Discover Gabrovo Province

• The Etar Open-Air Museum showcases traditional crafts and has Bulgaria’s only collection of operational water-powered technical installations.
• Three eco-trails lead from the Etar Museum to Sokolski Monastery, Shipka Peak and through Bulgarka Nature Park.
• The nature park covers areas in the municipalities of Gabrovo and Tryavna. It is home to more than 1,300 plant species, including 32 listed in Bulgaria’s Red Data Book.
• In Gabrovo, the National Museum of Education and several historic buildings reveal different aspects of the city’s history.

The Regional Ethnographic Open-Air Museum Etar is Bulgaria’s only ethnographic open-air museum. Visitors can watch craftspeople using traditional methods to work with materials including metal, leather, wood, clay, wool and goat hair. The craftspeople make items that visitors can take home. A distinctive feature of the museum is its collection of operational water-powered technical installations.

The food selection is also part of the experience on Craftsmen Street. You can find simit, banitsa and gevrek, as well as pestil, white confectionery, halva and homemade sweets. Coffee is also brewed in sand. If you are interested in crafts and regional specialties, Etar offers more than a look at exhibits: traditional working methods and a variety of foods are presented side by side as tangible experiences.

The International Crafts Fair takes place at the Etar Museum every year. Its programme includes craft demonstrations, a master crafts competition and an international scientific conference. Gabrovo also hosts a large-scale carnival. Both events complement the region’s cultural offerings; be sure to check their dates separately when planning your trip.

In the 19th century, Gabrovo was one of Bulgaria’s most important craft centres, particularly for woodcarving and wool weaving. The National Museum of Education brings another part of the story to life: an exhibition across five halls traces the development of Bulgarian education from the 9th century to the present day. The museum organises activities and games for children in the permanent exhibition, in reconstructed monastery and mutual schools, in the multipurpose hall and in the museum library.

The city’s historic buildings include the Holy Trinity Church 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 dates from 1762 and was built by Hadzhi Krastyu Aprilov, a relative of Vasil Aprilov. It is considered the city’s oldest architectural monument. These places complement a museum visit with tangible examples of the city’s architectural and urban history.

The State Puppet Theatre Gabrovo also has a distinctive architectural history: since 1979, it has been housed in Bulgaria’s only building designed and built specifically for a puppet theatre.

Bulgarka Nature Park combines nature, varied terrain, biological diversity and cultural and historical heritage. These features provide opportunities for different forms of specialised tourism. The three eco-trails starting from the Etar Museum lead to different destinations: Sokolski Monastery, Shipka Peak or through the nature park. When planning, choose according to the destination that interests you; information about trail length or difficulty is not available here.

Bus routes 10 and 1 run regularly between Gabrovo city and the Etara neighbourhood. One of Bulgaria’s main north–south routes also passes through Gabrovo and forms part of Pan-European Transport Corridor IX. When choosing a hotel, you can take your planned visits and the most suitable base into account without assuming that individual sights are close to one another.

For more information by subregion: GabrovoGabrovo, TryavnaTryavna, DryanovoDryanovo and SevlievoSevlievo. More regions to compare: Targovishte ProvinceTargovishte Province, Burgas ProvinceBurgas Province, Kyustendil ProvinceKyustendil Province and Lovech ProvinceLovech Province.

Which destinations can you reach on the eco-trails from the Etar Museum?

The three eco-trails lead to Sokolski Monastery, Shipka Peak and through Bulgarka Nature Park.

What does the National Museum of Education showcase?

Five exhibition halls trace the development of Bulgarian education from the 9th century to the present day.

What food and drinks are available on Craftsmen Street at the Etar Museum?

You can find simit, banitsa, gevrek, pestil, white confectionery, halva, homemade sweets and coffee brewed in sand.

For the broader travel overview: Bulgaria.