The region near the town of Apriltsi is situated on the northern slopes of the Balkan Mountains in central Bulgaria. Cluster members are from the town of Apriltsi, nearby village Skandalo, and Central Balkan National Park (spanning over 9 municipalities), towering above them all. The region is mountainous, with very clean air, lack of polluting industry, and a general sense of sustainable tourism. The region is known for lots of archaeological evidence from presence of Romans and Thracians and is a key area for the Bulgarian resistance and uprising against Turkish empire.

There are several important stakeholders in the region:

• The National Park
• Municipality of Apriltsi (supported, but not part of the cluster)
• Regional Association of Municipalities (members are all 9 municipalities around the park)
• PAN Parks – a European-wide organization focusing on an integrated approach combining wilderness protection and sustainable tourism development
• Regional Tourist Association, members of which are the local chamber of commerce and hotels