You are looking for an interesting place for walk and recreation for the weekend? You can visit the town of Etropole situated some 80 kilometers away from Bulgaria’s capital Sofia at the foot of the Balkan Mountain Range. The town has a rich history which dates back to the 6^th century BC. According to one of the versions, the name of the town comes from the Thracian word Etr, meaning water. In the 16^th and the 17^th centuries the local population started to mine copper, gold and silver. Thus, many crafts linked with processing of metals emerged. The Etropole literary, educational and art school emerged in that period as well.  Seventy six priceless volumes of manuscripts from that school were preserved. In 1828-1830 a building sheltering both male and girls’ school was built in the town. Many churches were renovated in Etropole during the national revival period. In 1882 stone-hewers from Bratsigovo rebuilt the oldest church in Etropole-St George the Victorious which was destroyed during one of the Turkish attacks in 1837. On the eve of Bulgaria’s liberation from the Ottoman rule the local population participated actively in various detachments and revolutionary organizations and in 1870 Bulgaria’s Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski founded there one of his revolutionary committees.