Information about Apriltsi

The town of Apriltsi was formed by the merging of four villages: Novo Selo, Zla Reka, Vidima and Ostrets. With these same names are now called the four quarters of the town. It`s name Apriltsi was given to the town because of the heroic events in this region during the April Uprising of 1876 which is a mass armed uprising of the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire. It broke out on April 20 in the old style Koprivshtitza and is organized by the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee.
The town is located in a meadow near the Botev peak in Stara Planina Mountain. It is part of the Lovech District, Central- North of Bulgaria. It has a population of 3,318 inhabitants. Due to its location and history Apriltsi has become a very touristic destination. Apriltsi town has good bus links to Troyan, Pleven, Sevlievo, Gabrovo, Rousse, Veliko Tarnovo, Lovech and Sofia, as well as other smaller settlements in the region. Between Apriltsi and towns of Troyan and Lovech and there is a regular shuttle service.

Tourist information
The town offers plenty of hotels and guest houses where you can stay.
In Aprilci You will find the charm of hiking, because right here you can visit the most ancient forests and hills of the Central Stara Planina. Five scenic trails - extreme, horse and hiking, will reveal for you the beauty of the famous Vidimsko the surroundings of the hut "Pleven", peak " Botev" and many surprises. Heroic past of Bulgaria for this holy place will tell you an interesting story about the magnetic peak Rusalka, still popular as Maragidik .

Horse Riding
Here's an opportunity to experience more fully the natural world and living nature! Your dialogue with these extraordinary animals - horses will make your vacation truly memorable. Lessons for beginners to transitions which are inaccessible with vehicle you will cleave to ride because the service packages give full freedom to your wishes. For 1 hour or for seven days horse riding will charm you here, in the paths of the Mountaineers!

Mountain Biking
Lovers of this sport will definitely not be disappointed on the routes the region offers. The terrain is varied and naturally prone to engage in biking tourism. Between the picturesque mountain villages and neighborhoods in curved mountain trails the beauty and purity of this pristine world will open your eyes to the unique views and new, unexpected encounters with nature.

Ecotrails
The most ardent lovers of the mountain already appreciated the advantages of the new tourist attraction in the Central Balkan National Park - Ecopath Vidimsko praskalo. The ecopath is cognitive hiking route that offers visitors to the town Aprilci opportunity for aesthetic enjoyment and spiritual enrichment in touch with the nature of the National Park and Preserve North Djendem . The track runs parallel to the river Praskalska going through old beech forest and leads to the cliffs from which descends 80 meter waterfall - Vidimsko Praskalo. Established was interpreted environment - guide book have been developed; trained local guides for the eco-trail, provided are information boards park representing the eco trail - animals, plants, forests, grasslands, water, aquatic life, waterfalls, and the history of Apriltsi." "Green Classroom" was developed, where in a playful way children learn about plants and animals. A promotional leaflet circulated in German was also issued. Developed visitor infrastructure ensures accessibility of the environment by identifying the route of the terrain, build five wooden bridges over the river Praskalska, a water mirror and two watch sites - overlooking the rapids of the river Praskalska and the Vidimsko praskalo waterfall. The eco trail is a sign of a consistent management policy aimed at enriching the conditions for tourism through the development and maintenance of tourism infrastructure in a way that provides useful information, convenience and safety of visitors during their stay in the park.

Climate:
The territory of Apriltsi is mostly mountainous. Settlements there are located in a sunny valley in the heart of the mountain. Through its territory passes river "Vidima" with major additional rivers Zla reka and the river "Ostreshka". The climate is temperate continental. In the higher parts of the region, especially in the Balkan occurs mountain climate where there are decreasing the average absolute temperatures and increase of rain and snow retention.
The annual average monthly temperature is around 10-12 degrees. The average annual temperature seasons runs from 7-8 degrees, 15-16 degrees, 8-10 degrees. The maximum average monthly temperature in July is 20-22 degrees. Minimum average monthly temperature in January is minus 8-10 degrees. The average annual maximum temperature is 18-20 degrees. The average monthly minimum temperature is 6-8 degrees. Annual daily variations of air moves with the highest values ​​in August and September around 10-12 degrees.
Humidity, as part of the climate characteristics of the municipality, depending on the characteristics of atmospheric circulation, the altitude, the shape of the landscape, soil conditions, availability of evaporation and more. During the cold half of the year the average monthly values ​​of relative humidity ranged 60-80 %, while during the warm half of the year around 70-75%.
Maximum average monthly rainfall is 120-130 liters per square meter. The average maximum number of rain days is during the months of May and June - for 10-15 days. The minimum number of rain days is during September and October - 5-6 days. The average maximum number of days with rain is during May and June - 10-12 days. The average minimum number of days of rain in January and February is 2-3 days. Average number of days with snow in January, February, March and December respectively move from 5-6 days to 3-4 days.

