Koprivshtitsa is a small town near Sofia. Its origins are unknown. Its fame stems from the fact that it was there in 1867 that a revolutionary committee was established. It was also from here that the April Uprising began.

This small but picturesque town became the center of the revolutionary movement in Bulgaria. The April Uprising was brutally suppressed, and the instigators were executed. Nevertheless, the rebellion attracted the attention of politicians from other countries and became the pretext for the war that led to Bulgaria’s independence.

Koprivshtitsa – an open-air architectural reserve
The town’s streets have remained virtually unchanged since the Bulgarian Revival. All the ancient artifacts have been carefully preserved in Koprivshtitsa.

Today, you can walk out onto the bridge where the first shot of the April Uprising was fired. The homes of some writers, revolutionaries, and merchants have been completely preserved and converted into museums, allowing visitors to explore their mid-19th-century ambience. Numerous 19th-century houses, a school, churches, and cobbled streets—this open-air museum preserves the spirit of the Bulgarian National Revival.

Near the town, the Thracian settlement of Smilovene was also discovered. It is the oldest settlement to have used construction techniques previously thought to be characteristic of later periods.

Near Koprivshtitsa, in the area of ​​Voyvodenets, a folklore festival has been held annually since 1965. Artistic groups from all over Bulgaria come here to participate in the competition and present programs related to the traditions of their region. Foreign groups also participate in the festival, presenting traditional Bulgarian programs.