Haskovo Webcam – Clock Tower Square in Southern Bulgaria

The Haskovo Webcam looks down on the Old Clock Tower in the pedestrian center of Haskovo, a town of about 64,600 people in southern Bulgaria. The stone tower stands in a round lawn bed in the middle of the frame, with its clock face close to the top of the picture. Paving laid in red, beige and white circles fills the foreground, where rows of cafe tables and benches sit under folded white umbrellas. Cream and pale yellow buildings with shopfronts line the far side of the square, mature trees shade the corners, and a slender minaret rises above the rooftops on the left. The square is busiest during the day, when shoppers cross between the side streets. Two more tabs switch to the town’s road cameras at the edge of Haskovo: a dual carriageway lined with woodland, and an exit road with open country and hills on the horizon.

About Haskovo

Haskovo put up its first clock tower in the early 19th century as a symbol of the town and of its growing trade. In 1913 the town council voted to demolish it. Work on a replacement began on 8 September 2012, and the rebuilt tower opened exactly a year later, on 8 September 2013, the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, which is also Haskovo’s town day. The whole project was paid for with donations.

The tower at the center of the Haskovo Webcam view is 23 meters (75 feet) tall and built of dressed stone from Uzundzhovo, a village just northeast of town. It has three dials, sets its time by GPS and chimes the hours. Its bell came from the Whitechapel foundry in London, the same foundry that cast the bell of Big Ben. The tower stands on Otets Paisiy, one of the pedestrian streets of the center, and the town sits at 203 meters (666 feet) above sea level.

Two older landmarks are a short walk away. The Eski Mosque stands about 55 meters (180 feet) southeast of the tower, and a stone plaque at its entrance gives 1395 as its year of construction, which makes it one of the oldest mosques in Bulgaria. Liberty Square, the town’s main square with its 1927 Monument to the Unknown Warrior, opens out about 170 meters (560 feet) to the east. Haskovo is the seat of Haskovo Province, roughly 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Plovdiv by road and about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Turkish border via Svilengrad.

Weather and Climate in Haskovo

Haskovo has a temperate climate with a strong continental streak, so summers are hot and winters are cold. July averages highs of 30.5 C (87 F) and lows of 16.2 C (61 F), and this is when the cafe umbrellas in the foreground of the Haskovo Webcam are most often open and the trees around the square are at their fullest. January is the coldest month, with daytime highs of 4.6 C (40 F) and nights that average minus 3.7 C (25 F), comfortably below freezing.

Spring and autumn are the mild seasons. April averages 18.7 C (66 F) by day and 6 C (43 F) at night, and October is a little warmer, at 20.1 C (68 F) and 7.8 C (46 F). Around 667 millimeters (26.3 inches) of precipitation falls in a typical year. The deciduous trees change the view more than anything else over the year: green canopies in summer, turning color in autumn, and bare branches in winter that open up the facades behind them.

Things to Do Near Haskovo

On the Hill of Youth south of the center, the Monument of the Holy Mother of God was put up in 2003 and stands 32 meters (105 feet) high. It was entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest monument to the Mother of God in the world, and it has a chapel in its base and a 30 meter (98 foot) belfry nearby with views over the town. Back in the center, the Regional History Museum on the south side of Liberty Square covers the area from the Stone Age to the late 19th century, and the Ivan Dimov Drama Theatre stands at the western end of the pedestrian zone. Kenana Park, on the northwestern edge of town, has woodland walks, a pond and a zoo.

The countryside around Haskovo holds older sites. The Aleksandrovo Thracian Tomb lies about 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) northeast; the original chamber is closed, and visitors see a museum replica that opened in 2009. Less than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) northeast, the village of Uzundzhovo, which supplied the stone for the clock tower, has the Church of the Assumption, a building that has served as both a church and a mosque and was restored in 2007. About 18 kilometers (11 miles) west, the spa village of Mineralni Bani has hot springs that reach 57 C (135 F) and the ruins of the Toplitsa fortress.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More town squares and southern Balkan views to watch next:

• Berkovitsa Webcam
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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Haskovo located?

Haskovo is in southern Bulgaria and is the seat of Haskovo Province. It sits at 203 meters (666 feet), about 70 kilometers (43 miles) by road from Plovdiv.

What can you see on the Haskovo Webcam?

The main view shows the Old Clock Tower and the pedestrian square around it, with cafe tables in the foreground and a minaret above the rooftops on the left. Two extra tabs show road cameras at the edge of town.

What is the weather like in Haskovo?

Summers are hot, with July highs around 30.5 C (87 F), and winters are cold, with January nights averaging minus 3.7 C (25 F). About 667 millimeters (26.3 inches) of precipitation falls each year.

How tall is the clock tower in Haskovo?

The rebuilt Old Clock Tower is 23 meters (75 feet) tall. It is built of dressed stone from Uzundzhovo and has three dials.

When was the Haskovo clock tower rebuilt?

Construction began on 8 September 2012 and the tower opened on 8 September 2013, Haskovo’s town day. The original 19th century tower had been ordered demolished in 1913.

Is the Eski Mosque in Haskovo the oldest mosque in Bulgaria?

A stone plaque at its entrance dates it to 1395, which places it among the oldest mosques in Bulgaria. It stands about 55 meters (180 feet) from the clock tower.

What is Haskovo known for?

Haskovo is known for its Monument of the Holy Mother of God, 32 meters (105 feet) high, which the Guinness Book of Records listed as the tallest monument to the Mother of God in the world.

How far is Haskovo from the Turkish border?

The Turkish border is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Haskovo by road, via Svilengrad.

Source: Haskovo.net