Bistritsa, Sofia

42°35′10″N 23°21′36″E / 42.58611°N 23.36000°E / 42.58611; 23.36000Bistritsa (Bulgarian: Бистрица, also transcribed as Bistritza or Bistrica) is a large village in the Pancharevo municipality, located at 15 km to the south of the capital Sofia.

Bistritsa is among the oldest villages in the areas around Vitosha.

Its name was marked in maps of the Second Bulgarian Empire as a fortress.

It had been robbed and the only discovery was a copper coin from Emperor Ivan Shishman (1371-1395).

Bistritsa is home to the famous "Bistritsa Babi" ("grannies"), a traditional folklore ensemble consisting of elderly women, their daughters and granddaughters, who have been classified as "living treasures" by UNESCO.