Small town – tucked in the bosom of “Sredna gora” mountain, surrounded by century old pines, brought to life by crystal clear streams and rivers and the ancient echoes of the Bulgarian revolutionary spirit. Here you’ll find hotels, hostels and private guest houses from all categories. Walking town’s cobblestone streets, you can almost hear the sound of galloping horses, in museums you will learn a lot about Bulgarian past – the past of April’s uprising, the teachers and educators, wealthy givers and patriotic townsfolk. The scent of pine resin, thyme and wild strawberries will surround you through the spring and summer. The fragrance beech logs will be in the air through the winter. The wind still whispers the voices of the rebel heroes, the echoes of heroic years – telling the story of this magical town. Koprivshtitsa – a small town situated in the region of Sushtinska Sredna Gora in the valley of Topolnitsa River – is a remarkable, unparalleled historic reserve. Koprivshtitsa is a captivating mountain town, unique with its cobblestone alleys, houses painted in bright colors with expansive verandahs and picturesque eaves. During the Ottoman rule, Koprivshtitsa withstood many a raid, it was reduced to ashes several times, its inhabitants were frequently robbed and driven away. The wealthier townsfolk managed to “ransom” Koprivshtitsa from the Turkish rulers and win some special privileges, thus keeping the Bulgarian traditions and atmosphere of the town intact. In this way Koprivshtitsa was able to preserve its freedom-loving, patriotic spirit and hand it down to its children. Many Bulgarians who laid down their lives for the liberation of their motherland had been born here: Todor Kableshkov and Georgi Benkovski – organizers and participants in the April Uprising which broke out in Koprivshtitsa on April 20, 1876. The Uprising gave voice to the desire and efforts of the Bulgarian people to win back its freedom after five centuries of Ottoman oppression. A lot of foreign journalists reported the events of the spring of 1876 and showed the world that there was a people on the Balkan Peninsula which had not lost its identity and strive for independence. Eventually, in 1878 Bulgaria won the freedom it had so long yearned for, at least partly helped by the publicity of the April Uprising and its subsequent brutal suppression.
Ljuben Karavelov – a Bulgarian poet, writer and revolutionary;
Petko Karavelov – a widely respected public and political figure;
Dimcho Debelianov – a poet who wrote some of the most tender poems in Bulgarian literature;
Nayden Gerov – a writer, publisher, man of letters, ethnologist and patriot;
Joakim Gruev – a teacher, fighter for religious independence, man of letters and a public man
Together with many other Bulgarians who took part in the wars of liberation and the two World Wars – teachers, artists, craftsmen.
