Katerinina House is located in Chiprovtsi and is also known as “the carpet weaver’s house.” It presents the traditional way of life of the Torlaks—a small ethnographic group to which the local population belongs. Exhibits include old clothing, household utensils, and weaving equipment.
In the courtyard, visitors can see a living exhibition of plants used for natural dyeing of the yarn with which the famous Chiprovtsi carpets are woven. Examples of these carpets, dating back to the 17th century, are displayed in one of the halls of the Historical Museum. This hall also includes a vertical loom, demonstrating how the carpets are made.
In several guesthouses in the area, visitors can not only observe how threads are arranged into geometric patterns, but also learn to weave carpets themselves.
To experience the full richness of colours, shapes, and motifs of these beautiful rugs, one should visit Chiprovtsi on September 6th. Every year on this date, the residents of the town gather at the ruins of the Gushovski Monastery “St. Archangel Michael the Summer.” This site has been the most sacred place in the town for centuries. The monastery was destroyed during the suppression of the 1688 uprising, but it continues to bring people together. At this location, women from Chiprovtsi bring their carpets and display them as a sign of respect to their ancestors, who developed and passed down this exquisite craft.
