Location: Gabrovo is a town in Central Bulgaria. It is located at the foot of the Balkan Mountains, at the two shores of Yantra river. It is 207 km away from Sofia and 45 km away from the old capital of Bulgaria, Veliko Tarnovo. The tourist site “Uzana”, where the geographic centre of Bulgaria is situated, is located close to the town. Gabrovo is also known as the longest town in Bulgaria. With its length of about 25 kilometres and its width of only 1 kilometre at some places, the town spreads along the banks of Yantra River.
Population: 62 561 residents
History: Gabrovo was established during the Middle Ages as a strategic settlement close to the Balkan passages. During the Ottoman rule, Gabrovo was a large craftsman and trade centre. The fast economic development and the national resurgence during the Bulgarian Revival period are the reasons that the first Bulgarian secular school was opened here as early as in 1835, which later developed as the so-called Aprilov’s high school, named in the honour of its founder and a renowned revival figure – Vasil Aprilov. After the Liberation, Gabrovo continued to develop as the largest textile centre in Bulgaria, and it is no accident that it received the nickname of “The Bulgarian Manchester”. The town has always been famous for the thriftiness and the wit of its inhabitants, which is why the only House of Humour and Satire in the world is located here. There are numerous anecdotes about this part of the Bulgarian population, which is considered very thrifty and witty. “They say that the residents of Gabrovo cut the tails of the cats, so that the door closes faster after them and so that the room does not get cool." This is why the black cat with a cut tail became a permanent symbol of the town of Gabrovo. The town is a twin city of the Scottish town of Aberdeen, which is also famous for the proverbial thriftiness of its inhabitants.
Landmarks:
- The House of Humour and Satire was established in April 1972 and it is a proud successor of the local folklore humour and the festive carnival traditions of Gabrovo – the Bulgarian capital of humour. It has 10 halls on an area of 8000 square meters, where works of artists from more than 153 countries are exposed. Each odd year, the House, together with the entire town, becomes a centre of the International biennial of humour and satire in arts, which is part of the large cultural celebrations in May in Gabrovo and takes place under the motto: THE WORLD HAS SURVIVED, BECAUSE IT HAS LAUGHED.
- Regional Museum of History presents a permanent exposition - “Gabrovo and people from Gabrovo”, as well as collections of coins, urban and traditional clothes. The rich exhibition of the Historical museum includes exponents from the Palaeolithic era, from the Antiquity, the First Bulgarian Empire, the Second Bulgarian Empire, the Revival period and the industrial growth in Gabrovo.
- The monument of Racho the Blacksmith – the legendary founder of the town and a symbol of Gabrovo, is located on a small rocky island in Yantra River, in the central part of the town. Rumour has it that since people in Gabrovo were very thrifty, they put the monument of their famous fellow citizen in the river, so that they did not have to use up space in the town.
- The Clock Tower in the city centre was built in 1835 and its clock mechanism was manually hammered by local masters, while the bell was manufactured in Vienna.
Surroundings:
- Architecture and ethnographic complex “Etar" It is located 8 km away in the south direction from Gabrovo and it constitutes an open museum, which reproduces the craftsman’s part of the town from the past. The museum occupies an area of 7 ha and 50 items are placed in it, such as technical facilities that run on water, houses with craftsman’s workshops and sites of public significance. The purpose of the museum exhibition is to reveal the architecture, lifestyle and the economic past of Gabrovo and the region of Gabrovo during the Revival period – the second half of the 18th and 19th century. It is not just the national traditions that are preserved in “Etar”; each visitor can become part of them, they can feel the spirit of the national lifestyle. An international crafts fair is organized here each year.
- Dryanovo Monastery is located about 4 km away from the town of Dryanovo. During the 14th century, the Holy monastery was one of the main centres of hesychasm and it provided shelter for many monks.
- Sokolski Monastery is located 4 km away from the Etar and 12 km away in the south-east direction from the centre of Gabrovo. It was established in 1833 with donations by residents of Gabrovo and Bulgarian emigrants.
- The Bacho Kiro Cave is located close to the Dryanovo monastery, in the north direction from Gabrovo. It has beautiful cave formations – stalactites, stalagmites, stalactones, curtains and pillars. The most beautiful premise is "Haidushko sborishte” (Rebels’ gathering place). Several cultural layers have been revealed around the entrance and at a certain depth, which were left by the inhabitants from the middle and late Palaeolithic era. Remnants of houses and fireplaces have been discovered, as well as different working tools. Several species of insects and bats can be found here. The cave has been studied in 1937; it has been reconstructed and it is visited by many tourists.
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