On my last visit, I fell in love with Koprivshtitsa all over again. The town was bathed in sunlight, which made its vivid colors pop. Most of the houses date back to the 19th-century Bulgarian National Revival and have been meticulously restored. The harmony of yellow, turquoise, ochre, brown, and even pink façades is breathtaking. From above, Koprivshtitsa looks like a vibrant woven carpet nestled at the foot of the Sredna Gora Mountains.

This guide has been fully updated for 2026 to ensure you have the most current information on opening hours, tickets, and travel tips for your visit to Koprivshtitsa.

Quick Highlights: What to See in Koprivshtitsa

• ^{Historic House Museums – Visit the stunning homes of Bulgarian heroes like Oslekov and Kableshkov.}

• ^{The Bridge of the First Shot – Stand on the spot where the April Uprising began in 1876.}

• ^{Authentic Architecture – Marvel at the unique 19th-century National Revival style buildings.}

• ^{Scenic Nature – Enjoy the fresh air and beautiful views of the Sredna Gora mountains.}

• ^{Traditional Cuisine – Taste authentic Bulgarian dishes in cozy, stone-walled taverns.}

Fifty Shades of Blue in Koprivshtitsa

Blue dominates Koprivshtitsa. It appears on façades, inside homes, and in handmade textiles and traditional fabrics. Architecture here follows the Revival style. Most houses date from the 19th century. Unlike many Bulgarian provincial towns, Koprivshtitsa shows no neglect. You will not see abandoned buildings or crumbling ruins.

Explore the colorful streets of Koprivshtitsa and catch the highlights of the world-famous National Folklore Festival. Subtitles available in English.

The Topolnitsa River runs through the center. It shapes a small park where children play all day long. The alleys stay clean and quiet. Best of all, there are no tourist hordes.

The town  also has an impressive number of museums. Most have reopened after recent restoration. Their doors remain wide open to visitors.

1. Koprivshtitsa is а town with an european spirit

The traces of the Orient, with its chaos and its “laissez-aller”, are almost nonexistent there. Unlike other regions of our country. Despite centuries of Ottoman rule that restricted social and religious freedoms, Koprivshtitsa has two magnificent Orthodox churches. The town never had mosques. Ottoman officials prayed in a room inside an administrative building.

Why ? Because the local Bulgarian population was rich, educated and … wayward  !!

But what happens when a travel blogger arrives in such a stunning place and, amazed by the surrounding beauty, takes out her camera to take photos, but it turns out. .. she forgot her battery in the charger at home ??? Well, she uses her old smartphone and tries to do her best. With what success – I let you judge for yourselves …

2. A lesson in Bulgarian history

Koprivshtitsa is one of the rare Bulgarian cities to have preserved its authentic architecture from the period before the Liberation of the Ottoman occupation. The reason lies in history. Unlike most Bulgarian towns, rebel Koprivshtitsa escaped destruction during the 1876 uprising against the Ottoman Empire, which later led to Bulgaria’s independence in 1878.

When the Turks invaded the city and threatened to burn it down and destroy its population, the wealthy citizens of Koprivshtitsa collected money and buy the lives of their fellow citizens. Today, we are proud of this typical Bulgarian architectural gem immersed in history.

Before visiting the museums, most visitors stop at the tourist information center. From there you can buy a ticket to the main museums in the city. The fee is 10 BGN (5 euro) for adults and 3 BGN (1.50 euro) for students and retirees.

3. The museums of Koprivshtitsa

A visit to these museums reveals little known facts about the city’s past and its outstanding inhabitants. If you visit the native house of Todor Kableshkov you will learn that the famous Bulgarian revolutionary  was extremely educated. French-speaking and graduated from the French Lycée of Constantinople, he was the first Bulgarian to start translating the novel “The Count of Monte Cristo”, without however completing it. Unfortunately aged only 25, Todor ends his life immediately after his capture by the Turks.

In the home of the Bulgarian poet Dimcho Debelyanov visitors can see his personal effects – manuscripts, photographs, as well as the portraits of the women of his life.  All of them were very beautiful with an air of fatal women. Among the photos – that of his beloved Elena Petrunova. Unfortunately, one morning in June, the 18-year-old girl was shot dead by her own father. The reason ? Her parent suspected her of being in love with the poet. Close to Debelyanov’s house is the Maison Palavéév.

