Kotel, Bulgaria
This town is located at an altitude of 550 m in a picturesque valley in the eastern part of the Balkan Mountains. There are over 70 caves and numerous Karst springs in its vicinity. The town originated in the 14th century. Between the 17th-18th century it became a wealthy handicrafts hub. Kotel is the birthplace of a number of eminent Bulgarians who have left a lasting track in the national history: Sofroniy Vrachanski, Stefan Bogoridi, Petur Beron, George s. Rakovski, to whom a Pantheon has been built. Kotel is turned into one of the richest, most beautiful, patriotic settlements – a national center of the Bulgarian Revival. Nowadays the town is a famous climatic resort with a large number of preserved buildings from the Nationa Revival period, a Natural History Museum, and a Museum of Kotel carpets.
Here you are not just a tourist that has come to take a look at the beautiful nature and the tidy houses – here you are a guest that has come to feel the hospitality and warm attitude of your hosts, of what Bulgaria is famous for around the world. Walks among the beautiful Bulgarian nature, the ecologically clean products produced by the villagers, hospitable people, cheap family houses and hotels should be enough for you to try this variant of alternative tourism.
