Koprivshtitsa Sights

  1. Benkovski House

    Built in 1831 on a southeastern hillside, Benkovski House is associated with the dashing Georgi Benkovski (1843-76), a rebel cavalry commander who led many successful battles until dying in a Turkish ambush. Above the house, and easy to spot from the village centre, is a huge equestrian statue of Benkovski on horseback; climb up to it for the excellent views over the entire valley.

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  2. Church of Uspenie Bogorodichno

    The Church of Uspenie Bogorodichno on ul Dimcho Debelyanov, built in 1817, is usually closed, but visitors can peer through the window and wander around the gardens. The church grounds contain Kableshkov's grave, and, in the upper section, Debelyanov's grave. A poignant statue features Debelyanov's mother anxiously awaiting his return, and reads 'I die and am yet born again in light'.

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  3. Debelyanov House

    Debelyanov House is dedicated to Dimcho Debelyanov (1887-1916), a great poet who penned outstanding works before tragically dying in WWI. Built in 1830, the house features a pretty garden and numerous displays about Debelyanov, but the expected period furniture is scarce and the ceilings low. Debelyanov's grave can be seen in the grounds of the Church of Uspenie Bogorodichno.

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  4. House-Museums

    Koprivshtitsa boasts six house-museums, of which some are closed either on Monday or Tuesday (all operate Wednesday through Sunday). A combined ticket for all six museums is available at the souvenir shop Kupchinitsa two doors up the hill from the Tourist Information Centre; most of the museums also sell them.

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  5. Kableshkov House

    Todor Kableshkov (1851-76), a well-travelled man of means, once lived in the glorious Kableshkov House. Kableshkov is revered as having (probably) been the person who fired the first shot in anger to start the 1876 uprising against the Turks. Exhibits about the April Uprising thus predominate at this house dating to 1845. Kableshkov's grave is also in the Church of Uspenie Bogorodichno's grounds.

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  7. Karavelov House

    Karavelov House was occupied by the parents of the eminent Lyuben Karavelov (1834-79), a journalist and printer who worked for expatriate Bulgarian revolutionary groups based in Russia, Serbia and Romania. He was also the first chairman of the Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee. A printing press where various seditious newspapers of Karavelov's were produced is among the exhibits. The three separate buildings were constructed between 1810 and 1835.

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  8. Lyutov House

    Also called Topalov House, after the original owner, Lyutov House was built in 1854 in a style that mimicked Plovdiv's characteristic baroque houses. It's Koprivshtitsa's best-preserved house-museum, featuring a lavish salon with intricately carved ceilings; the landscapes painted on them were created by Mr Lyutov himself. The lower floor contains an exhibit of locally made felt cloths.

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  9. Oslekov House

    Oslekov House was built by Oslekov, a rich merchant who was killed in the line of duty during the 1876 April Uprising. Oslekov House was built between 1853 and 1856, and is arguably the best example of Bulgarian National Revival-period architecture in Koprivshtitsa, with a triple-arched entrance, spacious interior, stylish furniture and brightly coloured walls. Wood-carved ceilings, collections of 19th-century costumes, paintings and jewellery add to the experience.

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