Koprivshtitsa, about 110km east of Sofia, is one of those rural gems that the discriminating, longstanding resident in Bulgaria is expected to have seen. Hence our excellent guide Iliana Oblakova greeted me with raised eyebrows when I told her that I had visited the Black Sea (sniff) but not this celebrated central town on the Topolnitsa River.

The recent Green Days expedition, undertaken by several French and Belgian tourist experts, was a chance to appraise a more authentic Bulgaria - far removed from overcrowded Black Sea and ski resorts catering to mass tourism. It was also an opportunity to find out about some of Koprivshtitsa’s illustrious former residents, including many Bulgarian heroes who sparked the April Uprising in 1876.

Room with a view
The day was cool and grey on the day of our departure from Sofia. Nothing prepared me, however, for the cold on reaching Koprivshtitsa (1000m above sea level) in early evening - it was like regressing into winter.

Our party stayed at Gozbarova House, a beautiful Revival-era guest house built in 1860, recently restored to its formal glory. The rooms were sparsely furnished but comfortable enough. The only drawback was that the top floor bedrooms (where I was staying) had the lowest ceilings, hence my near fatal accident later the same evening when I aimed for the bathroom and collided with some wooden beams. These rooms, being the smallest, are also the cheapest.

Seeing that our trip celebrated eco-friendly green tourism, it’s worth noting the comments of one member of our group, Eveline Durieux, from Brussels’ European association for information on local development, an offshoot of the European Commission. Although impressed with the facilities, she was disappointed that the soap was in packets, given the inevitable waste the following day. Bottled soap, she said, would have been more preferable. The butter in miniature packets at the breakfast table also earned a rebuke.

Reconnaisance at dusk
Gozbarova House overlooks the main town, concealed behind gates and a high wall. In fact, it’s so well hidden that it would be essential for visitors to join an organised tour because your ultimate destination is hard to find. Signposts were non-existent. Lone venturers just before nightfall, be warned - one misty, dusky cobbled street looks much like any other, so it’s easy to get lost. And do not rely on locals to speak English. Koprivshtitsa’s population has shrunk to a little more than 2000 people - mostly older farmers - the young having moved to Sofia in search of work. When I made a lone expedition to buy some cigarettes I found the town to be in a charming timewarp, so much so that you expect the hound of the Baskervilles to greet you at the end of the lane.

It’s worth mentioning the excellent food during our trip - these were French tourism experts, after all. Dinner in the restaurant downstairs - complete with a delightful log fire - combined traditional Bulgarian favourites: snezhanka salad, accompanied by rakiya, followed by sarmi in cabbage leaves and homemade yoghurt with wild fruits. Breakfast next morning consisted of delectable home made bread, honey and jams. Lunch was at another guest house, Djudjeva kushta, in nearby Panagyurishte. On offer was a renowned local speciality - boiled eggs and goat’s cheese; this would have been a strange combination were it not for its exquisite preparation. The distinguished visitors approved.

Revival-era houses
Koprivshtitsa has many fine old houses; many of them are now museums that celebrate heroes of the uprising - indeed much of the town commemorates the events of 1876. A bridge over a small stream in the village, for example, is considered the site where the first shot was fired in the conflict.

Our first stop was the Oslekov House, constructed in the 1850s by order of Nencho Oslekov, a wealthy merchant who took part in the uprising. Oslekov manufactured the rebels’ uniforms in his homespun fabric workshop. After the failure of the uprising, the Turks captured him and he was hanged in Plovdiv.

Built by Usta Mincho and Kosta Zograf - from the Samokov architectural school - the Oslekov House has a rich exterior and interior decor. The beauty of the house comes from its symmetrical design, elegant shape and tall glazed windows. Its ceilings, doors, and cupboards are covered in attractive wood carvings. Three columns of Lebanese cedar support the ceiling of a spacious salon on the second floor. The salon’s outside walls are adorned with paintings of various exotic places and cities. Engrained wood carvings on the ceilings show how the privileged lived in the middle of the 19th century.

Another hero of the uprising was revolutionary Todor Kableshkov (1851-1876), commemorated in the town’s Todor Kableshkov Memorial House. After the failure of the uprising, Kableshkov fled to the interior of Stara Planina with a small group. He was captured near Troyan and tortured in prison. Rather than betray the cause, Kableshkov committed suicide in the Gabrovo police office at the age of 25.

A mother’s yearning
One of the most impressive buildings in Koprivshtitsa is Lyutov House, a unique monument with furnishings typical of an opulent mansion dating from the mid-19th century. Built in 1854 and subsequently sold to Petko Lyutov, an itinerant merchant, the house has beautiful architecture and rich mural decorations. The most striking feature of the upper floor is the elliptic vault of the ceiling ornamented with mural medallions and images of the owner’s impressions of Egypt and Istanbul. The landscapes on the other ceilings are decorated with wooden geometrical instruments. The highlight of the house is the sumptuous blue room, the colours of which have thankfully remained vibrant.

Perhaps Koprivshtitsa’s most moving site, however - the Dimcho Debelyanov house - dates not from the 19th century but from  the 20th. The house of talented poet Debelyanov is commemorated by a statue of his mother who received his letters when he was a soldier in World War 1 and then awaited his return from the front. Sadly, Debelyanov was killed in the war. His mother’s expectant and wistful gaze - gazing into the infinite distance - overlooks his grave.

Debelyanov’s work was collected by friends following his death and published in a two-volume anthology with a collection of letters and personal writings.

Among the other houses to be seen in Koprivshtitsa, but beyond the time provisions of our short visit, are the Benkovski House and the Nayden Gerov House.

Praise and reservations
Most guests were favourably impressed by what they saw in Koprivshtitsa, although Gerard Cazalis, from the departmental committee of tourism from the Basque country, had several reservations. He noted the omnipresent ugly telegraph wires,  shopworkers’ poor language skills, the potholed pathways and the fact that the tourist office and some of the museums were closed - although we pointed out we were visiting in mid-April before the main season. Both Cazalis and Duriex also found the souvenir shops in the centre - full of woven rugs, handpicked strawberry jams and ubiquitous bottles of rose oil - to be verging on tacky.

A more enthusiastic appraisal came from Jean-Pierre Lamic, co-organiser of France’s national forum of responsible tourism and a member of the association of eco-responsible travellers and travel agents. "I’m impressed by the quality of architecture and restoration and the understanding of what makes a good product for this market," Lamic said. He believed that Koprivshtitsa compared favourably to rural retreats in other East European countries he had seen, such as Croatia.

Referring to the French experience of alternative holidays, he said that too much tourism in the French Alps - the region with which he is familiar - was merely competitive and not directed to the common good. "We need a balance between what resorts can offer, not just competition," he said.

The return to Sofia, on what could politely be called the "scenic route", was akin to the slow road to China, full of treacherous potholes. A memorable trip, the usual grievances about infrastructure notwithstanding.


* Gabriel Hershman’s trip was part of the Green Days project, organised by the Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism, Odysseia-In tour operator, the French Cultural Institute in Sofia and NGOs working in alternative tourism and care for the environment.