Koprivshtitsa. Hystory and Architecture

Koprivshtitsa is a picturesque little town-museum and is also a re serve of architecture and history, tucked away amidst the pretty rounded ridges of Sredna Gora Range. It is located at a distance of 100 km east of Sofia (the capital city of Bulgaria) and offers to everybody who vis its it an unforgettable stroll into the kaleidoscope of the past. The me andering, cobblestone-paved little streets that squeeze between the tall stone-wall fences, the heavy wooden gateways with little built-in doors, and the beautiful wooden houses - symbol of wealth and prosperity of their owners, the wonderful arched bridges over river Topolnitsa and her tributaries, and the numerous stone fountains are a remarkable expres sion of the creative inventiveness and the high building culture of the men that built them. Finding oneself among those dear old-time relics, one has the feeling that one has also landed in another epoch, namely the second half of 19tn century, the epoch of Bulgarian Renaissance. And only the fast modern automobiles, the up-to-date dressed inhabitants of the town and the numerous groups of Bulgarian and foreign tourists somewhat upset this picture. When did this settlement come into being, who was its founder and where its name has come from is difficult to tell nowadays: many centuries have past and there is no one we can ask these questions. Probably this was the reason for the people"s fantasy to invent numerous legends and sagas...