The town of Lovech has 49 269 inhabitants and is settled at about 200 meters above the sea level. The town is located at the distance of 170 km. to the north – west of Sofia, at the distance of 35 km. to the south of Pleven, at the distance of 35 km. to the north of Troyan, and at the distance of 86 km. to the west of Veliko Tarnovo. Lovech is one of the oldest and most interesting Bulgarian towns. It is regional center.

Lovech is one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria. Its territory and surroundings have been inhabited ever since the remote past, a prerequisite for which is the favorable geographic situation between the mountain and the plain.
The ancient town has been built up on the ruins of the Thracian town Melta, which has probably been the capital of the Thracian tribe meldi and has played the role of an exchange road station between the Thracian tribes, that inhabited the today Romania, the valley of Maritsa River and the Rhodopes. During the Middle Ages Lovech is an important military strategic center. The first notice for Lovech fortress in our history is from the time of the invasions of the pechenegs in Northern Bulgaria - the middle of XI century. During the rebellion of the brothers Asen and Petar in 1185 it bravely defends the attacks towards the Bulgarian capital Tarnovo.
In the beginning of XII century it has already become a big commercial center, famous all over Bulgaria. According to some authors Lovech fortress is one of the last fortresses which have fallen under Turkish yoke - in1446, but even then it has preserved significant rights - not to provide shelter to Turkish people in the town, not to give children to the janissary corpus, it also keeps its right to collect taxes for the goods, passing through the town. Due to its possessions the town has been named “Altan” (Golden) in 1520. From 1780 till 1784 Lovech develops rapidly. In1784 it is besieged and burnt by the invaders. In 1877 its citizens are 4600. By this way the center of trade is transferred from Plovdiv to Rousse and Svistov and Lovech loses its privileged position.
During the years the town developed not only as a commercial, but as an important educational and cultural center as well. The people of Lovech participated actively in the struggles for an independent Bulgarian church. During the most difficult years of the ottoman yoke in “Varosha” the churches “St. Nedelya” and “St.Virgin Mary,” have been built. During the Russian-Turkish war Lovech has been liberated twice with the assistance of the Russian armies. The final victory over the conquerors is gained on 22 August 1877. After the Liberation the Turkish people deport themselves, and some of the Bulgarians as well. During the first 22 years of liberated Bulgaria Lovech is a regional center of the following counties Lovech, Troyan and Teteven.
Today Lovech is a beautiful and modern town, which carefully keeps the atmosphere of the previous century.