The town of Koprivshtitza lies at the very Sredna Gora Mountains at an altitude of 1 060m along both banks of the Topolitza River. The town lies at a distance of 110 km east of Sofia and is a separate municipality. Koprivshtitza is proclaimed for a town-museum in 1952 and since 1978 it is an architectural reserve of international significance. The settlement originates in XIV c. At the end of XVIII c. the inhabitants of Koprvshtitza are 12 000. More than 120 000 sheep, 20 000 cattle and 2 000 horses are grown in the region. This is the town of many crafts. After 1830 great construction work begins - many houses, churches, fountains and bridges are built most of which symbols of architectural masterpiece. There are more than 250 architectural monuments in the town. Every year here is held a folklore festival. The town itself has a population of 2 600 inhabitants.

Tourist sights are: The Oslekov's house, The Lyutov's house, the houses of Georgi Benkovski and Todor Kableshkov, the churches "Uspenie Bogorodichno"/ The Assumption/ (1817) and "St. Nikola" (1844).

Tourist sights

Koprivshtitza is a unique Bulgarian settlement which has preserved historical monuments from the Revival period. Along the terrace shaped slopes there are houses built of stone and wood with big balconies decorated with mural paintings and wood carved ceilings, engirdled by stone walls, wells, stone fountains and wide wooden gates.

The house of Lyuben Karavelov is built for a period of 25 years from local master builders. There are three buildings in the yard - a winter house (1810), a farm building (1820) and a summer house finished in 1835. The floors of the house are covered with many-coloured rugs, typical for the region of Koprivshtitza, while the ceilings are decorated with wood carving. Lyuben Karavelov is the organizer and the ideologist of the Bulgarian National Revolution, a writer and a publicist.

The Oslekov's house in Koprivshtitza is a Revival period house from 1856. It is built by a master builder from Samokov under an order from Nencho Oslekov. It is a two-storey house with a small yard. The house is characteristic with its painted façade and the three columns of Lebanon cedar supporting the arch-shaped lower part of the corners. The interior of the rooms is of different colours and the walls have canvases with medallions in the middle depicting various landscapes and flowers. The ethnographic exhibition represents the lifestyle of the people of Koprivshtitza-original women costumes, hand-made stockings, silk embroidery etc.

The Lyutov's house in Koprivshtitza is a masterpiece of the Revival architecture built in 1854 from a master builder from Plovdiv. The interior of the house has a rich mural decoration with ornamental wall niches, wood carved ceiling and ancient chests. Here are exhibited traditional furniture and other objects.

The house of Dimcho Debelyanov in Koprivshtitza is built by the local builder Gencho Mladenov in 1845. The house is built on the principle of symmetry organized around a central round saloon. The ceiling is with wood carvings and the walls have delicate ornaments. Among the exhibits of the house one can see painted plates, metal vessels, wood carved device used for wool treatment, a baby's cradle, a writing desk, old books and school books. Todor Kableshkov is a Bulgarian revolutionary. After the failure of the April Revival he is captured and commits a suicide in the police department in the town of Gabrovo.

The house of Georgi Benkovski in Koprivshtitza is built in 1831. The exhibits which attract the attention of the visitors are knit stockings, a baby's cradle, the wall clock, a meat press, Benkovski's personal gun and many others. Georgi Benkovski is one of the organizers and the leaders of the April Rebellion. After the failure of the rebellion he is betrayed and killed by the village of Ribaritza near the town of Teteven.

The Church "Uspenie Bogorodichno"/The Assumption/ in Koprivshtitza is built in 1817. The church is low and painted as a house not to attract attention. The iconostasis is made by Hadzhi Georgi - a representative of the Tryavna art school. It is finished in 1821 and contains scenes from the Bible, vegetation motives, birds and animals. The icons are painted by Zahari Zograf.

The "Saint Nikolay" church in Koprivshtitza is built in 1844. The walls are built of stone blocks from a light grey stone with sparkling flakes. The icons are painted by Joan Popovich from the town of Elena. The floor is covered with white stone slabs specially ordered from the island of Marmara.