Gabrovo Province: Crafts, Museums and Bulgarka Nature Park

The Etar Regional Ethnographic Open-Air Museum is Bulgaria’s only ethnographic open-air museum. It offers a tangible introduction to the craft traditions of Gabrovo Province. Other facets of the region can be seen in the museums and historic buildings of Gabrovo, the city’s carnival and the landscape of Bulgarka Nature Park.

Crafts at the Etar Museum

At the Etar Museum, you can watch craftspeople using traditional techniques. They work with metal, leather, wood, clay, wool, goat hair and other natural materials; visitors can take their products home. The museum is also home to Bulgaria’s only collection of working water-powered technical installations. On Crafts Street, you’ll find simit, banitsa and gevrek, as well as pestil, white confectionery, halva, homemade sweets and coffee brewed in hot sand.

The International Crafts Fair is also held annually at the Etar Museum. The program includes craft demonstrations, a master craftspeople competition and an international scientific conference. Dates vary; if you want to plan your trip around the fair, check the event dates for the year. Gabrovo also hosts a large-scale carnival. Its program dates vary too.

History and education in Gabrovo

In the 19th century, Gabrovo was one of Bulgaria’s most important craft centers, particularly for woodcarving and wool weaving. The Hadzhi Krastyu Aprilov Fountain offers a glimpse into the city’s earlier history: it was built in 1762 by Hadzhi Krastyu Aprilov, a relative of Vasil Aprilov. The fountain is considered the city’s oldest architectural monument. The Holy Trinity Church was built between 1804 and 1816 and consecrated in 1820 by Metropolitan Ioanikij of Tarnovo.

The National Museum of Education traces the development of Bulgarian education in an exhibition spanning five halls, from the 9th century to the present day. For children, the museum organizes activities and games in the permanent exhibition, in reconstructed monastery and mutual schools, in the multipurpose hall and in the museum library. Since 1979, the Gabrovo State Puppet Theatre has been housed in Bulgaria’s only building designed and built specifically as a puppet theatre.

Trails and nature in Bulgarka Nature Park

Three eco-trails lead from the Etar Museum to Sokolski Monastery, to Shipka Peak and through Bulgarka Nature Park. Trail conditions may vary. 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. Nature, varied terrain, biodiversity and cultural and historical heritage provide the basis for different forms of specialized tourism.

Gabrovo is also an important transport hub for getting around the region: one of Bulgaria’s main north–south routes passes through the city and forms part of Trans-European Transport Corridor IX. Bus routes 10 and 1 run regularly from Gabrovo city to the Etara district. Check local transport information before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Dryanovo, Gabrovo, Sevlievo, Tryavna, Burgas Province, Ruse Province, Varna Province, Montana Province.

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