The town of Petrich is situated in the far southwestern part of Bulgaria, where the Bulgarian-Greek and the Bulgarian-Macedonians borders merge. It is 13 km west of the frontier post of Kulata (at the border with Greece), 20 km east to the frontier post of Zlatarevo (at the border of Macedonia), 23 km away from the town of Sandanski, 88 km away from the town of Blagoevgrad, and 189 km away from the capital of Sofia. The town is located at the northern foot of the Belassitsa Mountain, along either bank of the Petrich river (the right tributary of the Stroumeshnitsa river, which is flowing into the Strouma river).
The town of Petrich is an heir of the history and the name of the ancient Thracian town of Petra, which arises in V-VIth century BC at the foot of the Kozhuh Mountain, in the land of Ruрite.
In 837, during the rule of khan Presian, the town of Petrich enters into the border of the Fist Bulgarian Country.
The following centuries designate an important role to the town in the struggle against the foreign invaders. 18 km to the west of the town, in 1014 one of the most dramatic battles in our history has taken place - the battle for Samuil fortress, where 14000 Bulgarian solders have been captured and blinded. During ХІІІ-ХІVth century the town is a Bulgarian fortress - a part of the fortification system in the Southwestern Bulgaria.

Landmarks
The Museum of History, which is situated in the centre of the town;
The ‘Virgin Mary’ church, which was built in 1875 and declared a cultural monument;
‘The Assumption’ temple;
The “Saint George” church;
The “Saint Nicholas” church

Surrounding areas
The most significant sight near the town of Petrich is the national Museum, which is called the Samouil Fortress. It is situated 18 km away from the town and 6 km north of the village of Klyuch, on the right bank of the Stroumeshnitsa river. At the beginning of XIth century the Bulgarian tsar (king) Samouil built a defensive system against the Byzantine invasion in the Klyuch pass (between the mountains of Belassitsa and Ognajden).
The imposing bronze statue of tsar Samouil, which is located in the fortress, is a remarkable sight. The tsar is in full height with legs bent in the knees under the burden of severe anguish. On the either side of the statue there are stone plates with embossed figures of blinded soldiers. There is also a museum exhibition offering significant historical information about Bulgaria.
5 km north-east of the town of Petrich remains of dwellings, which are preserved from the Hellenic epoch (most probably of the ancient town of Petra) can be seen. There are parts of a fortress wall, basement floor of public buildings, architectural fragments. There were coins dating back to IV-IIIth centuries BC discovered.
The Roupite natural reserve is 10 km northeast of the town. There are a number of hot steaming mineral springs at the bottom of the dead volcano of Kozjuh. This is an extremely beautiful and impressive place. The Bulgarian prophet Vanga lived here and also built the “St. Petka” church.
The village of Marikostinovo is 13 km east of the town of Petrich. There are a lot of hot mineral springs, too. The temperature of the water is 58o-62oC. The Belasitsa Mountain rises steep south above the town. The mountain is divided between 3 countries – Bulgaria, Greece and Macedonia. The crossing point of their boundaries is the peak of Toumba (1881 m in height).
9 km away from the town is the chalet of “Belasitsa”, which is located at an altitude of 720 m above sea level. It is a massive 3-storey building, which disposes of 80 beds. The chalet is a starting point to several tourist routes.