Kovachevitsa and Leshten: Stone Villages Near Bansko

All prices are in euros: Bulgaria has used the euro since 1 January 2026. The tour price was read from our booking system on 24 October 2026; the price shown at booking is the one that counts. You will also see the village spelled Kovacevica or Kovachevica on maps and booking sites.

Where are Kovachevitsa and Leshten?

Both villages sit on the slopes above the Mesta valley, on the western edge of the Rhodopes, facing the Pirin range. Kovachevitsa lies at about 1,050 m, some 24 km from the town of Gotse Delchev. Leshten lies at about 1,090 m, around 5 km north of Garmen village, on the road that climbs to Kovachevitsa. Both villages and Ognyanovo belong to the same small municipality, so the whole day is a short loop around Garmen.

What they share is the building style: two to four storey houses of local stone, heavy slate roofs, steep cobbled lanes and almost no new construction. Reserve status keeps it that way, which is why they look much as they did two centuries ago. For the wider region, from the caves to the Wonderful Bridges and the ski resorts, see our Rhodope Mountains guide.

Things to see in Kovachevitsa

Kovachevitsa appears in Ottoman registers as early as the 15th century and was never destroyed by invaders, so it keeps a complete ensemble of Bulgarian National Revival houses. That is also why Bulgarian film makers love it: the village has been the set of several well known Bulgarian films.

• The lanes and houses: explore on foot, up and down. The tallest houses are almost entirely stone, with only the top floor in timber. Some are restored, some stand empty, and the mix is part of the charm.
• The old school: the late 19th century school building is now a small museum with old desks, a blackboard and exhibitions by Bulgarian artists. We could not confirm fixed opening hours, so ask in the village.
• St Nicholas church: a working church in the heart of the village. It is usually locked; ask locals who holds the key.
• The Pirin view: from the top of the village you look across the valley to the range opposite, a good spot for a coffee on a clear day.

The cobbles are uneven and slippery after rain, so wear closed shoes with good grip. A pushchair will not work here; a baby carrier will.

Leshten village, Bulgaria

Leshten is even quieter. More than 500 people lived here in the early 20th century; the 2011 census counted just 11. Many houses from the late 19th and early 20th centuries have been restored as guest houses and summer homes, so the village looks cared for, with big terraces and inner courtyards. Next to the church of St Paraskeva (1837) stands the old village school, which now houses a tavern serving local food. An hour is enough for Leshten, and most visitors stop here before or after Kovachevitsa.

How to get to Kovachevitsa and Leshten from Bansko

That is roughly 130 km and two and a half to three hours of driving in the day. The long stretch runs down the valley through Dobrinishte towards Gotse Delchev; the climb from Garmen to the villages is narrow, steep and winding, so take it slowly.

On a guided day trip from Bansko

On our tour a local guide takes you to both villages, with the option to finish at the Ognyanovo hot springs. According to the tour page, pickup is from your hotel in Bansko or from the host's office. It is a full day, easy level and family friendly. The price is 45 EUR per person, and children pay the same. Lunch in a traditional restaurant is not included, and the tour page does not say that spring entry is, so ask the host and bring cash. Guiding is offered in English, Bulgarian or Russian; confirm the language with the host when you book. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. You pay 20% online and the rest to the host at the end of the tour. Bring water, a swimsuit and towel, comfortable clothes, closed shoes and a windbreaker.

By rental car

With a rental car you can stop at every viewpoint and stay for sunset. You cannot drive into the lanes, so park at the village entrance and walk. There is no petrol station in Kovachevitsa or Leshten, and we found no cash machine there. Gotse Delchev has fuel and banks, and maps show a cash machine in Ognyanovo, so fill up and take out cash before the climb, and check before you go.

Coming from Sofia

Sofia to Kovachevitsa is about 220 km, more than three hours each way, which makes a day trip too long. Spend a night or two in Bansko and go from there. A private transfer from Sofia to Bansko starts from 121 EUR per car for up to 4 passengers.

Ognyanovo hot springs

Ognyanovo sits on the way back, about 3 km from Garmen, and has a group of hot mineral springs at roughly 35 to 43°C. There are two ways to bathe:

• The village bath: a public bath owned by the municipality, with healing pools and showers. According to the Bulgarian Association for Thermal Heritage (updated February 2025) it opens Tuesday to Sunday, 08:00 to 18:00, and is closed on Mondays. The listed price predates the euro, so check it on site.
• Hotel pools: several hotels in the village run indoor and outdoor mineral pools. Call ahead to ask whether they sell day passes, and at what price and hours.

Bring a swimsuit, towel and flip flops. For every spa town in the country, see our guide to hot springs in Bulgaria.

Kovachevitsa and Leshten day trip: a sample day

1. Morning, leave Bansko: an hour and a quarter south down the valley, then the climb from Garmen.
2. Leshten: an hour among the restored houses, with views over the valley.
3. Kovachevitsa: two hours in the lanes, the old school and the upper village.
4. Lunch: in one of the village taverns. Off season not every place opens, so check ahead.
5. Afternoon, Ognyanovo: an hour or two in the hot water.
6. Back: an hour's drive to Bansko, in time for dinner.

This is a sample day for independent travellers. On our tour the order of stops may differ; the host confirms the details.

Staying overnight: guest houses in Kovachevitsa and Leshten

To feel the silence after the day visitors leave, sleep in a guest house. Both villages have guest houses in restored stone homes, and in Leshten many are rented as a whole house, which suits a group of friends or two families. Before you book, ask:

• Heating: in old stone houses this is the first winter question. Is every room heated, or only the living room fireplace?
• Parking: where do you park, and how far do you carry luggage up the lanes?
• Food: do not count on a grocery shop in the villages, and taverns do not always open off season. Ask whether the hosts serve dinner, and shop in Gotse Delchev.
• Cash: not every place takes cards.

If village life is not for you, stay at one of our hotels in Bansko and visit the villages for the day.

Kovachevitsa in winter, and the best time to visit

The villages are open all year, but the seasons feel very different. Spring and autumn are the best: the forests change colour, summer heat does not slow you down on the climbs, and there are fewer visitors than on summer weekends. More ideas for those months are in our Bulgaria in autumn guide.

In winter the villages are lovely under snow, but the road is hard. At around 1,000 m expect snow and ice on a narrow, steep road. From 15 November to 1 March Bulgarian law requires tyres suited to winter conditions: according to the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior, winter tyres or tyres with at least 4 mm of tread. On a steep, snowy road like this one, ask your rental company for winter tyres. Check road conditions with the Road Infrastructure Agency before you set out, and plan to drive down before dark.

More beautiful villages in Bulgaria nearby

• Dolen: a village in Satovcha municipality, about an hour's drive from Kovachevitsa, also declared a historical and cultural reserve in 1977. Worth it if you have another half day in the area.
• Shiroka Laka: an architectural reserve in the central Rhodopes near Smolyan, more than three hours from Bansko. It is easier to reach from Plovdiv.

With one more day in Bansko, the day trip to Melnik and Rozhen Monastery pairs well with the villages: sand pyramids, wine and a monastery to the southwest.

What to bring

• Closed shoes with good grip for the cobbles.
• A windbreaker or warm layer, even in spring and autumn.
• Swimsuit, towel and flip flops for Ognyanovo.
• Cash for lunch, the springs and souvenirs.
• Water and a snack, as a tavern is not always open.

If you would rather not drive the climbs or guess what is open, join our guided tour. For everything else, browse all our tours and activities in Bansko.