About the Karlovo
Karlovo (Bulgarian: Карлово) is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains. It is administratively part of Plovdiv Province and has a population of about 28,321 (as of 2005), the mayor being Nayden Naydenov..
Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.
During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as “The Valley of the Thracian Kings”. On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.Find out more Karlovo
Vasil Levski, was born in Karlovo on 18th July 1837. He was the leader of the Bulgarian National Revolution, founder of the Internal Revolutionary Organization and the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central On 27th December 1872, Levski was caught by the Turkish police.He was sentenced to death by hanging. On 18th February 1873, the death sentence was carried out to Sofia. The place of Vassil Levski’s execution is in the centre of today’s Sofia.Now there is a monument on this place.
Things to do
The Levski Heritage Trail
As you wander around Karlovo you’ll notice various wall plaques, in Bulgarian, at all sorts of odd places. These seem to be a work-in-process of developing a Levski Heritage Trail inspired by a local historian Stoyan Kichev. As yet there seems to be no published guidebook but the Levski Museum has details of the various places such as where he cut his hair off and other known-to-few facts.Click to find out more about things to do around Hotel Hanat
Karlovo History Museum
Whilst much of the town is dominated by Levski-inspired historical markers it does have a rich history and culture in its own right. Evidence dates it back to Stone Age times and through the Thracian and Roman periods it was a local trade and manufacturing centre. During the late Ottoman and National Revival years the town blossomed as a hub of artisanal manufacture, especially that of woolen braids and rose oils. The 20th century saw the advent of heavy industry with the building of one of Bulgaria’s first hydro-electric schemes and post-WWII the Socialist-led investment in major factories including armaments.Click to find out more about things to do around Hotel Hanat
Levski’s Birthplace and Museum
Vasil Levski was born Vasil Ivanovich Kunchev, the eldest son of Ivan and Gina Kunchev, here in Karlovo on the 18th July 1837. His father was a wool dyer by trade at a time when the town was one of the Ottoman Empire’s main suppliers of woolen braid.
The house where he was born and bred, along with his two brothers and elder and younger sisters, was a typical artisans cottage where the family shared their living space with the equipment and material of the trade.
Levski himself never owned a house and so his birthplace has been reverently restored as the centrepiece of the National Museum in his honour. This is one of Bulgaria’s most popular historical sites and gets over 35,000 visitors a year.
The museum is open every day (except perhaps Christmas Day) from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm with an hour closed for lunch and the entry fee is (Jan 2010) 2 leva.
This is definitely the “Must Do” here in Karlovo and as a bonus you get a friendly welcome and a little guided tour (in English if required).
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The Levski Monument
This is probably the Bulgarian people’s best known monument and every year on February 19th, the anniversary of his execution, thousands come to pay homage from all over the country. The monument is situated, appropriately enough, on Vasil Levski Square in the old town. To get there from the modern town centre take the main road heading downhill towards the mosque and turn right at the blue building – this is Vasil Levski street and leads, through the old town, to the monument.Click to find out more about things to do around Hotel Hanat
The Old Town
The Old Town is a historical place which shows the spirit of the old houses of the Bulgarian National Revival. About a hundred houses have been preserved in this part – monuments of culture, two-storey, beautifully plastered and yards with decorative portals.You can also see the Mazakov house ,it’s an ethnographical exposition to the Historical Museum, the house of Daskal Botyo, in which Hristo Botev lived for several years.Click to find out more about things to do around Hotel Hanat
Historical museum
Historical museum of Karlovo is located near the Vassil Levski monument. The building was built in 1871 for a boy school .Now it is one of the most representative buildings from the time of the Bulgarian Revival. In the exhibition you can see the archaeological heritage of the Karlovo valley,its traditional culture, the development of the education, and the participation of the town population in the liberation fights.Click to find out more about things to do around Hotel Hanat
The Roses’ festival
First weekend of June, each year in Karlovo is the Roses festival. As usual there is roses-picking ritual on the fields in the morning, which is followed by a good concert on the main square. The programme continues till about lunchtime, and there is a second concert in the late afternoon and evening with international guest of Karlovo.
The week before the festival theatre is a rich cultural programme in the town – the Rose Queen selection, theatres, concerts and a souvenirs and crafts exhibition.
This is the best time for a visit to Bulgaria – just at the beginning of the tourist season, while the Nature is fresh and green and rivers are full with water.Click to find out more about things to do around Hotel Hanat