In Gabrovo Province, crafts are more than a part of history: at the Etar Regional Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, you can watch craftspeople demonstrate traditional techniques. There are also museums and churches in Gabrovo, as well as trails through Bulgarka Nature Park—different ways to explore a region whose cultural heritage and landscape can be experienced in many ways.
Crafts at the Etar Museum
The Etar Regional Ethnographic Open-Air Museum is Bulgaria’s only ethnographic open-air museum. Visitors can watch craftspeople work metal, leather, wood, clay, wool, goat hair and other natural materials using traditional methods. You can take their products home with you. Another special feature of the museum is Bulgaria’s only collection of working water-powered technical installations: alongside handicrafts, technology is also part of what Etar has to offer.
On the craftspeople’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. The International Crafts Fair takes place at the museum every year. Its programme includes craftspeople’s demonstrations, a master crafts competition and an international scientific conference. As the dates vary, it’s worth checking the event schedule if you plan to visit the fair.
Gabrovo: Crafts and History
Gabrovo itself provides a historical backdrop to these craft techniques: in the 19th century, the city was one of Bulgaria’s most important craft centres, particularly for woodcarving and wool weaving. At the National Museum of Education, an exhibition in five halls traces the development of Bulgarian education from the 9th century to the present day. The museum also organises activities and games for children in the permanent exhibition, reconstructed monastery and mutual schools, the multipurpose hall and the museum library.
Individual buildings also tell the story of the city. The Holy Trinity Church in Gabrovo was built between 1804 and 1816 and consecrated in 1820 by Metropolitan Ioanikiy of Tarnovo. The Hadzhi Krastyu Aprilov fountain was built in 1762 by a relative of Vasil Aprilov. It is considered the city’s oldest architectural monument. The State Puppet Theatre Gabrovo offers another glimpse of the city’s cultural life: since 1979, it has been housed in Bulgaria’s only building designed and built specifically for a puppet theatre.
Bulgarka Nature Park and Trails from Etar
Bulgarka Nature Park covers areas within the municipalities of Gabrovo and Tryavna. More than 1,300 plant species have been recorded there, including 32 species listed in Bulgaria’s Red Data Book. Three eco-trails lead from the Etar Museum to Sokolski Monastery, Mount Shipka and through Bulgarka Nature Park. The trails have different destinations, and conditions can vary, so it’s a good idea to check information about the trail you plan to take before setting out.
Getting Around and Events
Bus routes 10 and 1 run regularly from the city of Gabrovo to the Etara district. Check local transport information before your trip. The north–south route that runs through Gabrovo also provides a connection across the region: it is one of Bulgaria’s most important routes and part of the Trans-European Transport Corridor IX. The city’s events calendar also includes a large-scale carnival. If you’re planning your trip around a particular event, check its dates in advance.
Discover More Subregions
Gabrovo, Sevlievo, Tryavna, Dryanovo
Discover More Destinations
Sliven Province, Stara Zagora Province, Lovech Province, Veliko Tarnovo Province
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