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The
town
of
Gabrovo
is
situated
in
Northern
Bulgaria,
along
the
River Yantra,
in
the
north
Sredna
Stara
Planina
mountain
spur,
392
m
above
sea-level.
Gabrovo
is
220
km
north-east
from
the
city
of
Sofia.
In
the
immediate
vicinity
of
Gabrovo
is
the
geographical
centre
of
Bulgaria.
Because
of
its
locality
the
town
is a
busy
road
junction.
There
are
a
lot
of
roads
leading
from
Gabrovo
to
the
other
towns
and
municipalities
in
Northern
and
Southern
Bulgaria.
The
nearest
airport
is
in
the
town
of
Gorna
Oryahovitsa
(60
km).
The
nearest
river
port
is
in
the
town
of
Rousse
(160
km).
The
nearest
sea
port
is
in
the
town
of
Bourgas
(230
km).
During
the
Middle
Ages
some
tradesmen
and
craftsmen
set
up
their
business
there.
Some
people
were
occupied
with
wood,
metal,
wool,
and
leather-working
and
the
tradition
was
handed
down
until
nowadays.
At
the
end
of
the
last
century
a
lot
of
factories
were
built
and
stock-joint
companies
of
European
kind
were
set
up
there.
At
present
the
town
of
Gabrovo
is
an
important
industrial
centre.
There
are
a
lot
of
leading
machine-building,
electronic,
and
tool-making
plants.
Textile
industry,
furniture
manufacturing,
plastics
manufacturing,
food,
wine
and
tobacco
industries
are
also
of
great
importance.
A
few
state
and
municipal
companies
and
a
lot
of
private
wholesale
and
retail
trade
companies
are
in
the
trade
and
public
services
of
the
town.
The
private
companies
have
more
than
60%
of
the
business
in
Gabrovo.
A
lot
of
world-famous
companies
from
other
countries
have
representative
offices
in
Gabrovo.
Due
to
its
clean
mountain
air,
historical
and
ethnographical
complexes
Gabrovo
has
become
an
attractive
tourist
centre.
Municipality
and
the
surrounding
area
is
considered
to
be
one
of
the
most
ecologically
clean
regions
in
Bulgaria.
The
rich
flora
and
fauna
come
to
prove
that.
Some
of
the
best
hunting
trophies
such
as
bear,
red
deer
and
mouflon
can
be
found
in
the
game
reserves.
There
are
some
places
of
interest,
which
are
of
national
and
international
importance.
Such
place
is
The
House
of Humour
and
Satire.
There
you
can
see
different
art
and
ethnographical
exhibitions
and
collections
of
African
ritual
and
carnival
masks
and
accessories.
Thousands
of
world
famous
humourists
from
more
than
150
countries
have
visited
The
House
of
Humour
and
Satire
during
the
Festivals
of
Humour
and
Satire.
The
most
picturesque
place
in
Gabrovo
is
the
architectural
and
ethnographical
complex Etur
-
a
unique
open-air
museum.
The
Bulgarian
Renaissance
atmosphere
is
reserved
there
in
the
old
workshops
of
traditional
Bulgarian
arts
and
crafts.
The
visitors
can
watch
the
craftsmen
doing
everything
by
their
own
hands
and
by
water-driven
machinery.
There
are
some
hotels,
restaurants,
and
taverns
available.
The
visitors
like
them
for
the
Bulgarian
traditions
in
cooking
are
still
reserved
there.
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ETURA - YOUR TIME MACHINE TICKET |
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With its cobbled streets, pure mountain air, sound of flowing water and sonorous clinking of the bells of cattle pasturing nearby, Etura will meet all your expectations of an escape from the bustle of everyday life.
Etura museum is an artificially created village on the small river Sivetz. Bulgarian architect Lazar Donkov made the idea happen in 1964. The complex includes a museum part, a hotel and a craftsmen's street.
It is situated eight kilometers from the center of Gabrovo in impressive natural surroundings. The atmosphere in Etura, vibrant with the spirit of the 19th-century Bulgarian Renaissance, captures the lifestyle and customs of the time. The village is a cozy capsule of past times that will shelter you away from the hectic pace of your daily life.
All the workshop machinery in Etura is propelled by water running through wooden channels and bobbins.
In the summer you can watch women washing their carpets in wooden basins, while the cattle trot past the plum trees.
Turkish coffee in the Etura coffee shops is prepared on heated sand in a copper pot and is served in small cups along with a spoon of white jelly sweet placed in a glass of water. The coffee is hot and steaming and the jelly is always very sweet. The woman in charge of the coffee shop wears a national folk costume.
From a small balcony you can see the workshops of master craftsmen, who fashion beautiful gold, silver, copper, leather and wooden objects. The fragrance of freshly baked bread drifts across from an old bakery round the corner.
Don't miss to taste the simits, or small Bulgarian breads, and the woven banitza.
All around are old houses painted blue, yellow and green, roofs covered with flat stones, flowers on the window sills, small shops with wooden shutters, gas lanterns at street corners and a stone sink where you can drink mountain water with a silver spoon.
In the cool basement of the restaurant you are invited to sit on small chairs and low round tables made of old cherry wood. Garlands of dried onions, red peppers and garlic hang from the ceiling. Waiters wear traditional clothes in white and red.
The atmosphere would be even more authentic if you order rakia with sour cabbage and red pepper and finish your meal with buffalo yogurt with honey.
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Near
Gabrovo
is
the
600-year-old
village Bozhentsi
-
an
architectural
and
historical
reserve.
Bozhentsi
is
located
in
a
pretty
valley,
and
all
its
authentic
houses
date
back
to
The
Renaissance
period.
Bozhentsi
is
an
excellent
place
for
individual
and
family
tourism.
Ouzana
is
a
mountain
locality
near
Gabrovo.
The
geographical
centre
of
Bulgaria
is
found
here.
Ouzana
is
a
suitable
place
for
your
winter
and
summer
holiday.
Here
you
can
do
some
skiing,
horse-riding,
mountain-climbing,
etc.
The
distance
from
Lyulyatsite
Resort
(The
Lilac
Shrubs)
to
Gabrovo
is
15
km.
The
resort
is
famous
for
its
favourable
effects
on
some
cases
of
allergy,
hypertonia
and
chronic
diseases
of
respiratory
system.
A
lot
of
theatrical,
musical
and
folklore
professional
groups,
puppet-show,
pantomime
theatre,
Gabrovo
Chamber
Orchestra,
"Gabrovo"
-
Swing
Dixie
Band
and
a
lot
of
others
contribute
to
the
cultural
life
in
Gabrovo.
The
visitors
can
see
the
unique
expositions
of
the
History
Museum,
Art
Gallery
and
National
Museum
of
Education.
National
Museum
of
Education
is
located
in
the
building
of Aprilov
Grammar
School
-
the
first
non-clerical
secondary
school
in
Bulgaria.
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