Asenovgrad Webcam – Watch Bulgaria’s Little Jerusalem

The Asenovgrad Webcam looks out from 6 Yanuari Street, the stretch of the Plovdiv to Smolyan road (route II-86) that runs through this town at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains in southern Bulgaria. In frame are two- and three-story houses with red tiled roofs and white or pink walls, an older house with an overhanging upper floor on the left, stone retaining walls and a flight of stone steps, all screened by tall pines and conifers. Behind the rooftops a wooded hillside climbs away, with more houses scattered across its lower slope. The hillside is what changes most through the year: dense green in summer, rust and brown by late autumn, and the roofs can hold snow between November and March.

About Asenovgrad

Asenovgrad lies where the Upper Thracian Plain meets the Rhodope Mountains, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) south-southeast of central Plovdiv in a straight line, at an elevation of 269 meters (883 feet). The Chepelarska River runs through the town, and 6 Yanuari Street carries route II-86 through it before the road heads south into the mountains toward Smolyan. The 2021 census counted 47,815 residents, which makes it the second-largest town in Plovdiv Province after Plovdiv itself. Two of its quarters, Gorni Voden and Dolni Voden, were separate villages until 1986.

Until 1934 the town was called Stanimaka, also recorded as Stenimachos. It was renamed that year after Tsar Ivan Asen II, the 13th-century ruler who strengthened the fortress above the town into a military post guarding the southern border of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Its nickname, Little Jerusalem, comes from the number of places of worship: 5 monasteries, 15 churches and 58 chapels stand around Asenovgrad. In the town itself, the Church of the Holy Trinity was built between 1857 and 1862.

The camera belongs to a private owner and is published by Weather-Webcam.eu, a Bulgarian site that gathers weather and traffic cams from across the country. A sliver of the road itself, with its painted center line, shows at the lower right edge of the frame.

Weather and Climate in Asenovgrad

Asenovgrad has warm, mostly clear summers and cold winters with regular snow. The warm season runs from early June to mid September, when daily highs stay above 25 C (77 F). July is the hottest month, averaging highs of 30 C (86 F) and lows of 17 C (63 F), and it is also the clearest, so the summer picture is usually sharp under a blue sky with the hillside a solid dark green. June is the wettest month, with about 46 millimeters (1.8 inches) of rain.

The cold season lasts from late November to early March, with daily highs below 10 C (50 F). January averages highs of 5 C (41 F) and lows of minus 3 C (27 F), and snow can fall from mid November to late March, with January seeing about 11 centimeters (4.4 inches). February is the cloudiest month. Spring and autumn are the mild seasons in between: April averages 18 C (64 F) by day and 6 C (43 F) at night, and October is almost the same at 18 C (65 F) and 7 C (45 F). By November highs drop to 11 C (52 F), and the trees on the hillside behind the houses can turn brown well before the first snow.

Things to Do Near Asenovgrad

Asen’s Fortress stands in the Rhodopes 2 to 3 kilometers (1.2 to 1.9 miles) south of the town. Tsar Ivan Asen II strengthened it in 1231 as a border post against Latin raids, and an eight-line inscription on the wall records the work. The building that survives best is the Church of the Holy Mother of God, a two-story, cross-domed church from the 12th or 13th century with murals from the 14th century, still used for Orthodox services. Back in town, the Historical Museum, the Paleontological Museum and the Ethnographic House cover the area’s past, and Asenovgrad is known for Mavrud, a red wine made in the area.

Bachkovo Monastery is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) south of the town, on the right bank of the same river. It was founded in 1083 by Gregory Pakourianos, a Georgian statesman in Byzantine service, and its ossuary is the only building left from the original monastery. An icon of the Virgin Mary Eleusa dated 1310 is venerated there as wonder-working, and the painter Zahari Zograf decorated the open narthex of the Church of the Archangels in 1841. The Monastery of St. Petka and the Arapovo Monastery are also among the town’s landmarks.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Asenovgrad located?

Asenovgrad is in Plovdiv Province in southern Bulgaria, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) south-southeast of central Plovdiv in a straight line. It sits at 269 meters (883 feet) on the edge of the Rhodope Mountains, on the II-86 road that continues south through the mountains to Smolyan.

What can you see on the Asenovgrad Webcam?

Red-roofed houses with white and pink walls, an older house with an overhanging upper floor, stone walls and steps, and tall pines in the foreground. A wooded hillside dotted with houses fills the background, and the edge of the road shows in the lower right corner.

What is the weather like in Asenovgrad?

Summers are warm and mostly clear, with July highs around 30 C (86 F). Winters are cold, with January lows near minus 3 C (27 F) and snow possible from mid November to late March. April and October are both mild, with highs around 18 C (64 to 65 F).

Why is Asenovgrad called Little Jerusalem?

Because of how many places of worship surround it: 5 monasteries, 15 churches and 58 chapels, including the medieval Church of the Holy Mother of God at Asen’s Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery further south.

What was Asenovgrad called before 1934?

Stanimaka, also recorded as Stenimachos. The town took its present name in 1934, after Tsar Ivan Asen II, who strengthened the fortress above it in 1231.

How far is Bachkovo Monastery from Asenovgrad?

About 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) south of the town, on the right bank of the Chepelarska River. Asen’s Fortress is closer, 2 to 3 kilometers (1.2 to 1.9 miles) south of town.

Does the camera show traffic on the Plovdiv to Smolyan road?

Only a little. The camera’s caption places it on 6 Yanuari Street, which carries route II-86 through Asenovgrad, but it faces the houses and the hillside, so the road appears only as a strip in the lower right corner. It shows whether there is rain, snow or sun at the town’s edge, but not how busy the road is.

Why does the Asenovgrad Webcam stop playing after a while?

The player pauses itself after 10 minutes of viewing. Press play to bring the live picture back; nothing is wrong with the stream.

Source: Weather-Webcam.eu