History
The settlement was founded by some refugees from Veliko Turnovo region after the fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman rule. Since then, the area bear the names "Bolyarskoto" and "Tsarevo Loze" in Novo Selo and " Syarovtsi " and " Tsarov " in Zla Reka. Later, in the XVIII century a new wave of Bulgarians from Sevlievo , Veliko Tarnovo and the southern part of the country fled to the mountains because of the turks attacks. Even during slavery the rivers in the region are used to power the many mills and workshops. This sets the first name of the settlement - Tahtadzhikyoy (Daskarsko village). Tradition says that the robbers attacked the village, burned it and killed most of the population, and those who managed to hide in the mountains, eventually returned. Restored village and named it Enikyoy - Novo Selo (New village). During the Renaissance, due to its geographical location, Novo selo stands as a craft - commercial and cultural - educational center of the valley and the neighboring villages. In the late XVIII and early XIX century developed many trades - carpentry, pottery, leather, tailoring, coppersmith, goldsmith, carving. Here in 1812 was opened a school and church. The economic upturn and freedom-loving spirit of the Mountaineers in Novo Selo make it one of the centers of the April Uprising. In 1872 Vasil Levski organized a secret revolutionary committee here. In April 1876 alone Novo selo valley rebelled against the oppressors. They earned nine days of Liberty in this region, but locals pay with a lot of blood and burned 772 buildings for it. The support from Gabrovo with leader Tcanko Dyustabanov have also died. Much of the surviving population emigrated.
In 1976, in honor of the 100th - anniversary from the April Uprising the four villages - Novo Selo, Vidima, Ostrets and Zla reka unite in one village- Apriltsi . Today Apriltsi is an attractive mountain resort.
The question of when exactly does the settlement exist is now difficult to answer. Studies are still insufficient; there are few documents that have contradictory hypotheses. One of them is that the settlement was formed after the fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman rule. In lowland areas of Pleven, Lovech and Sevlievo settled Ottomans who harassed the local population. Most left their homes and retreat to the mountains. Here they found good living conditions and settled on the slopes or along rivers and ravines. This is how they first formed numerous neighborhoods. In support of this hypothesis is the urban structure - scattered hamlets, sometimes quite large distances. Moreover, most of the neighborhoods have the name of a family or families , for example Boevtsi , Gechevtsi , Markovtsi , Penovtsi , Sabevtsi ... There are also neighborhoods as Kovachite, Baraharite , Pazderite , Salapiyte , Pandutsite and others. Tracing the lineage of the clans, all families end up to the same roots, ie the first settler in this place. In some neighborhoods, especially near water or roads are settled families from other neighborhoods or even other places. Over the years due to demographic, economic and other reasons, some of these neighborhoods became peculiar centers and formed the villages of Novo Selo, Ostrets, Vidima and Zla Reka, which in turn formed the town of Apriltsi.
The hypothesis has also weaknesses. It is difficult to suggest that the valley with its geographical location, weather conditions and economic opportunities has experienced periods of desolation. Historical researches shows that there was a settlement as early as the Neolithic period - his remains were found on Ostrets hill. From later times are preserved remains of fortresses and in the valley and the ridge of Rusaliyski Pass, near Tabite. In the valley in ancient times, passed important roads that were connecting the Danube region to the lands of present-day southern Bulgaria. Its importance was appreciated by the Romans who built a fortress to protect Rusaliyski passage remains of which are still ( insufficiently studied). They were also used by the Turks, who next to the old Roman fortress built a fort which gave the name of Tabite.
It is obvious that the historians have to their say their last word on the distant past of this region. There is a written document - a Service of Hilendar monastery from 1624, where is written that ... "Dragan from Enikyoy (old name of Novo Selo) from Sevlievo region " is to celebrate the Mass for the souls of his father Dimo, mother Iowa and his wife Boyka. In the years before the April Uprising idea of ​​national liberation is meets a great support. Event that stirs strong spirits is the pass through this area of the army of Panaiot Hitov in 1867. On July 3 and 4 his group was near the tops Rusalka and Botev, to head west to the valley of the Cherni Osam. In1872 flag barrier of Panaiot`s army -Vasil Levski - already as organizer again visited the valley. In Novo Selo he built a secret revolutionary committee and began to develop actively. In the following years, many revolutionaries visit Novo Selo and here are welcomed warmly. In 1874 as a teacher in Novo Selo was appointed Nikola Dabev from Sevlievo. He soon established himself as a highly educated and passionate patriot. He deals not only with children but with their parents. Acquaints them with their glorious past, draws the future, and prepares them for participants in the struggle. Naturally he headed the local revolutionary committee. Best expressed his qualities in the time of rebellion, for which he was sentenced to death and hanged in his home town of Sevlievo.
In the spring of 1876 in First Revolutionary Tarnovo region is carried out active preparations for an uprising. Novo Selo region is part of the Committee in Sevlievo. Its president is the young Stefan Peshev. He was born in 1854 and the path of self-education was able to grow as high intelligent man who cooperated with the newspaper "Napredak" in Constantinople. During the immediate preparation of the uprising he raised the slogan "Sell your land, buy a gun". Frequently visits Novo Selo and surrounding hamlets Ostrets, stirring revolutionary flame while solving a number of practical issues related to the procurement of arms, forming a read, specifying the positions etc. His first assistant is Yanko Karagiosov also from Sevlievo. According to Zahari Stoyanov he was an ardent revolutionary and very good organizer. During the rebellion he was appointed as a military leader of the uprising in Novo Selo and take direct part in the fighting. The history of the town is very rich and this is small part of it. You won`t be sorry if you visit or decide to invest in this region.