Berkovitsa Webcam – See the Main Square in Bulgaria

The Berkovitsa Webcam looks across the central square of Berkovitsa, a small town in northwest Bulgaria at the northern foot of the Balkan Mountains. From a rooftop at the edge of the square, the camera takes in a wide paved plaza on the left, a park of clipped round trees and tall conifers in the middle, and a fountain ringed by benches on the right. Two-story houses with red tiled roofs line the far side, and on a clear day a blue mountain ridge shows above the treetops. People cross the plaza between the cafe umbrellas and the main street, and the light shifts from cool morning shade to hard midday shadows under the trees. The Municipality of Berkovitsa streams the camera on YouTube, so the player opens the live feed there.

About Berkovitsa

Berkovitsa sits at 371 meters (1,217 feet) in Montana Province, on the Berkovitsa River, in the part of the western Balkan range known locally as the Berkovska mountain. The town is 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the provincial capital of Montana and 89 kilometers (55 miles) from Sofia. Kom Peak, 2,016 meters (6,614 feet) high, rises to the south and has long been the town’s symbol. At the 2011 census Berkovitsa had 13,463 residents.

The town first appears in Ottoman documents of 1488, though the Thracian Triballi tribe lived here in the first millennium BC. By the 18th and 19th centuries it had grown into a regional center of crafts, pottery above all, with 50 to 60 ceramic workshops at one time. The Clock Tower, completed in 1764, still stands at the far end of the town square and remains the best known building in Berkovitsa.

The camera overlooks Yordan Radichkov Square, where the municipality has its offices. The open paving with circle markings on the left is the square itself, while the park beside it holds the fountain and the shaded benches. A solar powered street lamp stands in the foreground, and a clock in the lower right corner of the stream shows local time, which is Eastern European Time (UTC+2, or UTC+3 in summer).

Weather and Climate in Berkovitsa

Summers are warm. Over the past decade, July and August days have averaged about 28 C (82 F), with nights near 18 C (65 F), and by midday the conifers throw the park into deep shade. May and June are the wettest months, with around 110 to 125 millimeters (4.3 to 4.9 inches) of rain each, so summer showers often leave the paving wet and the ridge hidden in cloud. September is the driest month, at under 50 millimeters (2 inches), and it often gives the clearest views of the mountains.

Winters are cold but rarely severe at this height. January days average about 5 C (41 F) and nights about -2 C (28 F). A fresh snowfall of 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) or more comes on roughly 20 days a year, mostly between December and February, and it can whiten the square and its clipped trees, while the higher ridges to the south typically hold snow far longer. Spring and autumn are mild, with April and October days around 16 to 17 C (61 to 63 F) and nights between 7 and 9 C (45 and 48 F).

Things to Do Near Berkovitsa

The Clock Tower is a short walk across the square. The Ivan Vazov House Museum occupies the restored Ipekliyska House, where the poet lived in 1879 and 1880, one of the most productive spells of his life. The Ethnographic Museum fills the Serbinska House, built in the late 19th century, which had an indoor bathroom warmed by clay jars heated from the hearth. Berkovitsa also keeps the Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Virgin and the remains of Kaleto, a late antique fortress.

For the mountains, a paved road climbs 16 kilometers (10 miles) to the Kom hut at 1,506 meters (4,941 feet). The Bulgarian section of the E3 European long-distance path starts there, and a trail continues to the summit of Kom. Closer to town, the Haydushki Waterfalls are about 8 kilometers (5 miles) to the west, and the Klisura Monastery lies about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to the south.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more towns and mountain country in this corner of Europe, try these cameras.

• Bansko Webcam
• Belgrade Webcam
• Hildesheim Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Berkovitsa located?

Berkovitsa is in Montana Province in northwest Bulgaria, at the northern foot of the western Balkan Mountains. It lies 24 kilometers (15 miles) from Montana and 89 kilometers (55 miles) from Sofia.

What can you see on the Berkovitsa Webcam?

Yordan Radichkov Square in the town center: the open paved plaza, a park of clipped trees and conifers, a fountain with benches, and the houses along the far side. In clear weather a mountain ridge shows above the trees.

What is the weather like in Berkovitsa?

Summers are warm and winters cold. July and August days average about 28 C (82 F), while January days reach about 5 C (41 F) with nights below freezing. May and June bring the most rain.

Does it snow in Berkovitsa?

Yes. Snow falls on about 20 days a year, mostly from December to February, and the higher peaks to the south usually keep their snow much longer than the town does.

How high is Kom Peak?

Kom Peak reaches 2,016 meters (6,614 feet) and rises south of Berkovitsa. A road leads to the Kom hut at 1,506 meters (4,941 feet), and a trail climbs from there to the top.

What is the population of Berkovitsa?

The town had 13,463 residents at the 2011 census.

Who runs the Berkovitsa Webcam?

The Municipality of Berkovitsa operates the camera and streams it on its YouTube channel, Berkovitsa Online. The owner has switched off playback on other websites, so the live view opens on YouTube.

Source: Berkovitsa Online