Bulgaria pre-research tips

[Dirk]

Hello everybody!

As we're doing some pre-research for ETS2, we'd like to know your opinion on some of the things which we shouldn't miss in the game in our future planned DLCs - in this case for the BULGARIA state.

Unfortunately it can be very easy to miss some key spots when planning a future road network. We can judge only from what we read or see, while those who live there, have driven there or visited there, can point us towards some famous truck stops, interesting landmark, points of interest etc.

So we'd appreciate any tips which could be helpful for us and that could easily work with in-game mechanics. Try to keep in mind that we're interested in places connected with trucks and roads. So if you have some tips, we'd be grateful. Don't be shy to add photos / videos of said locations (in better quality, so our graphics can use them as pattern).

Please be aware, that states listed here mean absolutely no promise of what's the next DLC or what states will come first. Also we can't guarantee that we'll use the research you give us - it depends on many aspects (which can't be all written here).

Cheers! [ external image ]

[jackalnxt]

I have legitimately been waiting for this thread for months. I've travelled a fair bit in Bulgaria and I'd love to point them out. I can't do images at this time, but can still point them out on the maps. Some are really blink and you'll miss them.

Ruse - Tutrakan road = this is Route 21 which continues on towards Silistra and the Romanian (land border). This chunk of road provides some scenic sights like:
- Scenic village of Slivo Pole: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.9418487 ... 312!8i6656
- Hill with craters from WW1, a bit difficult to see here but very noticeable IRL: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0227197 ... 312!8i6656

Tutrakan - Silistra road = this the continuation of Route 21:
- This whole stretch of road: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.9778337 ... 312!8i6656
= What I find interesting is that you have the nice road-side restaurant (where truckers can rest). Drive a little down the road, look to the left (east) side and you can see a monument, obscured in foliage. Drive a little further and you also get to an Aviation school, complete with little training planes.

Ruse - Varna road, E70:
- Exit from Ruse has distinct statue: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.814249, ... 312!8i6656
- The bridge over Beli Lom river: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.660908, ... 312!8i6656
- The Quarry lift: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2312727 ... 312!8i6656
= Every time you drive by here you see the little lift over the road, carrying rocks. Can also be tied to Quarry depot in-game?

Varna - Burgas road, E87:
- Scenic hill drive, with great view of Sveti Vlas resort down bellow: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7248836 ... 312!8i6656
- Private Zoo Gorica, who wouldn't want to park their truck here? https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9160271 ... 312!8i6656
- There are several other seaside resorts that would make for a decent view. In my opinion, Pomorie offers the best sights, but it might be a bit too close to Burgas, so just pointing it out here.

Road E773 (Burgas - Karnobat):
- The Aytos monument really stands out in the flatlands: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6970014 ... 312!8i6656

Phew, finding these on google maps is harder than it looks. Later, I will post about the Central region and the Balkan passes. Should be fun.

[jackalnxt]

Not sure if I should do this as a separate post, but if it's a problem I'll handle it. Anyways, let's move on to the more Central parts of Bulgaria, an area I have travelled through so much, I have the whole area mapped out in my head.

Ruse - Byala* road, part of E85:

- The forestry road on the western Ruse exit is known as the 'Road of Death', due to all the car crashes. Drive long enough though and there is a fair bit of flatland as well.
- Monument for '1300 years of Bulgaria': https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6972924 ... 312!8i6656
- The 'Oyster', a famous rest stop for truckers, named after its rock oyster: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.640973, ... 312!8i6656
- The village of Volovo also has a big truck stop, though scaling might be an issue. Still, I wouldn't be doing a good job at researching if I didn't point it out: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5298198 ... 312!8i6656
- The area around Byala*. Street view is perfectly up to date here. The most famous landmarks are:
= The roundabout, the monuments and that one lamppost that was knocked down by a truck driver who did a really bad turn at night (the company I work for build this roundabout, so I hear these things): https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4677036 ... 312!8i6656
= The Yantra river and it's two bridges. If the main bridge looks like it has armored railings, that's because it does. So many cars were crashing through it and into the river that the poor engineers had no choice.
= The 'Bridge of Kolyo Fitcheto'. A famous landmark in the area. There is also a small monument to engineer Kolyo. I chose to focus Google maps at it, as it can be easily missed if you don't know where to look: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.468959, ... 312!8i6656
= After crossing the bridges you have several gas stations, a 'Your Speed is:' sign on the left side of the road, and a motel / truck rest-stop.
= the '1300 years Bulgaria' tree line. It was hard to get a good view on it, but if you look in the far distance, you can see a group of trees planter together to form the number 1300: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4691977 ... 312!8i6656
== The sign reads "Kolyo Fitcheto Street"

*Side note: there are several towns named Byala. This one references the town in the Ruse district.

