A small town at the foots of the Western portion of the Balkan Range, has started emerging from its anonymity and gaining popularity among tourists from across this he country and abroad. Until recently Chiprovtsi was mainly associated with its carpet-making tradition. Even today these beautiful hand-made home-woven carpets preserving old technologies and decorated with the typical geometric figures and symbols have a market all around the world. But together with the preserved crafts such as carpet making, jewelry and icon painting, Chiprovtsi offers a wide range of possibilities for vacationing amidst the wonderful nature of the Balkan Range.

The town stands out with its white houses lining up on the banks of the Ogosta River, which winds at the foot of the mountain. "Ours is a small town where time seems to have frozen. Yet the fact that we stand on the roads of busy tourism is actually an advantage. The river is crystal clear the air is of the purest and greenery is truly green! Not to mention that stars are brighter that anywhere else!" This is how Yordanka Angelova from Chiprovtsi municipality defines her native place. She recommends visitors stop over at the local carpet workshop where the famous carpets are made. There you would be told of the meaning and significance of the symbols, which weavers put into the carpets. And if you wish, you could try your hand at the vertical loom.
"They are unique because they are made entirely of wool and entirely by hand. The process of weaving them is a highly laborious task. Every one of the women making these carpets is believed to weave her soul into them. These carpets become like their own children," Mrs. Angelova further explains. "When you are sitting for 3 months at the vertical loom and each tiny knot passes through your own hands, you cannot be indifferent to the final result, and your heart inevitably becomes part of it. That is why the Chiprovtsi carpets are believed also to be very richly charged with positive energy. Guests can also learn about local carpet-weaving traditions if they stay at one of the 6 guesthouses in Chiprovtsi. Their owners would explain the different dying techniques using natural coloring substances like the bark of the walnut tree, the dry skin of onions etc. They would also take you to the mountain to pick the necessary plants, which are then boiled to extract the color in which the wool is to be dipped." What could be a better souvenir than to take home a rug you have colored and woven by yourself, taking away the beautiful hues of the Balkan Range.

Not far from the town pours the Chiprovtsi waterfall. It is accessible along a well-marked mountain path. The cascade falls into two small lakes where people enjoy bathing in hot summer days. The mountain around abounds in old monasteries and sanctuaries. The most frequented Christian temple in the vicinity is the monastery of St. Joan of Rila dating back to the 10th century. During the centuries of Ottoman rule the holly place has been burned to ashes and rebuilt many times. The latest church building dates to 1829. It stands out with its extremely beautiful iconostasis and the church tower turned into an ossuary. It was built after the Liberation from Turkish rule and hosts the bones of people killed in the liberation battles. One more Christian temple attracts visitors to Chiprovtsi. In the center of the small town stand the remnants of the Catholic Church of "Sancta Maria" built far back in 1371. The local history museum would tell you more of the vicissitudes of history in this part of the country. It displays a collection of carpers, of course, but also church paintings, jewelry items created by local crafts masters as well as priceless finds from ancient Thracian times.