The historic site of Kostina (also known as Kostina Ribaritsa) is the place of death of Georgi Benkovski (brave Bulgarian leader of April uprising).
How to get here?
This can be reached by taking a very good road, starting south of the Kostina in the village of Ribaritsa (the dining wagon is an excellent landmark, catching the next one in case you are driving on the road from Teteven).
Here on May 24 (the date of May 25 is written on the plaque of the place) in 1876 Georgi Benkovski was betrayed and killed.
Waiting in ambush in the fog and darkness of the evening, he was shot by lurking Turkish troops trying to cross a bridge over the Kostina River. Benkovski fell, hit by a bullet in the head and was subsequently beheaded.
The Turks wash his head by the river.
The place later became known as the "Bloody Well", so named because of the events that took place in the site.
The head is given to the traitor to carry it.
Ten years later, Valio, Benkovski's traitor, made a wooden cross himself, marking Benkovski's place of death.
Zahari Stoyanov, an ally of Georgi Benkovski, carved a cross with the initials "GB" on a beech tree next to this place.
This beech was cut down in 1950 during the reconstruction of the Benkovski monument.
Every year on May 25 in the area of Kostina celebrations are held in memory of the victims. The events that took place just before Benkovski's death are recreated.
There are gazebos and a children's playground in the area. There are many beautiful meadows where you can spend the night in a tent.
The walk along the river is very pleasant, and nearby there is a beautiful and roaring waterfall.
The views around are fantastic!
Have a nice walk!
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