Byala - Veliko Turnovo, continuation of E85:

- It has a village called Polsko Kosovo. Nuff said.
- The road itself has a few other villages, but I can't think of any that stand out. Thought I've always noticed this little house: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4243828 ... 312!8i6656

Veliko Turnovo - Stara Zagora, E85, also known as the Shipka pass:

- The entrance to the town of Dryanovo has always been a favorite of mine: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9821185 ... 312!8i6656
- This monument; the detour takes you to the Dryanovo Monastery: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9631874 ... 312!8i6656
- Entrance to the Shipka pass: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.8234221 ... 312!8i6656
= Note, the road south leads to a place called Etar. It is what they call a 'Ethnographic Museum', ie a perfect replica of a 19th century Bulgarian village. Trucks aren't allowed there, but busses are (could be useful for Euro Coach simulator).
- Noticeable places on the Shipka pass. Aside from the epic mountainside view that is:
= Camp with dinosaur statue, there is also a replica Turkish cannon there, but the snow has covered it up (good job, Street view): https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7578562 ... 312!8i6656
= In the distance, you can see the Shipka monument, one of two major landmarks in the area: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7531633 ... 312!8i6656
== Street view doesn't show this, but the restaurant with the awesome view has flags for all Balkan countries + Russia.
= Rest stop: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7297163 ... 312!8i6656
== It's important to note that pretty much all rest stops in the pass have the sign "Пропусни Колоната" (Let the Line Pass), this is specifically made for trucks, as the tight roads make it almost impossible to overtake someone. Naturally, a truck can create a major traffic jam and thus it is recommended that trucks pull over and let the cars behind them pass.
= This gas station: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7121988 ... 312!8i6656
= The Buzludzha monument. It's a bit difficult to see from here, but approaching the Pass from the South you can get a good view of the Buzludzha monument. You know, that one saucer shaped building that appears on every 'Top 10 Weirdest Communist Structures Ever': https://www.google.com/maps/@42.693639, ... 312!8i6656
== The monument: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... ha_016.jpg
= City of Kazanlak, the main road from Shipka to Stara Zagora passes through the center of the city: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.622817, ... 312!8i6656

Shipka - Plovdiv, E871, Route 64:

- There are two very important scenic towns on this road - Karlovo and Kalofer, home towns to revolutionaries Vasil Levski and Hristo Botev. As such, you see their portraits on the main entrance to town. (also, LOL Google blurred out their faces)
= Kalofer: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.622817, ... 312!8i6656
== The green sign has a famous quote from Botev: He who falls / fighting for freedom / never dies (Тоз който падне / в бой за свобода, / той не умира...)
== Also potential rest stop: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6070833 ... 312!8i6656
- Graf Ignatievo airbase. The village of the same name hosts a military airbase, behind that treeline. How fun would it be to drive a truck and see a MiG-29 fly by? https://www.google.com/maps/@42.2852271 ... 312!8i6656

Phew, can't believe it took over an hour to find all those. Guess I'll have to do the rest tomorrow.

[jackalnxt]

Onwards to the West...

Road E83 from Byala to Pleven. This is the main road towards Sofia.

- E83 - E85 junction. This is where it begins and it comes after Byala (Ruse district). Note that some signs are a bit... bent. Car crashes, what can you do? https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4470797 ... 312!8i6656
- Crossroad at Gorna Studena. There are several crossroads on the road between Byala and Pleven, but this one always stood out due to the KAT station (police lookout). Street view is a bit outdated, but still pretty accurate. Also, gotta love the Communist Red star monument: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4163617 ... 312!8i6656

