytsa from the tale One Bulgarian Woman. Her original timbed-framed house has been reconstructed and is currently a museum of her life and local history and ethnography.

Ruska Bela (Bulgarian: Руска Бела) is a village in northwestern Bulgaria, part of Mezdra Municipality, Vratsa Province.

Mezdra (Bulgarian: Мездра [ˈmɛzdrɐ]) is a town in northwestern Bulgaria, part of Vratsa Province. It is located on the left bank of the Iskar River just north of its gorge through the Balkan Mountains.

Staro Selo (Old Village) is a small village in the Vratsa Province of northwest Bulgaria. It is situated at the foot of the Balkan Mountains. Staro Selo is a part of Mezdra Municipality. It is also home to the town hall. Staro Selo is near the river Iskar, popular for its angling possibilities. The number of inhabitants as of summer 2008 numbered less than 200 due to emigration and is still falling as young people move to nearby towns such as Mezdra, Vratsa or even further away. Many houses are no longer inhabited permanently, having either been abandoned or turned into summer cottages.

Dolna Kremena is a village located in Mezdra Municipality, within Bulgaria's Vratsa Province, and is located approximately 4 kilometers from the town of Mezdra. Places of interest include one medieval church, now in ruins, and one more recently constructed which contains a collection of Orthodox icons. The village has approximately 500 citizens, with an increasing Roma population.