Vasil Levski, a national symbol of the fight against Ottoman domination, spent his childhood years in a modest home in the town of Karlovo. The Revival-time one-storey house of his family was built in the 18^th century by his grandfather Kuncho Ivanov. To the right of the stone staircase was his hideout, concealed by a built-in wall cupboard, inside which floor rugs were kept stacked.

Left empty for years, the house fell apart around the time of the country’s liberation (1878). It was restored in 1933 after the design of architect Dimitar Ivanov, while the people of Karlovo and the local garrison helped with the work and with materials. Levski’s nieces helped recreated the authentic interior of the house. In 1937 Vasil Levski’s home was turned into a museum, and for more than 80 years it has kept its doors open to visitors wanting to see valuable exhibits bearing evidence of the life and work of Bulgaria’s national hero.

Find out more about the home where the Apostle of Freedom grew up from Radio Bulgaria’s Gergana Mancheva here.