Копривщица (Koprivshtitsa)

A little less than a month ago, I made my way to a place I’ve been itching to see for some time – Копривщица (Koprivshtitsa). Steeped in history and one of Bulgaria’s most iconic towns, Koprivshtitsa is a place anyone who lives in Bulgaria for as long as I have should have already seen. But I’m a slacker, and I had just never gotten around to it. Then I read about a folk festival Koprivshtitsa hosts every five years which attracts musicians and dancers from around Bulgaria and the world, and I decided to time my visit to coincide with the festival. In hindsight, I’m not sure that was a good decision. The town simply isn’t equipped to play host to the thousands of people who attended the festival, and, while the festival was fun and definitely worth attending, the hordes of people were too much to endure and left me longing to return when the city’s cobblestone streets are empty. Sometime this fall, I’ll do just that. When I do, I’ll go into more detail about the town and its role in Bulgarian history. Until then, here are some photos from the festival and around town.