- Driving by Pleven.
= The western entrance has a truck stop and a very distinctive memorial for the battle of 1877: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4242311 ... 312!8i6656
== Look a bit more towards the east and there is a nice kebab restaurant and an agricultural factory.
= These four apartment buildings always stood out while driving by the city: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4284507 ... bfov%3D100
= The 'Panorama', memorial for the battle of 1877. One of the most distinguishable historical landmarks in the city. It's built on a hill, but no matter how much I looked, I couldn't get a good view on it, but there are plenty of pictures and videos of it. This one is drone footage of the monument (the building itself is seen at 1:30 and beyond)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUKRVq0cpP0

- Town of Lukovit. Between Pleven and Sofia, this is the biggest town you pass by. The town is quite pretty, but it's most recognizable 'landmarks' are their Rodina gas stations.
= This one here (north exit), for example, is Flintstones themed: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2147858 ... 312!8i6656
= And this one (south exit) is animal themed; also note the unique 'rocky' design for the stations: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1945675 ... 312!8i6656
== Drive a little further down south and you will see the gas station's restaurant, made in the style of a Medieval fortress: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1938188 ... 312!8i6656

- Important to note that the rest of the road between Lukovit and the 'Hemus' highway has a LOT of restaurants. In every village you pass by, you are guaranteed to see Barbecue restaurant and some more traditional restaurants with giant parking lots.

- Tunnels on the highway. There are some noticeable tunnels on the 'Hemus' highway to Sofia.
= This is the older one: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9132676 ... 312!8i6656
= Vitinia is the most famous tunnel: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7773752 ... 312!8i6656
- And this one has the best view: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.8317023 ... 312!8i6656

- Important: I'm not sure what the current progress on the repairs are, but parts of the highway bridge at Hemus might still be under construction. Since traffic is allow on only one side of the highway, trucks are redirected to a detour which begins here: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.8334 ... m2!4m1!3e0
= The road runs parallel to the highway but is full of twists and turns. It also has a speed limit of either 30-40km, which caused our truck drivers to delay quite a bit when using it.
== Just to give you a sense of how far down the road goes: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.8254477 ... 312!8i6656
= These rules are temporary however, so if the Detour mechanic ever makes it to ETS2, this might be a good way to show it off.
= The most scenic part of the highway: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.8237042 ... 312!8i6656
= A few small snippets of road: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.8173923 ... bfov%3D100

- There several more villages on the road to Sofia and either one of them works as scenery.

These are all the roads I am personally familiar with. I haven't done much travelling in the North-west / South-west parts and I doubt I will be able to point out something more unique. Later on, I will get to work on info for the major cities.

[jackalnxt]

Now, I will talk about the individual cities themselves. Let's start with the major cities.
- Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Ruse are the 5 biggest cities in Bulgaria and all road networks are designed to pass through them. These should be considered must-add.
- Veliko Turnovo, Pleven, Stara Zagora, Vidin, Silistra, Petrich*, Kardzhali*: these are important cities that are either important or convenient for inclusion.
*I am not very familiar with this part of the country, but there is a fair bit of room south of Sofia and Plovdiv so, why not?
- Shumen, Razgrad, Dobrich, Tutrakan, Vratsa, Montana: These are big cities that are unfortunately, either too small for inclusion or are sandwiched between more important cities. Still, they could be given a little nod in road signs or noticeable landmarks.

EDIT: I removed Gabrovo from the list since, after fully considering the scale issue, there is absolutely no way it can ever hope to be included, outside of maybe a sign. Shame though, they have a real pretty city center which you drive by and I encourage people to look up their humor museum.

Ruse:
- This is the first city you see when crossing the Danube bridge from Romania (Giurgiu) into Bulgaria. In terms of population, it is the 5th largest city, but thanks to its enormous industrial zones, it's physical size is 2nd or 3rd place. It's key feature is the previously mentioned Danube bridge, or Friendship Bridge (even though nobody calls it that): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danube_Bridge

- After the border post (which also serves as a toll boot for the bridge) there is a roundabout.
= The roundabout has a neat statue: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.8760022, ... 6656?hl=bg
= The Western turn leads to an area with many factories, delivery services and a textile factory. There is also a gas pipeline and the main road to Ruse harbor. This area is called 'Tutrakan' boulevard and covers this area: https://www.google.bg/maps/dir/43.87041 ... .68z?hl=bg
== Important to note: Street-view is very outdated for this area. Since 2012 the entire road has been renovated and an entirely new road was built with two lanes on each side. Images are a bit tricky to find, but will look for them.
= We also have a power plant which can be seen in the distance and an office building.

