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Svilengrad is a duty free zone which is located 67 kilometres from Haskovo next to the Turkish and Greek borders in the south easten part of Bulgaria. It lies on the plains of the Maritsa River and the mouth of its tributary, Golyama Reka.
The town is built on the site of a Thracian settlement close to the Roman road which runs from Plovdiv to Odrin. There is an unusual ancient bridge with over the Maritza River with twelve vault arches which dates back to Ottoman rule and was built in 1529.
Much of Svilengrad was razed to the ground by the Turks during the Balkan War in 1912, but the Church of the Holy Trinity which dates back to 1834 and St Demetrius Church (1898) survived the attack and are well worth a visit.
Tourism is a relatively new concept here and the area remains completely traditional and unspoiled, but 40 small hotels have been built recently to accommodate the increasing number of visitors.
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