ABOUT MARITSA RIVER
Maritsa river springs from Marichinite ezera in
Rila mountain and runs into the Aegean sea. It is long 525 km., from which 322 km. are on Bulgarian territory. The ancient name of the river is Hebrus.
In the past Maritsa river was navigable from Belovo along the stream. After the clearing of the forests during the Ottoman rule the waters of the drainage have diminished.
The river has about 100 tributaries. The river flows along one of the most beautiful and one of the most ancient towns on the Balkan Peninsula -
Plovdiv. In fact Maritsa river attracts a lot of Plovdiv’s guests. Except the town of
Plovdiv, Maritsa river flows also near to the towns of
Stara Zagora,
Svilengrad,
Belovo and etc.
The drainage of Maritsa river has a big importance for saving the biological variety of the south Bulgaria. At the islands and the watersides of the river are preserved the last remains of the former virgin forests, which form special and unique plant and animal societies.
Description
