Kamena Village

Kamena is a village in the municipality of Petrich, located at 439 m a.s.l. in the foothills of Belasitsa Mountain, 16 km to the southwest of Petrich. It is surrounded by rock ridges from the west, south and east. Its population decreased sharply after 1960, mostly due to migration towards the towns of Blagoevgrad and Sofia. At present, it has about 370 citizens with average age of 40-45 and about 110 houses. Local people grow mostly tobacco and maze, vegetables, peaches and apples. There are 10 bee-keepers, two of which have more than 100 bee-hives and produce acacia and chestnut honey.
In the Suhia Dol locality at about 3 km north of the village, scientists have discovered traces of a settlement, probably from the late period of the Neolithic Age. In the neighbouring Kadresh locality, there are the remains of a Roman fortress built of cut stones with red mortar. Another Roman fortification existed north of the village in the localities of Traskite and Parzhalyo. The remains of an old church may be seen in the locality of Velikdenska; a marked tourist trails passes by it.
Some people relate the name of the village to the stony soils around. According to legends, however, the name came from the fact that the river slowing through the village is carrying a lot of stones and sand. There is also a story that the old village was located in the Palovets locality but a cruel disease came that killed many and the survivors moved to the present-day location. In the 19th c., the main means of livelihood were agriculture (wheat, maze, rice, cotton, tobacco, sesame, poppy and vineyards) and stock-breeding. Local people traded sesame oil, wine, rice and cotton. There is an old mill in the village. The church holiday is celebrated on May 2, Borisovden, and the Day of Kamena – on May 6, Gergyovden.
Phone code of Kamena: (0)7423; postal code: 2878.