Named after the legendary Khan Krum, the city has served as a mercantile crossroads for centuries. Today it is one of countless rural communities struggling for economic and cultural survival in a desolate land far from the relative economic stability of cities like Plovdiv and Sofia. Each Friday, local farmers and merchants gather in the city's center and peddle their goods and services at the local Pazar . The town of approximately 3000 inhabitants seems to double, and suddenly the streets are filled with the hustle and bustle of commerce. Children from the surrounding villages commute to and from Krumovgrad to attend one of the two local high schools.
Church bells toll on the hour.
Outside of the region, opinions of southern towns like Krumovgrad are far from positive. Known for its staggering poverty and high Muslim population, the region is considered at best undesirable, and at worst god-forsaken. The mental perception displayed in the collective Bulgarian mind is one of low education, high crime and filth. This is not the case, however. Having taught English in one of the local high schools, I discovered a high level of academic commitment and an overwhelmingly strong parental desire for the children to excel.