- The main international road passes through the southern outskirts of the city. Continuing South from the previous roundabout you have a stretch of several kilometers with nothing but warehouses and businesses.
= While on this road, you will get a perfect view of the Ruse TV Tower, the tallest structure in the city that can be seen from tens of kilometers away: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rousse_TV_Tower
= You can also get a perfect view of the city itself. In my opinion, the most distinguishable building from this side is the train station tower: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.8323309, ... 6656?hl=bg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cpavlov/8461587168
= Note that the lampposts have little flags on each side. Most are sponsored and feature a Betting company and the logo of the local football team (Dunav Ruse). Sponsored flags are an exception, not the rule, so the most common sight would be: Bulgarian flag, EU flag, municipality flag.
== Flag of Ruse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruse,_Bul ... e_flag.png

- While driving around those outskirts, you will notice a junction. One side leads into the city and the other is the exit towards Varna. It extends beyond the city limits and hosts many businesses. = Within the city - The Right side: it has a car showroom, a textile factory and an agricultural machines showroom; - Left side: 3 supermarket chains (including Lidl and Kaufland) and a major electronics store.
= Outside the city (after the statue I showed in the first post), you have no less than a dozen used car dealerships, a major toy store (Jumbo) and, most importantly of all: a brand new Scania dealership (built just this year).
= This road spans this area: https://www.google.bg/maps/dir/43.83581 ... !3e0?hl=bg

- Please note that there are several bridges on the western side of this road.

- The Western side. This is also known as the Western Industrial zone and it covers this area: https://www.google.bg/maps/dir/43.83169 ... !1e3?hl=bg
= The most noticeable building here is the giant office building. There, they also have showrooms and a delivery depot: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.8179211, ... 6656?hl=bg
= The last point in the map I've pointed to is Orgachim, one of the largest chemical plants in Bulgaria.
= Taking the Western exit, you will also see a Metro store and a car showroom (outside the city) and a refinery (inside).
= There is also the main base of operations for a Road construction company which can serve as the location of a garage. https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.8248612, ... 6656?hl=bg
== I admit, I am a little biased towards pointing out my workplace as a potential garage, but in my defense, everyone at work loves ETS2. Also known simply as "The Trucks"

- Agricultural lands outside the city. Ruse employs many people from nearby villages, and a lot of these villages also have agricultural businesses with their HQs in Ruse. Having at least one of those would be pretty neat.
= Gorno Ablanovo is a village with a major cow farm where I've personally had to escort a German truck. It took a long time for him to position his truck properly to release the pretty cows.
== You can get there by taking this exit from E85. (can be merged with crossroads that have '1300 years Bulgaria' monument from first post?): https://www.google.bg/maps/dir/43.64089 ... !1e3?hl=bg

In the next post, I will do Varna and Burgas.

[jackalnxt]

Before I begin, I need to point out something about the A2 highway that leads into Varna. This is also part of highway Hemus, which also leads into Sofia. Parts of the highway are still being constructed and the end goal is to connect Sofia to Varna.

Varna

Varna is the largest Bulgarian city on the Black Sea and passing through it offers some very nice scenery.
- Western exit. The first thing you notice when entering is the Varna airport, on the right side of the road.
= The entrance to the city is also where the big market chains are located and a BMW dealership.
= Business Park A1: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2290767 ... 312!8i6656
= "Armeets" building: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2225172 ... 312!8i6656

- Industrial Zone:
= This is the main route for trucks, as it goes straight into the industrial zone. It also leads to the Varna harbor. Street-view is a bit outdated in some parts: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/43.2421 ... m2!4m1!3e0
== 'Retro Museum' sign on that road. That museum is part of the mall and features many Socialist era cars, appliances, TVs you name it: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2088276 ... 312!8i6656
== The Wall of Heroes: This is located on the section that connects the lower 'industrial' road to the main road. It features professional graffiti of historical Bulgarian figures. They are also currently being renovated (in street view you can see that only one is renovated, but since then they've finished at least two others): https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2032364 ... 312!8i6656
=== From right to left:

• Raina Knyagina - fully renovated in Street view;

• Georgi Benkovsky - renovated later in the year. Portrait that was used: https://www.google.bg/imgres?imgurl=htt ... ..i&w=1200 )

• Petko Voyvoda - renovated. Renovated version: https://www.google.bg/search?q=%D0%BF%D ... 7978827101

• Vasil Levski - renovation progress unknown from here on: https://www.google.bg/search?q=vasil+le ... 7979011087

• Hristo Botev - https://www.google.bg/search?q=hristo+b ... 7979086555

• Georgi Rakovski: https://www.google.bg/search?q=georgi+r ... 7979164442

• Baba (Grandma) Tonka: https://www.google.bg/search?q=baba+ton ... 7979216555

• Paisyi Hilendarski: https://www.google.bg/search?q=%D0%BF%D ... 7979372190

• The images after him are no longer based on actual pictures/portraits and are best just copied from Street view.