Nowadays, an art gallery is installed here. But it was once the home of one of the city ‘s wealthiest residents. Its owner was

Hadji Nencho Palaveev

This local entrepreneur was considered one of the richest Bulgarians of all time. He developed a large-scale business in Egypt. He grew oranges near the Nile and exported them to the United Kingdom. And when he returned to his hometown, he became involved in charity. This is how he built the school and the city’s water supply system. He erected a monument dedicated to the insurrection against the Turks. Palaveev also financed the repair of the church, etc. At his death he left his considerable fortune to his fellow citizens.

The two churches of Koprivshtitsa

The oldest church dates from 1817. It was built at the place of an ancient temple, burnt down by the Turks. Among its icons are those of the famous Bulgarian artist from the Revival period  – Zacharias Zograf. And in the courtyard are the tombstones of Todor Kableshkov, Dimcho Debelyanov, as well as the benefactor of Koprivshtitsa – Hadji Nencho Palaveev. The most fascinating site is Saint Nicholas Church, the so-called “New Church,” which dates back to 1842.

The Saint Nicolas temple

This Orthodox church stands out for its massive structure and unusual façade symbols. Builders combined Turkish motifs with Italian Renaissance and Viennese Baroque elements in the Levantine style. Unlike other Bulgarian churches of the period, Saint Nicholas rises above ground and never sank below street level at Ottoman order. Of an unusual size, the temple could well house a cathedral and accommodate more than 1,000 people. In addition, its facades are of freestone, covered with strange decorations. Hadji Nencho Palaveev is one of the donors to the temple. He is pictured on the left side of the entrance. In the past there was also a school in the church yard, but today it is in ruins.

5. What are plasti and kene?

The Liutov house once belonged to a wealthy merchant who traveled a lot around the world. So when he came back to his hometown he ordered the painters, who decorated his house, to draw the places he visited on the sumptuous ceilings of the rooms. Today, the Liutov House uses its ground floor as a museum. Visitors can see exquisite crochet lace on display there. Locals call these works of art kené.

Koprivshtitsa’s lace is elegant and very solid. For the purpose women used  silk thread on horsehair. The locals called this sort of lace  “kené”. The town is also known for its carpets. The Liutov Museum presents a collection of authentic 200 years old hand woven carpets .

One of the most current local crafts was the production of wool, or the so-called  “plasti”. In the city center, near the historic “The First Rifle” bridge, tourists attend demonstrations. In the past, wool was treated with hot water and soap. You spread a thick layer of wool soaked in soapy water and then roll it until it becomes thick and tightened. And then you can produced all kinds of clothes and rugs with it! This is plasti!

Take a carriage ride around Koprivshtitsa

Why not rent a horse cart or even a donkey cart and tour the city with it?  Or go to the picturesque places near Koprivshtitsa. It’s a great idea! You can visit the Voïvodenets region in this way? This is where the National Festival of Popular Arts is held every five years. The surroundings of Koprivshtitsa offer magnificent panoramas. There are charming trails that lead to the heart of the mountain.

Enjoy the cozy hotels and guesthouses, as well as delicious local cuisine

Almost a third of the houses in Koprivshtitsa now operate as family-run hotels. Guest rooms across town provide free Wi-Fi. Most of the hotels have a garden with an outdoor seating area and free private parking, as well as a welcoming restaurant.

We stayed at the Paradise Hotel. And we had a delicious and hearty meal at the April 20 restaurant in the city center.

Residents of Koprivshtitsa complain that the number of tourists in town has recently decreased. The reason would be competition from other tourist destinations. But that can only please those of us who prefer to relax far away from the crowds in search of authentic experiences. And Koprivshtitsa has a lot to offer in this area.

In conclusion:

Koprivchtitsa is a place that Bulgarians love to visit. Its beautiful houses, cobbled streets, fountains and local people give you the feeling of traveling back in timе. It comes as no surprise that the Japanese Association of Travel Agencies ranked Koprivshtitsa among the most beautiful small towns in Europe.

