Guncho’s spring

The Guncho’s spring (Blue Stones – Sliven district), rising under a huge beech in the upper part of the Ravna River, is named after the glorious Sliven-citizen Ilia Gospodinov, known as Guncho voivod (chieftain). In the spring of 1868 Guncho gathered 200 young men, hid in the mountain and waited for the band of Hadji Dimitar to join the fight for liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke. The news about the death of Hadji Dimitar and the routing of his band however made Guncho change his plans. He decided to rise Sliven by himself. Many of his rebels however did not agree the plan and left Guncho with a small group. They attacked the Ottoman post, that passed the Djendem gully in the eastern part of the Blue Stones. This happened on August 12, 1868. The action was successful but caused the anger of the Ottomans and they started chasing the rebels. Guncho was killed in one of the fights. Today the spring named after him, and nested in a dense beech forest, reminds the courage of the voivode and his rebels, and is one of the favorite places of the tourists.