- The North - South exit, E87 - A2 (aka the scenic route).
= The good thing about this road is that you can get a perfect view of the tourist area of Varna: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/43.2234 ... 18!1m0!3e0
== The actual Northern exit is filled with hotels, but you can also see a big business center: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2152775 ... 312!8i6656
== From this route you can also see the monument to Bulgarian-Soviet friendship: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2174345 ... 312!8i6656
=== More images of the monument: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mon ... friendship
== Roadside Service building (potential Service Depot?): https://www.google.com/maps/place/24%2F ... 27.9356481
== Monument to the 8th Primorski Regiment (the boulevard is also named after them): https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2135838 ... 312!8i6656
== Varna Municipality: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2074199 ... 312!8i6656
== 'Uspenie Bogorodichno' Cathedral, one of the most recognizable landmarks in Varna: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2048353 ... 312!8i6656
=== Cathedral's wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dormition ... ral,_Varna
== Varna Clock tower: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.204736, ... 312!8i6656
=== Images: https://www.google.bg/search?q=%D1%87%D ... 7989272841

- 'Asparuhov' bridge - South exit:
= This bridge is the main road for going south. It's over 2 kilometers long and you can often see bungee jumpers on it (marked by flag): https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1902045 ... 312!8i6656
== More about the bridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparuhov_most
= Bellow the bridge is a canal that connects the Black Sea to Varna lake. You often see people riding jets and boats bellow and even big cargo/tourist ships. The epic view can make for some great promo shots.

- Other industry:
= There is major construction work happening inside the city and this 'Varna City Park' can be a potential business: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2212236 ... 312!8i6656
= You also have some epic highway/canal construction within the city itself: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2150463 ... 312!8i6656
= Out of town there is also a rock quarry (it's lift was shown in first post).

And here I thought I wasn't going to have much to say about Varna. Next is Burgas.

[jackalnxt]

Burgas

The city is very interesting because, similar to Varna, the main roads all pass through the center of the city. As such, you get some very interesting sights.
- North (from Varna) to South (from Turkey) / E87: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.5597 ... d2!1m0!3e0
- North to West (towards Sofia) / Trakiya Highway, A1: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.5608 ... m2!4m1!3e0

- Inside the city:
= When entering from the North, this roundabout is the first thing you see: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5316392 ... 312!8i6656
= The West exit is similar: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5274235 ... 312!8i6656
=== Aside from the fish; the three flags are Bulgaria, EU, Burgas.
=== Burgas flag: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... s_flag.png
= The roundabouts in the city all have walkway tunnels above them: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5178819 ... 312!8i6656
= Mirage hotel: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5176091 ... 312!8i6656
= Another instance of roundabout pedestrian walkway: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5051193 ... 312!8i6656
= Road south has these sound isolation walls: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5014448 ... 312!8i6656

- Outer city districts:
= This is where most of the heavy industry is, most notably the Salt works. Here they collect salt water then purify it to make salt: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Burga ... d27.491591
= A quarry: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.4532 ... m2!4m1!3e0
= Sarafovo airport: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//Airpor ... 652706!3e0
= Lukoil Neftohimik refinery, one of the largest refineries in Southeast Europe: https://www.google.com/maps/place/LUKOI ... 27.3414946
= Vinprom Karnobat, who doesn't love some Karnobat Rakiya? This is technically not part of Burgas city but of the nearby city of Karnobat, but luckily, there aren't many other major cities in the area, so plenty of room: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.5277 ... .60494!3e0

