Plovdiv‘s history spans 6,000 years, traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC, ranking it among the world’s oldest cities. Plovdiv was known in the West for most of its recorded history by the Greek name Philippoupolis , which was introduced in 340 BC.

Koprivshtitsa is one of the most characteristic Bulgarian towns, still preserving the atmosphere of the Bulgarian National Revival period of the 19th century. The town is huddled in the mountain-folds, 111 km east of Sofia. The town boasts a large number of architectural monuments from the period, 383 in all, most of which have been restored to their original appearance.