The site of the ancient town of Pautalia today is named Kyustendil. It is located in the very west of Bulgaria with a population of 47.000, ca. 80 km southwest of Sofia and 22 km from the border with the Republic of Macedonia.
A Thracian settlement emerged at the place of the modern town in the 5th-4th century BC, which was turned into an improtant stronghold, balneological resort and trade junction called Pautalia by the Romans in the 1st century AD.
The town was mentioned under the Slavic name of Velbazhd in a 1019 charter by the Byzantine emperor Basil II.. The town became part of the Second Bulgarian Empire, acquiring its modern name after the local feudal lord Konstantin Dragash in the 16th century. The period of Ottoman rule ended on 29 January 1878.