Plovdiv

This is where my practical knowledge becomes limited, as I have not had the chance to drive through Plovdiv (or Sofia) that much. I can still note some things though:
- Cars, cars, cars, cars, cars! When entering Plovdiv from the North, you will discover that it's filled with used car lots. A lot. And I mean a very, very lot! This begins with the nearby village of Trud and continues on until the very outskirts of the city: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.2424 ... m2!4m1!3e0
- Aviation museum. Just before you reach the Plovdiv International airport, there is a small detour that leads to the aviation museum. Plenty of Fighter planes are on display here (possible Euro Coach destination?): https://www.google.com/maps/place/Aviat ... 24.8415416
= Detour for aviation museum. Note that Street view is outdated and there is now a major poster for it on the fence (with an image of a Bulgarian IL-2): https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0763783 ... 312!8i6656

- Inside the city. There do exist routes that go around Plovdiv, but the main and (arguably) fastest goes through the city itself. The most notably thing is that the city is divided in two by the Maritsa river. The most interesting thing you see here are:
= International Plovdiv Fair: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.1569709 ... 312!8i6656
= Brand new hotel opposite the fair: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.1566161 ... 312!8i6656
= Porky's BBQ. Points for originality: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.1627504 ... 312!8i6656

Those are the 4 major cities of Bulgaria, with the exclusion of Sofia. As I said, I haven't visited it that much, so I will probably hold off on doing it for now. Next I will move on the smaller cities that, though not as big, are still important and should be considered for inclusion in one way or another.

[jackalnxt]

Veliko Turnovo

- Turnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire and was originally planned as the capital for modern Bulgaria, before it was decided to make it Sofia instead. It had great advantage due to it's strategically built fortress at Tsarevets. That fortress was actually teased during the Christmas livestream (have you ever parked your truck here), so I assume that at least one person in the company knows what it is. And if you are wondering if it should be included - the answer is Yes, Yes, yes.

- The walls of Tsarevets fortress can be seen as soon as you enter the city from the North (E85). Also, imagine that yellow building as garage location: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.0872963, ... 6656?hl=en
- When driving on the main road, you also drive through tunnels. And above those tunnels, you can see some very neat 19th century Bulgarian houses: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.0819078, ... 6656?hl=en

- The main road network of the city: https://www.google.bg/maps/dir/43.07428 ... !3e0?hl=en
= Turning to the West, you also have this long street with the EU flag and all other EU member countries' flags: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.0719017, ... 6656?hl=en
=== The view I have is of the far end, on the opposite end you have the flags in this order: Bulgaria, Turnovo, EU.
=== Flag of Veliko Turnovo: https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0 ... o_flag.png
== Continue up this road and you will get to several big businesses. And McDonalds drive-by, a famous stop for all drivers.
=== A roundabout with church: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.073742,2 ... 6656?hl=en
=== Western exit, the sign reads: Veliko Turnovo - Old European Capital: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.0811167, ... 6656?hl=en

- The South exit leads to a few more businesses, including a tractor dealership and a used car dealership: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.0639122, ... 6656?hl=en
= Park your truck here and take a dip in the pool: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.0300101, ... 6656?hl=en

- Various businesses and industries:
= Bolyarka beer factory, main road network: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.071129,2 ... 6656?hl=en
= Water treatment plant, North exit: https://www.google.bg/maps/place/Sewage ... 6277?hl=en
= Turnovo Mill, South exit: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.0609319, ... 6656?hl=en

Stara Zagora

- A heavily industrialized city; 6th largest population in Bulgaria. When I originally began researching this, I was almost certain that there will be no room for it, but after inputing the route I had planned, it just might work: https://www.google.bg/maps/dir/42.71644 ... !3e0?hl=en
- The route assumes that, coming from the Shipka peak, the player takes route 64 through Kalofer and towards Plovdiv. From there, you have enough room for a secondary road that leads to Stara Zagora. For convenience, I would offer this alternative road: https://www.google.bg/maps/dir/42.71644 ... !3e0?hl=en
== In this case Stara Zagora would have to be slightly 'moved' to the location of Nova Zagora, but I think most Bulgarian truckers wouldn't mind. Even their names are similar Stara (Old) Zagora and Nova (New) Zagora.

