| Yantra | |
|---|---|
 Byala Bridge over the Yantra | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Bulgaria |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | N of Atovo Padalo,Balkan Mountains |
| • coordinates | 42°44′20.04″N25°25′6.96″E / 42.7389000°N 25.4186000°E /42.7389000; 25.4186000 |
| • elevation | 1,220 m (4,000 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Danube |
• coordinates | 43°38′26.88″N25°34′13.08″E / 43.6408000°N 25.5703000°E /43.6408000; 25.5703000 |
• elevation | 19 m (62 ft) |
| Length | 285 km (177 mi) |
| Basin size | 7,862 km2 (3,036 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Danube→Black Sea |
TheYantra (Bulgarian:Янтра['jantrɐ]) is a river in northernBulgaria, a right tributary of theDanube. Reaching a length of 285 km, it is the seventh longest river in Bulgaria and the third longest Bulgarian tributary of the Danube.[1][2] In the middle and lower course, the Yantra takes many turns forming numerous gorges. It has a highsinuosity index of 3.1, which is characteristic formeandering rivers. Its catchment spans a territory of 7,862 km2 and has a small mean slope value 4.6‰ with a mean altitude of 470 m.[3]
The city ofVeliko Tarnovo, situated on several hills overlooking the river along its middle course, served as the capital of theSecond Bulgarian Empire in the 12–14th centuries, and remains and important cultural, economic and tourist center in Bulgaria.[4] Another major city on the river isGabrovo, an early education and industrial hub of the country.[5]
The Yantra takes its source at an altitude of 1,220 m on the northern foothills of the summit of Atovo Padalo (1,495 m) in the Shipka division of theBalkan Mountains, very close to the historical summit ofBuzludzha (1,432 m). Until the city ofGabrovo it flows northwest in a deep valley covered with forests of European beech (Fagus sylvatica). Between Gabrovo and the village ofYantra the river forms the Strazha Gorge through the homonymous plateau, its valley then widens and arable lands appear along its terraces.[1]
The middle course begins at the village ofVetrintsi, as the river heads east. The Yantra turns northwards before reaching the city ofVeliko Tarnovo and forms a picturesque gorge within its urban limits, as it cuts through the Tarnovo Heights. The Yantra exists the gorge at the village ofSamovodene and enters theDanubian Plain, forming the boundary between the plain's central and eastern sections until its mouth.[1]
Due to the smallgradient of the current in the Danubian Plain — 4.6‰, the Yantra forms large meanders, with asinuosity index of 3.1 — the largest in the territory of Bulgaria, especially in the area ofDolna Oryahovitsa,Varbitsa andDraganovo. After receiving its largest tributary, theRositsa, the river heads north, again forming with numerous meanders and abandoned riverbeds. Downstream of the village ofDolna Studena, it turns northwest and enters another picturesque gorge between the villages ofBeltsov,Dzhulyunitsa andNovgrad. In its lower course the river's with ranges between 30 and 78 m. The Yantra flows into the Danube at an altitude of 19 m some 1.7 km northwest of the village ofKrivina and about 2 km east of theVardim Island, the third largest Bulgarian Danubian isle.[1][3]
The Yantra drainage basin covers a territory of 7,862 km2[2] or 0.96% of the Danube's total and borders the basins of theOsam and theBarata to the west, theRusenski Lom and theKamchiya to the east and northeast, and theTundzha of theMaritsa drainage to the south of the Balkan Mountain's main water divide.[1] Its river basin is the fifth largest in Bulgaria by area, after those of the Maritsa, theStruma, theIskar and the Tundzha, encompassing the wholeGabrovo Province, 90% ofVeliko Tarnovo Province, 40% ofTargovishte Province, the southwestern part ofRuse Province, and small areas ofLovech andSliven Province. In the Balkan Mountains the river basin is covered mainly with deciduous forests. To the north in the fore-Balkan section, the catchment area of the Yantra is well forested and grassed and high-stemmed woods gradually give way to low-stemmed ones. The main tributaries from the source to the mouth are theBelitsa (57 km),[6] theStara reka (92 km),[7] theRositsa (164 km),[8] the Eliyska reka (32 km)[9] and the Strudena (45 km).[1][10] Other major rivers within the Yantra basin include theGolyama reka (75 km), theVeselina (70 km) and theVidima (68 km).[11][12][13]
