Blagoevgrad is a relatively big town the town with many restaurants and cafes, located at the foot of the Rila Mountain at 430m elevation. It is situated on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River and in the river basin of the Strouma River, 101km away from Sofia, 53km away from Razlog and 65km away from Sandanski. The town is an administrative centre of the region and a popular spa-resort due to the 30 mineral springs with temperature up to 55°C.
The Skaptoparski inscription, dating back to the year 238, reveals that the place was an ancient Thracian settlement, called Skaptopara. Later, the town became an important fortress, changing the names Gorna Dzhoumaya (1502) and Banya (1576). In the 17th century, monk from the Rila Monastery founded a monastery school there, and during the 18th and 19th century the town became a great centre of commerce and crafts. After the Berlin Treaty, the town (then called Gorna Dzhoumaya) became a part of Turkey and the people there took a big part in its liberation in 1912.