- North entrance:
= It has a very neat intersection that allows you to either go through the city and go around it: https://www.google.bg/maps/@42.4563308, ... !1e3?hl=en
= The 'Stara Zagora' sign also has the unique coat-of-arms: https://www.google.bg/maps/@42.453746,2 ... 6656?hl=en

- 'The Defenders of Stara Zagora' monument:
= When taking the East route (around the city), you can see in the distance the monument, meant to look like a waving flag: https://www.google.bg/maps/@42.4380565, ... 6656?hl=en
== The monument: https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D1 ... lgaria.jpg

Random horses grazing near the road at Stara Zagora. That's it, I just thought it was cute: https://www.google.bg/maps/@42.4324811, ... 6656?hl=en

Will probably do a separate posts about Bulgaria and it's farm animals near the road down the line. Next up, I will cover the region of South Dobrogea as a whole, and I'll throw in info on Razgrad and Shumen as well, just to get them out of the way.

[jackalnxt]

This section will cover the region of Southern Dobrogea, famous for it's many, many wheat farms. Having at least one such farm is a must. For the most optimal road network, I recommend this one: https://www.google.bg/maps/dir/43.81413 ... !3e0?hl=en
- This way you have the Ruse - Silistra road, which continues into Romania and towards Constanta.
- From Constanta, you take the scenic E87 south towards Varna.
- The Ruse - Varna highway, obviously.
- Silistra - Varna as secondary road. I made some alterations to this route so that it passes by the scenic resort of Balchik.

Now, on to the cities:

Silistra

- Silistra is the last Bulgarian city on the Danube and is right next to the Romanian border. It can be a neat minor city with some strategic importance. Most of the industry is located on the Western exit on route 213.

- Truck repair shop: https://www.google.bg/maps/place/%D0%A2 ... 7769?hl=en

- A ferry connects Silistra to the Romanian city of Calafat, across the Danube. A ticket for the ferry is bought on the border, while the ferry is boarded from Romanian land next door: https://www.google.bg/maps/@44.1178447, ... 6656?hl=en

- Roman tomb; spotted when driving through the city: https://www.google.bg/maps/@44.1103954, ... 6656?hl=en

These next three cities (technically one city, one resort and one village) are all located on the route 71 - route 27 - E87 to Varna. Due to scaling, they have no chance of being included, but at least one of them can be added as scenery:

Dobrich

- The largest city in Southern Dobrogea. The road goes both around the city and through the city. Inside the city you have two options for scenery:
= Horse rider statue: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.5697002, ... 6656?hl=en
= Varna University Management faculty building: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.5722082, ... 6656?hl=en

Balchik

- Popular resort town with great scenery.
= Main roundabout where proposed route connects: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.4357074, ... 6656?hl=en
= In another roundabout, inside the city itself, you will find this very fancy Medieval style restaurant. If the two roundabouts are merged into one, it could make for a very interesting landmark: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.4268053, ... 6656?hl=en

Karapelit

- Village between Silistra and Dobrich. Since the latter city is a bit too big for scenery, a village like this might be a more acceptable choice. It also has some farming industry: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.6568245, ... 6656?hl=en
- The bust/memorial of General Ivan Kolev in front of City Hall is an interesting landmark: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.6484346, ... 6656?hl=en

These next three cities are located on the Ruse - Varna and Ruse - Silistra road. They are fairly big city centers, though not big enough for inclusion. Still, each of them can get a little nod.

Tutrakan

- Large town between Ruse and Silistra, almost literally in the middle of the two (58 km from Ruse, 62 from Silistra). The main entrance to the city is this crossroad. It even comes with a Gas station. Unfortunately, Street view is outdated here: https://www.google.bg/maps/place/Shell/ ... 7217?hl=en
- Looking into the distance, you can see the Tutrakan radio tower, the tallest building in town: https://www.google.bg/maps/@44.0329592, ... 6656?hl=en
- More images of the radio tower: http://www.predavatel.com/bg/7/tutrakan
- The road south leads to a WW1 cemetery, there is even a sign that points to it. I will post about historical landmark signs later (or maybe even sooner).

Razgrad

- Large town between Ruse and Varna. It's the hometown of football team Ludogorets Razgrad. Having a sign that points to the arena would be very fun: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.5248441, ... 6656?hl=en
= Transcribed: Стадион "Лудогорец Арена" - Stadium "Ludogorets Arena"
= Also note the sign above it for Castle Arbitus. This is the type of sign that is used to direct people to historical landmarks.

