Kovachevitsa

The village of Kovachevitsa is situated in the western Rhodope mountain, at a distance of 23 km from the town of Gotse Delchev and 120 km from the town of Blagoevgrad.
 

The village was established after 1656 during the attempts of conversion to Mohammedanism of the Bulgarian population in the Rhodope mountain, which settled in the more unreachable parts of the mountain in search of salvation.

The local people were occupied in agriculture and stock-breeding. During the period of Revival (the 18th – 19th century) Kovachevitsa was an educational center. The village was one of the centers of the Internal Macedonian and Edirne Revolutionary Organization at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

Because of its typical architecture, in 1977 by issue 73 of the State Gazette the village was declared a historical and architectural reservation. The typical two-storey and three-storey houses with protruding upper floors were built in the 18th century. The premises in which animals were bred and food was stored were on the ground floor of the typical Kovachevitsa house. The residential premises were on the second floor.

Among the village sites interesting to see is the church “St. Nikolas”, which was built in 1847. In 1900 a four-storey belfry was constructed to it.
 

The village of Kovachevita is an appropriate destination for the admirers of country tourism and relaxation. Besides having the option to walk along the narrow cobblestone streets, and stay in a typical Kovachevitsa house, tourists can taste traditional Bulgarian dishes and enjoy the tranquility of the Rhodope mountain. A number of tourist routes start from the village and lead to the Siniya Vir waterfall and the locality of Kozi Kamak. Another very popular destination for country tourism – the village of Leshten lies at a distance of 8 km from Kovachevitsa. The villages of Dolen and Ribnovo are also situated in the area.