First Shot bridge, Stone bridge in Koprivshtitsa, Bulgaria

The First Shot Bridge, known locally as Kalachev Bridge, is an arched stone bridge over the Byala River in Koprivshtitsa, joining its two banks. Two stone slabs stand at either end: one records the year 1813 and the donor Hadzhi Nayden Kalachev, the other the 1913 renovation by his great-grandson Petar G. Kalachev. It stands where the streets Parva Pushka, Dimcho Debelyanov, Nikola Belovezhdov, Tumangelova Cheta and Raina Katsarova meet.

Hadzhi Nayden Kalachev funded the bridge's construction in 1813, and the year and his name are carved on one of two stone slabs flanking it; the other records its renovation in 1913 by his great-grandson Petar G. Kalachev. On 20 April 1876 (old style) Georgi Tihanek fired the first shot of the April Uprising here, an act that gave the bridge its nickname, the First Shot Bridge.

The bridge is known as the "First Shot Bridge" because Georgi Tihanek fired the first shot of the April Uprising there on 20 April 1876, killing the Ottoman mudir Kara Husain. Todor Kableshkov then wrote his famous Bloody Letter to the revolutionary committee in Panagyurishte. A bas-relief by architect Anastas Dudulov, erected in 1928 next to the bridge, bears the names of Tihanek's detachment.

The best approach is through Koprivshtitsa's old town, which has cobblestone streets and gentle slopes. Wear comfortable shoes as the area is hilly and pedestrian paths can be uneven.

The bridge is also called the "First Rifle" bridge because on 20 April 1876 Georgi Tihanek killed the Ottoman mudir Kara Husain there; Todor Kableshkov then wrote the famous Bloody Letter to the Panagyurishte revolutionary committee, an act considered the start of the April Uprising. A bas-relief by architect Anastas Dudulov, erected in 1928 next to the bridge, bears the names of Tihanek's detachment.