Discover Gabrovo Province
Accommodation in Gabrovo Province
In Gabrovo Province, traditional crafts, museums and nature come together. In the 19th century, Gabrovo was one of Bulgaria’s most important craft centres, particularly for woodcarving and wool weaving; at the Etar open-air museum, traditional working methods are brought to life. Whether you want to combine your holiday with cultural discoveries or go on excursions in Bulgarka Nature Park, you’ll find plenty to explore here. Which holiday apartment makes the right base also depends on whether you want to focus on museums, the landscape or both.
Freilichtmuseum Etar: ein zentrales Erlebnis für traditionelles Handwerk in der Region Gabrowo.
Photo: Balcondelmundo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Experience crafts at the Etar Museum
The Etar Regional Ethnographic Open-Air Museum is Bulgaria’s only ethnographic open-air museum. Visitors can watch craftspeople using traditional techniques to work with metal, leather, wood, clay, wool, goat hair and other natural materials. The range of materials showcases a variety of crafts. Visitors can take home the items made there.
Another special feature is the collection of working water-powered technical installations, which is unique in Bulgaria. Crafts are also the focus of the International Crafts Fair, held at the Etar Museum every year. It includes demonstrations by craftspeople, a master craft competition and an international academic conference. If you’re interested in traditional skills, the museum and fair offer different ways to explore the subject: by observing working methods and the presentation of craftwork.
On the Craftsmen’s Street at the Etar Museum, you’ll find simit, banitsa and gevrek, as well as pestil, white confectionery, halva and homemade sweets. Coffee brewed in hot sand is also on offer. These specialities add a taste of local food culture to your museum visit.
Museums and history in Gabrovo
The National Museum of Education in Gabrovo traces the development of Bulgarian education from the 9th century to the present across five exhibition halls. The museum organises activities and games for children in the permanent exhibition, in reconstructed monastic and mutual schools, in the multi-purpose hall and in the museum library. Families interested in the history of education can therefore combine their visit with activities specifically designed for children.
Other historic sites in Gabrovo include the Church of the Holy Trinity and the fountain of Hadzhi Krastyu Aprilov. The church was built between 1804 and 1816 and consecrated in 1820 by Metropolitan Ioanikij of Tarnovo. The fountain was built in 1762 by Hadzhi Krastyu Aprilov, a relative of Vasil Aprilov, and is considered the city’s oldest architectural monument. Since 1979, the State Puppet Theatre Gabrovo has been housed in Bulgaria’s only building designed and built specifically as a puppet theatre. Gabrovo also hosts a large-scale carnival.
Bulgarka Nature Park and excursion options
Bulgarka Nature Park covers areas within the municipalities of Gabrovo and Tryavna. Its natural environment, varied terrain, biodiversity and cultural and historical heritage provide opportunities for different forms of specialist tourism. The park is home to more than 1,300 plant species, including 32 listed in Bulgaria’s Red Data Book. This makes the park a destination in its own right for nature enthusiasts, alongside the museums.
Three eco-trails lead from the Etar Museum to Sokolski Monastery, Shipka Peak and through Bulgarka Nature Park. These destinations offer different options when planning an excursion; choose according to whether you’re interested in a monastery, a peak or the nature park. The trails are also a reason to consider whether you want to base your holiday apartment in Gabrovo, Tryavna or near the cultural attractions around Etar.
Choosing where to stay
Bus routes 10 and 1 run regularly from Gabrovo city centre to the Etara neighbourhood. Another important point for getting around the region is that one of Bulgaria’s most important north–south routes passes through Gabrovo and forms part of Pan-European Transport Corridor IX. If you prefer a city base, these transport links may factor into your decision; for a nature- and excursion-focused stay, the range of attractions in the nature park and region is worth considering.
The subregions of Gabrovo, Dryanovo, Sevlievo and Tryavna can help you get your bearings within the province. You can use these areas to guide your search based on which places and experiences you’d like to explore.
See the main travel overview: Bulgaria.
More destinations
More places in the same destination:
.jpeg){kind=link}