The Municipality of Tryavna occupies a territory of 270 sq.km.It is placed along the northern slopes of the Tryavna Balkan Mountain and Fore-Balkans. The relief is diverse - from mountain to river valleys, hills and gorges. The elevation varies from 380 m to 1489 m from the sea level. A substantial part of its territory, as much as 130 sq. km, is covered mainly with oak and beech forests. The farming land is 126 sq. km or 47%, half of which comprises of meadows and pastures. The town lies halfway the Sofia-Varna route (250 km. away from each), 170 km. from Plovdiv, 219 km. from Bourgas and 130 km. from Rousse. The railway line linking North and South Bulgaria runs trough it. Daily trains and buses connect Tryavna with Sofia and Gabrovo.

The town of Tryavna first became a regional centre in XVIII century although earlier records that indicate human settlement in Tryavna can be traced back to Thracian times. By the end of the 19th century, Tryavna had become the region’s main cultural and industrial centre and was heavily involved in the development of crafts during the Bulgarian Renaissance period. This resulted not only to economic prosperity, but also to the creation of the Tryavna School - one Bulgaria’s oldest institutions of Art Tradition. Since that time, the work of Tryavna artists has become popular throughout the Ottoman Empire, Romania, Serbia and Russia.
Following Bulgaria’s independence in 1878, the Municipality started woolen textile manufacture and the first factory was opened in 1883. During the first half of the 20th C. a number of other types of industry were created, including the production of furniture, woodworking and textiles. The development of tourism started in the early 1920’s in Tryavna and Plachkovtsi and today there are a total of 1250 beds. Tryavna also enjoys a moderate and healthy climate, (cool summers and mild winters) which resulted in a Sanatorium for Lung and Respiratory diseases being built in 1944.

The historical and architectural reservation in Tryavna is among its main attractions. Some of the best examples of buildings from the Bulgarian Renaissance period have been well preserved. The seven museum collections contain unique pieces of art from the late medieval period, such as icons and woodcarvings. The town of Tryavna has preserved its old town square, the only one left in the country, which has been proclaimed as a Monument of Architecture.

CULTURE AND TOURISM

Daskalov's House

People call it the house with suns on the ceilings that never set. This is a splendid example of the Tryavna architecture of the early Revival period built between 1804 and 1808 by the Master Dimitar Oshanetsa and his willing helper Ivan Bochukovetsa. In 1808 they made a bet on who was going to carve better ornaments on the ceiling. It took them six months to do it. Both works were magnificent enough to rival and the men had to share the bet. The beauty of these superb samples of woodcarving remains unsurpassed till now. There is a museum, the only one of its kind in the country, which uniquely displays the art of carving.
It preserves a fine collection of the works of the well known Master Gancho Marangozov, including hand-carved pieces and wood sculptures of famous Bulgarian khans and tsars together with reliefs of prominent figures of the Bulgarian National Revival.
Kalinchev's House

This is another masterpiece of the architecture typical of Tryavna at the time of the Revival. The house was built in 1830 by Dimitar Sergiuv. A selection of 19 and 20 century paintings presented to the museum by the Gabenski family highlights the works of over 80 Bulgarian artists. Adjoining buildings, designed in the style of the Revival period, house decorative art, sculptures and paintings presented by Ivan Kolev.

Slaveikov's House

Slaveikov House Museum was the home of Petko Rachev Slaveikov, a prominent figure of the Revival period and a distinguished Bulgarian poet. He spent part of his life there between 1853 and 1876. That was also the place where his nine children were born. One of them, his son Pencho Petkov Slaveikov, was the classic writer of modern Bulgarian poetry. The exhibition includes a documentary introduction to the life of the period.

THE TRYVNA SHKOLO

THE TRYVNA SHKOLO (or school) was set up between 1836 and 1839 and ranked among the first secular schools in Bulgaria. Petko R.Slaveikov, an influential writer, settled down to a life of a teacher here. One of the earliest ever known book depositories in Bulgaria (1847) was set up here. The refurbished building of the school holds several interesting museum collections of documents and authentic objects which feature the Enlightenment period in Bulgaria until the Liberation. A display of time-pieces from the Ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century is collected and restored by Georgi Vezirov. It can be seen in the museum. A permanently-on-show art collection which is donated by the two brothers DIMITUR AND NIKOLA KAZAKOV is of special interest. Temporary exhibitions are on at the school as well.

ANGEL KUNCHEV MUSEUM-HOUSE

ANGEL KUNCHEV MUSEUM-HOUSE was built about 1805. Documents and domestic life exhibits follow the life and revolutionary work of Angel Kunchev, the struggle of the townspeople to break the shackles of the Turkish Yoke as well as the participation of the town in the Russian-Turkish War of Liberation (1877-1878).

MUSEUM OF ICON-PAINTING AND WOOD-CARVING

MUSEUM OF ICON-PAINTING AND WOOD-CARVING was built between 1943 and 1944, and donated to the town by Queen Joanna. The museum treasures the one and only collection of Tryavna icons from the 17-th to the turn of the 19-th century. Over 160 original icons represent the creative output of the six renowned families of icon-painters. The exhibits on display rank among the most fascinating artistic samples of the school. Along with the icons, authentic icon-paint¬ing tools, designs, guidelines, etc., are on display.

THE ASIAN AND AFRICAN ART MUSEUM

THE ASIAN AND AFRICAN ART MUSEUM presents part of the donation made by the Bulgarian sculptor Zlatko Paunov to the municipality of Tryavna. It consists of 200 works of art originating from Tibet, Nepal, China, India and some African countries, all objects from the collection are unique, they have mainly ritual purpose, dating from different periods in the history – II A.C. - ХХ A.C.

Special Thanks to http://tryavna.info//en/