VRATSA

also spelled Vratca>, or Vraca town, northwestern Bulgaria. It is situated in the northern foothills of the western Balkan Mountains at the point where the Leva River emerges from its picturesque Vratsata gorge. The town was moved to its present position in the early 15th century after the Turks had destroyed a previously standing Bulgarian fortress. Under the Turks, Vratsa was a prosperous trading centre on routes traversing Europe. After Bulgaria's liberation in 1878, Vratsa's trade and craft industries declined, but the town remained an administrative centre and garrison town. Major industrial expansion occurred in Vratsa after World War II: there is now a giant chemical complex powered by natural gas, as well as textile, furniture, ceramics, and metal industries. A large cement works is located at nearby Beli Izvor. Vratsa is a rail junction and has a modern, well-planned aspect. The district museum has many exhibits, including relics of a local Thracian settlement. A few miles west of Vratsa is the Ledenika Cave, a tourist attraction. (1986 est.) 75,526.