Town of Sopot

Sopot is situated at a distance of only 5 km from Karlovo, about 130 km from Sofia, and 64 from Plovdiv. The small town is situated in the north part of the Karlovo valley, at the foot of the central part of the Balkan Mountain Range.

Sopot is an old Bulgarian settlement, established in the 14th century. The fortress walls of the Medieval Bulgarian fortress of Anevsko Kale are situated at a distance of 2 km north-west from Sopot. This is a part of the Medieval town of Kopsis, which was prospering during the 13th – 14th century.

Sopot is one of the centers of Bulgarian revival. The Revival legacy of the population is related to craftsmanship – wool making, wool spinning, homespun tailoring (manufacturing of rough woolen fabric), tailoring (cloths making), milling, etc. The first bottle making and glass factory on the Balkan Peninsula was established here. Rose production was also well developed here.

Sopot is one of the centers of the national liberation struggles. The Patriarch of Bulgarian Literature – the writer Ivan Vazov (1850 – 1921) was born here and his personality was shaped here.