Samokov Municipality

42°20′14″N 23°33′27″E

Samokov Municipality Община Самоков
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Bulgaria
Province	Sofia Province
Seat	Samokov
Area
• Total	1,209.9 km2 (467.1 sq mi)
Population  (2024)
• Total	33,703[1]
• Density	27.856/km2 (72.147/sq mi)
Website	www.samokov.bg

Samokov Municipality (Bulgarian: Община Самоков) is a municipality in Sofia Province, central western Bulgaria. Covering a territory of 1,209.9 km², it is the largest of the 22 municipalities in the province and takes 17.09% of its total area.

Geography

The relief of the municipality is varied. In its center is the Samokov Valley, surrounded by the mountain ranges of Vitosha to the northwest, Plana to the north, Sredna Gora to the east, Rila to the south and Verila to the southwest. The highest areas of Rila fall within the municipality, including the highest summit in Bulgaria and the Balkans Musala (2,925 m), as well as many other prominent peaks, such as Malyovitsa (2,729 m), Damga (2,669 m), Deno (2,790 m), Golyam Mermer (2,602 m), Marishki Chal (2,765 m), Zlia Zab (2,678 m), etc.^[2]

The headwaters of the longest river flowing entirely in Bulgaria the Iskar, and the longest river entirely in the Balkan Peninsula the Maritsa are located in the municipality. Most of its territory is drained by the Iskar and its tributaries the Palakaria and the Musalenska Bistritsa. A smaller portion to the east is drained by the Maritsa. There are many glacial lakes in the southern part of the municipality, in Rila, such as the Marichini Lakes, Musala Lakes, Malyovishki Lakes, Urdini Lakes, etc.^[2]

The whole southern part of the municipality falls within the Rila National Park, and includes the entire area of the Central Rila Reserve.^[3]

Transport

Samokov Municipality is traversed by eight roads of the national network and several local road with a total length of 236.6 km, including the last 21.1 km of the second class II-62 road Kyustendil–Dupnitsa–Samokov, a 38.1 km section of the second class II-82 road Kostenets–Samokov–Sofia, the last 14 km of the third class III-181 road, the first 30 km of the third class III-627 road, the first 17.7 km of the third class III-822 road, the whole 5.2 km length of the third class III-6205 road, the whole 25.6 km length of the third class III-2606 road, and the first 4.4 km of the third class III-8222 road. There are plans to construct the Rila motorway that would link the Struma motorway further west to the Trakiya motorway to the east.^[4]

Demography

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1934	43,146	—
1946	48,344	+12.0%
1956	49,869	+3.2%
1965	47,805	−4.1%
1975	49,405	+3.3%
1985	47,753	−3.3%
1992	45,951	−3.8%
2001	42,313	−7.9%
2011	38,089	−10.0%
2021	34,864	−8.5%
Source: National Statistics Institute[5]

As of 2024 the population of Samokov Municipality is 33,703, living in one town and 28 villages:^[1]

Alino Beli Iskar Belchin Belchinski Bani Govedartsi Gorni Okol Gutsal Dolni Okol Dospey Dragushinovo Zlokuchene Klisura Kovachevtsi Lisets

Madzhare Mala Tsarkva Maritsa Novo Selo Popovyane Prodanovtsi Raduil Raylovo Relyovo Samokov Shipochane Shiroki Dol Yarebkovitsa Yarlovo

Gallery

• 
  Samokov Valley
• 
  The summit of Orlovets
• 
  Central Rila Reserve
• 
  A church in Maritsa