The first mention of Dupnitsa is from the 15th century. Major attractions include the Art Gallery, Historical Museum of Dupnitsa, the clock tower and the churches in the city. About 7km east of town there is a monastery Resilovo. 14 km northeast, near the town of Sapareva Banya you can find the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Germania. Nearby is also a spa and mountain resort Panichishte, which offers excellent conditions for hiking and relaxing and in winter for skiing.

Dupnitsa is also called The Green and Shady Town because of the huge number of trees in the town. But it is also called The Little Italy of Bulgaria because lots of people left to work to Italy and returns in summer for vacation when the city is full of Bulgarian “Italians”.

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Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St. Ivan of Rila who was the famous Bulgarian saint and hermit. Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and it is a key tourist attraction for both Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe as a whole.

Rila Monastery has been destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century and it was rebuilt later (from 1834 to 1862). It is a characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.

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