The Yantra has a mixed feed of snow, rain and karst waters. Snow and rain feed is prevalent in the Balkan Mountains and the fore-Balkan, rain in the Danubian Plain and underground karst water in the fore-Balkan.[1] High water is in March–June in the Balkan Mountains due to the snow melt while in the Danubian Plain it is in January–June; low water is in August–October. During the spring high water comes about 70–80% of the total annualdischarge, while during the autumn low water come 9–10%. The average annual discharge is 4 m3/s at Gabrovo, 11.9 m3/s at Veliko Tarnovo, 36.8 m3/s atKarantsi and 47 m3/s at the mouth.[1] Since the Yantra is prone to floods, its lower left bank in the Danubian Plain is protected with dikes.[1]
The whole river course is included in theEuropean Union network of nature protection areasNatura 2000 under the code Yantra BG0000610[14] A total of 64 fish species have been recorded from the Yantra, of them 55 are autochthonous.[15] Many of the local fishes are of conservation importance and are protected, includingKessler's gudgeon,Danubian longbarbel gudgeon,Danube whitefin gudgeon,spined loach,Balkan golden loach,Balon's ruffe,striped ruffe,weatherfish,Balkan loach,Danube streber,zingel,European bitterling,asp,sabrefish,Romanian barbel,Ukrainian brook lamprey, etc.[14][15] Four of the sixgoby species found in the Bulgarian section of the Danube also occur in the Yantra —monkey goby,round goby,racer goby andtubenose goby.[3]
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The Yantra basin encompasses six provinces but the river flows through three, Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo and Ruse. There are 22 settlements along its course, five towns and 17 villages. In Gabrovo Province are located the city of Gabrovo inGabrovo Municipality and the village of Yantra inDryanovo Municipality. In Veliko Tarnovo Province are situatedVetrintsi,Pushevo,Ledenik,Shemshevo, Veliko Tarnovo (city) andSamovodene inVeliko Tarnovo Province,Parvomaytsi,Gorna Oryahovitsa (town),Pravda, Dolna Oryahovitsa (town), Varbitsa and Draganovo inGorna Oryahovitsa Municipality, andPetko Karavelovo,Radanovo and Karantsi inPolski Trambesh Municipality. In Ruse Province arePolsko Kosovo,Byala (town),Starmen andBotrov inByala Municipality, andDolna Studena, Beltsov, Dzhulyunitsa,Belyanovo, Novgrad and Krivina inTsenovo Municipality. Its waters, especially in the lower course in the Danubian Plain, are utilized for irrigation. The upper sections of the Yantra and its tributaries are a source for potable water. There are several small hydro power plants, including Yantra HPP, Malusha HPP and Lyubovo HPP.[1]
Almost the entire length of the river valley is traversed by roads of the national network, including a 43.6 km stretch of the first classI-5 roadRuse–Stara Zagora–Makaza, which follows the river intermittently in the sections Byala–Petko Karavelovo, Samovodene–Veliko Tarnovo, and around Gabrovo. Another important road is the second classII-54 roadVardim–Byala, which runs next to the river for 8.2 km.[16]
Along the river valley between Byala and Veliko Tarnovo passes a section of major railway line Ruse–Stara Zagora–Podkova served by theBulgarian State Railways.
A few kilometers south the Yantra's source stands theBuzludzha monument, a memorial inaugurated in 1981 by theBulgarian Communist Party, whosefuturist architecture, impressive surrounding and melancholic atmosphere of decay has gained increased international popularity in recent years.[17] The uppermost part of the river falls within the boundaries of theBulgarka Nature Park. Along the river banks south of Gabrovo is located theEtar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex, an open-air museums featuring the architecture, way of life and economy of region during theBulgarian National Revival.[18] In Gabrovo, a city renown for the humour, the statue of its legendary founders Racho the Blacksmith was placed on a rock in the Yantra, so that the residents would not waste money on flowers on the monument.[19]
Further upstream the river passes through the city of Veliko Tarnovo, the capital of theSecond Bulgarian Empire, forming a meandering gorge.[4] TheFortress of Tsarevets is almost completely surrounded by a meander of the Yantra and on the opposite bank raises theFortress of Trapezitsa, surrounded by the river on three sides.[4] Churches and houses overlook the river as its passes through the city. On a nearby hill is located the historic village ofArbanasi.[4] In the Middle Ages those condemned to death were thrown from Tsarevets to the Yantra gorge below; a well known victim was the Bulgarian PatriarchJoachim III, who was thrown in the Yantra on orders of EmperorTheodore Svetoslav in 1300.[20] TheTransfiguration Monastery is situated over the left bank of the river in the Dervent Gorge some 7 km north of Veliko Tarnovo.[21]
Close to the town of Byala along its lower course, the river is crossed by the 19th century archedByala Bridge, an important landmark of the Bulgarian National Revival architecture, constructed by the architectKolyu Ficheto.[22]
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