Bulgaria Inside

When you head to Sevlievo from Lovech, you will reach the village of Kukrina. It is one of the hundred national tourist sites. Each Bulgarian connects the village to the death of famous revolutionary Vasil Levski. He was captured in the Kukrina inn on December 27 1872. At the time, the inn was located in the outskirts of the village but today it is in the very center.

The old building was turned into an inn by Hristo Tsonev. It was to serve as a revolutionary meeting place and to shelter traveling Bulgarian revolutionaries.

Upon Levski’s capture, the inn was completely forgotten. During the 19th century, it burned down in a fire. An old photo from 1901 was the only one used for the reconstruction of the historic site. On December 26 1901, a memorial plate was positioned at the exact spot where Levski was captured.

On June 5 1924, the reconstruction of the inn began. Work ended in 1926 and the museum collection was put together by 1931. On May 10 the same year, the museum opened doors for visitors. Today, many people still travel to see the place and to honor the memory of the great Bulgarian who gave his life in the independence struggle. Kukrina inn welcomes visitors from Wednesday to Sunday from 8 am to midday and from 1 to 5 pm. The entrance fee is the symbolic two leva.

The inn’s interior represents the authentic looks of each chamber. Visitors feel as if they have been taken back in time and can nearly see the events that took place on December 26 and 27 1872. You will enter into a small restaurant, where Levski and his travel companion Nikola Tsviatkov arrived. They were to stay in the inn over the night and to continue on their way, carrying the mail of the revolutionary committee.

You can see the room where Levski slept, the old bed and the stove. In the morning, however, Ottoman policemen entered the inn. Levski managed to escape through the backdoor. In his attempt to jump over the wattle fence, he tripped near the centuries-old elm tree in the yard. The Bulgarian was captured and later on hanged. According to one of the stories, Levski’s horse, left without an owner, escaped and returned to Lovech. Levski’s notebook was saved in this manner.

A storm took down the elm tree several years ago but it now stands upright once again. The fence is still there, as well. A small monument points to the exact spot, where Levski was captured back in 1872.