Indeed, it is an exquisite jewel, hidden within the mountain. I intend to return there one of these days. But this time – with a fully charged camera and … a spare battery. Because discovery and sharing of experiences is an integral part of any trip.

How to get to Koprivshtitsa
Getting to Koprivshtitsa is easy, whether you are traveling by car or train. It’s located about 110 km east of Sofia, and the scenic drive through the Sub-Balkan road takes around 2 hours. Use the interactive map below to plan your route and find the best way to reach this historic gem

The post Koprivshtitsa: The Best Day Trip from Sofia (Top 7 Attractions) appeared first on Neverending Journey.

The Devil ‘s Throat was known to the Thracians

They believed that the awe-inspiring abyss, whose throat emits fog and vapours was in fact the road leading to the underworld. It was here, according to one legend that Orpheus descended to the Kingdom of the Dead to bring back to life his beloved Eurydice. Hades agreed, provided he never turned back to look at her until he had left the realms of the kingdom. But right where the cave’s so-called Roaring Hall stands, Orpheus could no longer hear Eurydice’s footsteps. So he turned back to look and… lost her for all time.

Years, centuries and millennia passed by! But the gaping bottomless abyss is still there, instilling awe and horror into the local people. During the times of the Ottoman domination, the cave was known as the Terrible Judge and into its throat thieves and murderers would be thrown without trial or sentence. But no mortal dared descend into its gaping mouth until 1961.

The Devil ‘s Throat is an abyss 60 meters deep

That was when three audacious climbers from Sofia went down into the chasm and discovered it was in fact an abyss 60 meters deep into which the waters of the biggest underground waterfall in the Balkans come roaring down. In fact they are the waters of the entire river Trigradska which comes from neighbouring Greece, passes through Trigrad village and thunders down into the Devil’s Throat.

The three explorers survived, unlike their young colleagues from Varna. At the beginning of the 1970’s 21-year old Syana and 27-year old Evstati made the only attempt to date of exploring the so-called Siphon – the place where the roaring waters drop into the Earth’s bowels, as if sucked in by a siphon. They dived in, never to come to the surface again.

No one has been able to trace the course of the river underground. According to researchers there is a massive water maze that never lets go of anything that has fallen into the river. Attempts have been made to track the water currents using colored water. But it comes to the surface two whole hours later. Where the water flows in that time, God only knows!

The Roarig hall

Tourists walk  into a 150-meter natural tunnel taking them right to the so-called Roaring hall. This is the biggest underwater hall in Bulgaria, adapted for tourists; the whole of the St. Alexander Nevski cathedral can fit into it”. From

There is trout in the underground river that has never seen the light of day and has mutated. It is covered in white spots while the eyesight of some of the older “venerable” specimens is rudimentary. Meanwhile we see by the cave’s entrance huge black “clouds”.  The entire bat colony from the environs gathers here – more than 35,000 in number – to hibernate inside the cave.  Local people think  that the Devil’s Throat is the mythical Kingdom of Hades. And as evidence, they  point out  the natural rock formations resembling Orpheus and Eurydice. You can find them next to a whole constellation of mythical heroes.

The legend of Orpheus and Eurydice

The heroes from this legend are petrified in stone. In the Devil ‘s throat you can see  Charon, the ferryman of Hades, Sisyphus, labouring under the weight of his rock, just as he is described in the legend, according to which “when he hears Orpheus’ song he stops in his tracks to listen. You can see the dog Cerberus, guarding the river. At the so-called Water of Orpheus, the poet mourned his beloved. As the legend goes “From his tears a brook sprang where the souls of the dead would quench their thirst” . That same brook is right there in the cave. It is now a sanctuary with icons placed all around. All people coming here touch the water wash their faces, some take a sip, others leave a coin and make a wish.

Another surprise to visitors are the reliefs into the cave rocks. At the entrance itself there is a devil’s head. While in the Roaring hall stands the life-size figure of a Thracian warrior. To resurface from the abyss, you have to climb up a steep metal ladder with 301 slippery rungs. It leads you up to the natural exit right next to the thundering waterfall – that is something that is not easily forgotten.

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