Malko Tarnovo is the only inland town in the Bulgarian part of the Strandzha mountains. It lies within the Strandzha Nature Park and is the centre of its municipality. About 1,550 people live there. The town is 74 km from Burgas and 56 km from Tsarevo, on the E87 road, and the border crossing with Turkey is 9 km away.
The first settlement here was Thracian. In the first half of the 19th century the town had about 3,500 people, who lived from sheep farming, the crafts around it and marble quarrying. When the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising was crushed in 1903, Malko Tarnovo suffered badly: most of its roughly 1,200 houses were looted. Its school traces back to a cell school opened in 1835.
Dolmens, cemeteries and ancient sanctuaries are scattered around the town, and the whole area lies in the nature park.
The crafts festival "Po Malkotarnovski – from the source of Strandzha" is held at the end of July. Summer is the best season for the museums.
Burgas region
3.4 km away
Burgas region
8.3 km away
Burgas region
10.8 km away
Burgas region
10.8 km away
Malko Tarnovo is located in Burgas, Bulgaria.
Malko Tarnovo is most easily reached by car. Use the coordinates above to navigate, or open the location in OpenStreetMap or your preferred maps app for turn-by-turn directions. Public transport options vary by region — for remote destinations a rental car gives the most flexibility.
Malko Tarnovo can be visited year-round, but late spring (May–June) and early autumn (September–October) offer the most pleasant weather and fewer tourists. Summer is the busiest season; winter is the quietest, with shorter daylight and possible cold weather.
Bulgarian settlements typically reward unhurried walking — historic centres, churches and monasteries, local markets, and family-run restaurants serving regional dishes. Larger towns often have museums and seasonal cultural events. The local tourist information centre is a good first stop for current opening hours and what's on.
