Peshtera

Peshtera
Пещера
Peristera fortress overlooking Peshtera
Peristera fortress overlooking Peshtera
Peshtera is located in Bulgaria
Peshtera
Peshtera
Location of Peshtera in Bulgaria
Coordinates: 42°2′N 24°18′E / 42.033°N 24.300°E / 42.033; 24.300
CountryBulgaria
Province
(Oblast)
Pazardzhik
Government
 • MayorGeorgi Kozarev
Elevation
450 m (1,480 ft)
Population
 (2021[1])
 • City15,175
 • Urban
16,983
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code
4550
Area code0350

Peshtera (Bulgarian: Пещера [ˈpɛʃtɛrɐ], sometimes transliterated as Peštera) is a town in the Rhodope Mountains, southern Bulgaria. It is located in Pazardzhik Province near the towns of Batak and Bratsigovo. The town is the third largest in the province after Pazardzhik and Velingrad and is the forty-fifth largest in Bulgaria. It is the administrative center of the municipality Peshtera. According to the 2021 census, Peshtera has a population of 15,175 inhabitants. At about 5 km to the south, along the road to Batak, is one of the most visited caves in Bulgaria — Snezhanka. Near the town is located the Peshtera Hydroelectric Power Station. The town is well known for producing the alcohol beverage mastika under the brand Peshterska.