Blagoevgrad is a town in Southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Municipality and of Blagoevgrad Province With a population of almost 70,000 inhabitants, it is the economic and cultural centre of Southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the valley of the Struma River at the foot of the Rila Mountains, 101 kilometres (63 miles) south of Sofia, close to the border with North Macedonia.

Blagoevgrad features a pedestrian downtown, with preserved 19th-century architecture and numerous restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, and boutiques. It is home to two universities, the South-West University "Neofit Rilski" and the American University in Bulgaria. The town also hosts the "Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Humanitarian High School". The former Bulgarian Men's High School of Thessaloniki moved from Thessaloniki to Blagoevgrad (then Gorna Dzhumaya) in 1913.

Main Sights:

• Old Town, the Varosha Quarter
• Drama Theatre "N. Vaptsarov"
• Blagoevgrad History Museum
• Blagoevgrad Opera House
• Historic House Museum "Georgi Izmirliev"
• Park "Bachinovo"
• Park "Skaptopara"
• Aqua park Blagoevgrad
• Blagoevgrad zoo
• Cross site
• Todor Alexandrov Street
• Attractions in the surrounding area include the resort Bodrost.