Kovachevitsa On The Move

Formerly renowned as a happy hunting ground for location scouts for the Bulgarian film industry, the village of Kovachevitsa is transforming itself for tourists thanks to an initiative launched in 2002. A non-profit organisation, the Historical and Architectural Reserve Village Kovachevitsa Society, was founded in November that year. Its main aims, apart from preserving the village’s cultural and historical heritage and developing infrastructure in its region, includes providing employment to residents by developing cultural tourism. Kovachevitsa is in the southern part of Bulgaria, 25km north-east of Gotse Delchev, in the Dubrash section of the Rhodope Mountains, high on the left bank of the Kanina (Blood) River. With support from the European Union’s PHARE programme, the project includes the restoration of the village’s old school and the implementation of new tourist products in an historical and architectural reserve. The school, named after Yordzhe Dimitrov, a villager who founded it in the 19th century in memory of his three children who were burnt to death during an Ottoman attack, is now home to a tourist information centre, historical museum, photo gallery, and accommodation for visitors. The project also includes training of local hoteliers and restaurant staff, guides, and the marking of tourist trails. The village offers four tourist trails, the St George chapel, the Blue Pool, the Kozi Kamuk (Goat’s Stone) and Beslet Peak. Within the village itself, there are other attractions for those keen on immersing themselves in local history. Notable among these is the 1847 church of St Nikola. Under Ottoman rules, Christian churches were not allowed, literally, to stand out, and so it was dug into the ground. In 1900, with the Ottoman empire crumbling, the villagers added a four-storey bell tower. The village itself is noted for its architecture, and in 1977 was declared an historical and architectural reserve. This was among the reasons that it was used as the location for many films. Some of the old houses have been turned into hotels, which offer the attractions of the cosiness of the traditional Bulgarian home and the specialities of original Rhodope cuisine.