Shumen

- Another large town between Ruse and Varna. The highway passes a way's off from the city, but there is another road that passes by much closer to the city; if those two roads are merged, you can see the Shumen monument "The Founders of Bulgaria" on top of a hill: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.2975866, ... 6656?hl=en
= The monument itself (Bulgarian wiki has more photos): https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1 ... 0%B2%D0%B0
- Quarry, near the city: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.3037157, ... 6656?hl=en

With this, we've pretty much cleared Eastern Bulgaria. Time to move on to the Western part.

[jackalnxt]

The Southwest part of Bulgaria is the least developed part of the country. There are no highways in the area, but it has some very scenic views and historical landmarks. Most important infrastructure in the regions is the bridge between Vidin and Calafat (RO). This is the second bridge over the Danube that connects Bulgaria and Romania and, much like the one between Ruse and Giurgiu, it is a toll bridge, so the border post doubles as a toll booth. There is no major industry to be had in this area, with one very, VERY, VERY big exception.

In a perfect world, this would be my ideal road network for the region: https://www.google.bg/maps/dir/42.76497 ... !3e0?hl=en
- It begins from the E85 T-intersection where E83 begins; covers the 'Hemus' highway exit towards Sofia; continues north towards the Romanian border (Vidin-Calafat bridge) and the Serbian border at the Vrashka Chuka border post.
- It is designed to cover the 4 most important cities in the area, however due to scaling, the most likely outcome would be 1 city at most. This is not mandatory however, as ProMods has 3 cities from this region: Pleven, Montana and Vidin. Whether it's 0, 1 or 3, I will cover each of the 4 cities that I think deserve representation.

Pleven

Pleven is the biggest out of these 4 cities. It is famous for the Battle of Pleven in 1877 and thus has several monuments on the side of the road, dedicated to it. There is also the 'Panorama' which can be seen from the road. (See earlier post for monuments)

- Next to one of those monuments you have an agricultural dealership (named Megatron, no less) and a snack bar. Trucks and cars usually park in this area: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.4245786, ... 6656?hl=en
- Most of the important industry is right next to the road, so inclusion should not be a problem. There is even a repair shop: https://www.google.bg/maps/place/%D0%90 ... 1633?hl=en

Montana

Also formerly known as Mihaylovgrad, also formerly known as Ferdinand. A city that has had many name changes and the main industry is located near the main road; there are also many farmlands on the Western side of the city. There is also a main road that passes through the city. Whether the city will have industry or not, it should have some buildings representing it.
- Street view is outdated here and doesn't have the main road that goes around the city.
- A noticeable natural landmark is the Ogosta river which passes through the city. A small bridge should do.

Vidin

Second largest city of the four (and largest in the administrative Northwestern region, as Pleven is not counted among them for now).
- Much like Montanta, it's industry is just to the side of the road and the historical landmark like the Baba Vida fortress are within the city itself, not really seen from a trucker's eye.
= HOWEVER! Since the fortress is on the bank of the Danube river and you drive a fair bit around that area, with a little imagination, the fortress could be included: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Vida
- It holds the previously mentioned second Danube bridge that connects to Romania. It's under a decade old and has a much more modern feel than the one between Ruse and Giurgiu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Europ ... 7_pont.jpg

Note: In an earlier post, I had included Vratsa as a potential scenic city. While the town is definitely beautiful to drive by, it is a noticeable distance from the main route; it is also relatively close to Sofia and the most important industry in the whole Vratsa region is a noticeable distance away from the city. Namely:

Kozloduy

Kozloduy is a relatively small town of 13 000 people on the bank of the Danube river. You get here by taking route 15.
- There is one real piece of industry here and it is a big one: Bulgaria's only Nuclear Power Plant. It has a total of 6 nuclear reactors, though only 2 are operational. Will surely be a fun destination: https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0 ... B9%22.jpeg
- Monument on the bank of the river. Kozloduy is also a historic place, as this is where revolutionary Hristo Botev landed his troops. Naturally, there is a monument to that event: https://www.google.bg/maps/@43.7983217, ... 6656?hl=en
= That area in particular is also a small dock (though it is not shown in Street View), where you can find a replica of the Austro-Hungarian ship 'Radetzcky'. That ship is a tourist attraction where people can climb onboard and go for a relaxing cruise on the Danube. Potential Euro Coach Simulator road? https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0 ... ky_005.jpg

This pretty much covers the important cities in the Northwest. Next, we will move on to the area South of Plovdiv and West of Sofia.