Official Holiday of Bratsigovo

The town of Bratsigovo lies at an altitude of 420 m in the West- Rhodope part of the Osogovo-Rhodope district, as the Umishka River runs through the town. It is situated 24 km south of Pazardjik, 23 km from Batak and 7 km from Peshtera. During the Bulgarian National Revival the town developed rapidly and the First monastery school was established here in 1831. Today Bratsigovo is a town with rich cultural and historical heritage. There are 9 mineral springs found in the region of Bratsigovo, showing exceptionally good curable features. Besides them and the picturesque scenery, the town attracts tourist with its great number of historical sites. Lots of traces left by Thracians, Romans, Slavs and Bulgarians may be seen here. The clock-tower of Bratsigovo, built in 1885 by the master Ivan Dragov, is the highest one on the Balkan Peninsula. There are six protected areas on the territory of Bratsigovo municipality. Bratsigovo lies near the famous Wondrous Bridges, Starosel, and the Bachkovo monastery. In connection with the April Uprising from 1876, the town of Bratsigovo has its public holiday on May 12. At the beginning of May the Uprising in the Fourth Revolutionary District was suppressed and drowned in blood. The leaders of the Uprising who survived the slaughters headed to the Balkan Mountains. On May 12 after being betrayed, Georgi Benkovksi was killed in the Teteven Balkan. It was only Bratsigovo of all insurgent Rhodope towns that survived the massacre.