Vratsa (also Vratza) is a province of north-western Bulgaria, neighbouring Romania. Its main city is Vratsa, and there are nine more municipalities - Borovan, Byala Slatina, Hayredin, Kozloduy, Krivodol, Mezdra, Miziya, Oryahovo, and Roman. The region is bordered to the north by the Danube, and to the south by Sofia Province. It has an area of more than 3 600 sq.km and a population of over 235 000 inhabitants. The regional road system consists of 1277 km of the republican road system. Predominating are the 4th class roads. Their maintenance and control are under the responsibilities of the municipalities. The rehabilitation of these roads is a priority of the regional policy. Mezdra is a key railway station connecting the major cities in Bulgaria. The telecommunication network consists of 4 regional post stations - Vratsa, Byala Slatina, Mezdra and Kozloduy, and 116 local post offices. They offer universal post services including express mail and international courier services. The water supply system was envisaged to be improved and sewerage was mostly built, but there is a program for modernization all over the province, including the smaller villages. The nuclear power plant in Kozloduy, in the northern part of the province, is the major supplier of electricity in Bulgaria. The administrative town Vratsa is about 116 km from Sofia. The distance to the major cities is as follows: Vratsa - Varna 414 km, Vratsa - Plovdiv 217km; Vratsa - Pleven 108 km; Vratsa - Burgas 416 km. The international road E79 passes through the province. The major European port and ferry complex Oryahovo-Bechet, on the river Danube, is situated in Oryahovo municipality. The natural peculiarities of Vratsa Province contribute to the development of agriculture, lumber industry and electricity production. The main projects are related to the development of the transport infrastructure, water supply and sewerage, agriculture - vegetables, cattle breeding, silk-worm breeding, mushroom cultivation, development and strengthening of the existing industrial plants, development of alternative forms of tourism - rural, ecotourism, cultural, religious, spaeology, mountaineering, hang gliding etc. The long-term strategy for the regional economy is to promote small and medium enterprises as an alternative way to develop the industry. Because of the close distance to the capital Sofia (site of the main universities in Bulgaria), only one local centre of New Bulgarian University, one pedagogical college - branch of the Veliko Tarnovo University and one medical college exists in the province. The vocational schools have their main disciplines mostly in agricultural techniques, mechanics and electrotechnics, chemical technologies, civil engineering and construction, language school and mathematical secondary school. In the surroundings of Vratsa - 12 kilometres inside the mountain there is a modern centre for recreation with facilities such as sauna, fitness suite and others. Within the territory of the province is the Vrachanski Balkan Natural Park that offers excellent opportunities for recreation; there is Vrachanski Karst reserve, the cave Ledenika of international importance, and the Vratsa Gorge near the town of Vratsa. Currently, the following protected natural attractions and historical monuments are located on the territory of the State Forestry Board Vratsa: Vrachanski Karst reserve - including the beautiful rocky forms of the Vratsa Mountain; the Natural Park Vrachanski Balkan - covers part of the State Forestry territory of the Stara Planina mountain; Ledenika cave, a national tourist attraction; Ponora cave in the region of Chiren village; Vratsata gourge of the Leva river by the town of Vratsa; the Gods Bridges - a natural rocky bridge and the karst spring in the Chiren village region; Borovanska mogila - an ancient Thracian fortress; Botev pat memorial; the highest waterfall Skaklya, with a height of 141 metres. The town and the surrounding area is an ancient region found by the Thracians. Vratsa was called Valve ("door of a fortress") by the Romans due to narrow passage where the main Gate of the city fortress was located. Nowadays, this passage is the symbol of Vratsa and is presented on the Town's Coat of Arms. Later, after the fall of Rome, Vratsa became part of Byzantium. At the end of the 6th Century AD, Vratsa was populated by the South Slavic tribes. Even if they came from Pannonia and Dacia on the North, the town reimained under Byzantine rule. In the 7th century, the Bulgarians and the Slavs found the Bulgarian State and the Slavic Vratsa became part of it. The city grew into important strategic location because of its proximity to the South State border. The name of the city was changed from Valve to the Slavic Vratitsa, which has the same meaning and is the source of the modern name. Vratsa became famous for its goldsmith's and silversmith's production and trade, high-quality earthenware and military significance. In the 8th century, the Bulgarian army captured Sofia, which led to the decreasing of Vratsa's importance because of the better strategic position of Sofia, its more developed economy and larger size. But Vratsa was again key for the resistance against the Byzantine, Serbian and Magyar invasions in the Middle Ages.