ABOUT DUPNITZA
The town of Dupnitza (43 326 inhabitants, altitude 510 meters above sea level) is situated at the northwestern foot of the Rila Mountain, on both banks of the German River – a left tributary of the Struma River, which takes its source from the seven Rila lakes. The town is located 69 km south of Sofia, 38 km southeast of Kjustendil, 33 km north of Blagoevgrad and 40 km west of Samokov.

HISTORY
The town appeared after the period of the Turkish invasion in Bulgaria. Its name was mentioned for the first time in the diary of King Arnold von Harf who visited the country in 1499.
The town is the birthplace of the social activist from the Renaissance period Hristo Pavlovich (1804 – 1848), a teacher and a scholar who published the first Bulgarian book in secular script and the first Bulgarian printed publication of the Slav-Bulgarian History of Paisii Hilendarski.

LANDMARKS
In the town of Dupnitza one can visit the Municipal Museum of History, the remains of the medieval fortress Kulata, the Mosque from the 14 century, the Clock tower built in 1782, the church “Saint Constantine and Elena” restored in 1902, the church “Holy Mother” built in 1789 and the 1844 church “St. Nikola”. The town has its own Institute of Pedagogy.

SURROUNDING AREAS
15 km away from Dupnitza is the resort town Sapareva Bania, which was built over the ruins of an ancient Thracian settlement.