Koprivshtitsa

Koprivshtitsa is a historic town in the Koprivshtitsa Municipality in Sofia Province, central Bulgaria, lying on the Topolnitsa River among the Sredna Gora mountains. It was one of the centres of the April uprising in 1876 and is known for its authentic Bulgarian architecture and for its folk music festivals, making it a tourist destination. Koprivshtitsa preserves the atmosphere of the Bulgarian National Revival period of the 19th century. The town is huddled in the mountain-folds, 111 km east of Sofia. The town has a number of architectural monuments from the period, 383 in all, most of which have been restored to their original appearance. Collections of ethnographical treasures, old weapons, National Revival works of art, fretwork, household weaves and embroidery, national costumes, and typical Bulgarian jewelry have also been preserved. It was here that the first shot of the April Uprising against the Ottoman domination was fired in 1876. Since 1965, the National Festival of Bulgarian Folklore takes place approximately every five years in Koprivshtitsa, gathering musicians, artists and craftsmen from across Bulgaria.