Photos of Kovachevitsa
About Kovachevitsa
Kovachevitsa is a small mountain village that is built along a steep slope above the Kanina River valley. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Kovachevitsa became a hub for master builders and stonemasons. This lead to the distinctive style you now see all around the village. Almost all of the buildings are made from local stone and dark wood, with heavy slate roofs and upper storeys that jut out over winding cobbled lanes. Over the years some have been restored while others sit abandoned and crumbling, so you often get tidy and ruined side by side in the same street. The whole village has been a protected architectural and historic reserve since 1977, which means newer houses must follow the old style. The pace of the village is slow and peaceful so you will be able to explore the winding lanes and find endless photogenic views. You can walk up almost any lane and turn around to capture rows of slate roofs flowing down the hillside. In the tight lanes you can't back up far, so make sure to have a mid-range zoom in your kit. St. Nicholas Church and its tall bell tower appear over the rooftops and down the winding lanes from many of the streets around it. To reach the village it's about 25 km of winding mountain road from Gotse Delchev, and buses are rare, so plan on driving. There's no fee to explore the village and there are lots of guest houses if you want to stay the night. (Kovachevitsa, Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria)
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