Gabrovo is a small province lying at the geographical centre of Bulgaria. Its main city is Gabrovo, while other towns include Sevlievo, Dryanovo and Tryavna. Long known for producing leatherwork and textiles that earned the town the sobriquet of the “Manchester of Bulgaria”, Gabrovo is charmingly laid-back provincial place. To the Bulgarians Gabrovo is mainly known as the home of the Humour and Satire, which opened on Aprils Fool’s Day 1972 in recognition of the position traditionally occupied by the town in the Bulgarian humour. People in every country tell jokes about the supposed miserliness of a particular community, and in Bulgaria the butt of the gags has always been Gabrovo. A Festival of Humour and Satire takes place in May, comprising masked carnivals, folk music, animated cartoons and prize-giving. The number of the tourists is increasingly growing and it gives job to the real estate agency Bulgaria. There are plenty of restaurants in the city itself but the locals will recommend that you go out of town and visit Bozhentsi, preserved old village museum, or the ethnographic complex Etara nearby. Strung out along the valley, with its clear bubbling stream and rich bird-life, the Etara complex has the look and feel of a film-set, and even though is artificial, it’s nonetheless convincing, and a joy to explore. Traditionally, crafts were inseparable from the charshya (bazaar), and reconstructed bazaar of the type once common in Bulgarian towns forms the heart of the complex. Throughout much of the day artisans are at work here, hammering blades, throwing pots, carving bowls and alike, and everything they make is for sale, although note that many of the artisans leave an hour or so before the complex officially closes. Even if your interest in crafts is minimal it’s difficult not to admire the interiors of the old houses, which achieve great beauty through the skilful use of simple materials. Besides dwellings and workshops , the bazaar include couple of places for grabbing a quick drink, including a traditional café house, and a bakery selling Turkish Delight and many other sweet treats. An hour or so’walk southwest from Etara, Sokolsky Monastery perches on a crag above the village of Voditsi. During Ottoman times the monks offered succour to Bulgarian outlaws and assembly point during the Rising against the Turks in 1876.Nowadays it is a discreet, little-visited place, with rosebushes and privet shrubs laid out in a courtyard dominated by an octagonal stone fountain.

Municipality	Territory  in m2	Population density persons / кm2	Number of town and village councils	Number of towns and villages
Gabrovo	555 579	130,2	7	134
Dryanovo	271 162	41,5	2	63
Sevlievo	941 355	44,4	21	53
Tryavna	254 909	53,9	1	106
Total	2 023 005	68,8	31	356

Gabrovo has good transport communications with the major cities in the country. It is 220 km away from the capital Sofia, 274 km from Varna and 234 from Bourgas. The nearest airport is 60 km away in the town of Gorna Oryahovitsa.

Economic Characteristics

5410 enterprises and firms from Gabrovo region were active in 2003. The main part of them 4 651(90,5%) are micro enterprises with up to 10 employees. 102 of the active firms belong to the agricultural branch, 1167 – to the industrial and 3871 are engaged with service delivery. Most of the working companies are private - 98,99%. Only 52 firms are municipal. The net sale revenues for 2003 are 1200,6 million leva and 97,0% of them are from the private sector. The greatest share of revenues comes from the branches “Mining and processing industry”, “Electricity, gas and water-supply” and “Building and construction works”. Also the real estate agency Bulgaria is inevitably present there.

In 2002 the companies in Gabrovo region realized gross added value for 524 426 000 leva. The sector of service delivery has the greatest share – 45.43 % of the added value for the region. The Gross domestic product index for Gabrovo region is higher than the average for the country and for North Central Planning Region. 76 enterprises with foreign participation are registered at the end of 2003 in Gabrovo region. Compared to 1999, the number of foreign companies on the territory of Gabrovo region increased twice. Most of them work in the sphere of trade, textile and clothes production, and metallurgy. 178 million dollars are invested in Gabrovo region for the period 1992-2003. Part of them are invested in buying real estates that are usually maintained by the real estate agency Bulgaria. The main investors are American Standard, Hamberger, Dzalli, etc. Territorially speaking the direct foreign investments are concentrated in Sevlievo municipality, where the biggest investor is American Standard, whose Bulgarian enterprises Vidima Ideal and Ideal Standard are specialized in manufacturing sanitary faience and industrial fittings.

The total amount of direct foreign investments in North Central Planning Region (NCPR) is 360 324,3 thousand USD and Gabrovo region takes 42,65% of them leading before the other four regions included in the NCPR.

Tourism is a priority branch for Gabrovo region. The unique combination of nature and climate, historical and cultural sites makes Gabrovo region an attractive destination for Bulgarian and foreign tourists. The National Park “Central Balkan” and Nature Park “Balgarka” are situated on the territory of the region and preserve protected areas, flora and fauna representatives. There are 5 newly-established eco-paths in Gabrovo region that demonstrate the natural beauty of Gabrovo. In 2004-2005 three projects – two for cultural tourism and one for eco tourism – were realized for reconstructing the existing tourist infrastructure, the cultural sites and for popularizing the opportunities for tourism in Gabrovo region. Winter tourism is developed at Uzana ski resort and Lyulyatsi countryside and resthouse. In 2003 the functioning accommodation places in the region are 23 with 1618 beds. In 2003 the nights spent by Bulgarians and foreigners are 114 167. The latter increasingly buy houses and parcels in the local villages and turn to the real estate agency Bulgaria to serve them.

Agriculture is not a priority branch in Gabrovo region since agricultural land is scarce and not very generous. The mountainous and semi-mountainous terrains prevail. There are 1 018 192 dka agricultural land in Gabrovo region and only 67% of it is arable. Plant-growing is developed only to satisfy the needs of farming. The real estate agency Bulgaria acts as an agent between foreign owners of houses in rural regions and the food producers. However the production of wheat, barley and corn is steadily going down in the last years. The plum is the most common perennial plant produced in the region. Cherries, apples and strawberries are also cultivated. Cattle-breeding is developed in the region - cows, sheep, goats are grown for milking. The following table shows the tendency toward decrease in the number of cattle:

Boosting the sustainable and balanced development of Gabrovo region by international cooperation; Stimulating economic growth by:

Transport: The roads are the main element of the transport scheme. The existing road network in the region is comparatively good. Its total length is 1 106 km, 980 km of which are asphalted. Most of the roads are third and fourth-class:

The transeuropean road E-85 from Sankt Peterburg and Bucharest to Greece and Turkey

Electric power system: The electric supply system of Gabrovo region functions as part of the united Bulgarian electric power system. The regional electric power system is well developed and scaled to endure bigger loading. The problems of the electric power network in the municipalities arise from some quality parameters of the electric power in a number of villages.

Water-supply system: Gabrovo region avails of Karst waters, which have unstable debit around the year. There are 397 water-sources in the region. The total length of the water-supply network is 1 623,13 км, there are 78 water pump stations; The total amount of water-supply is 30 302 000. м3 per year. The existing water supply system in the region is worn out, with lots of water wastes and expenses for running repairs.

Communications and Internet: The national mobile operators Mtel and Globul have network on the territory of Gabrovo region. The Bulgarian Telecommunication Company is also represented in the region for household and administrative needs. The digitalization of the telephones in the region is going on. There are 8 980 digital telephones, which is 15,45% of the total number. The telephone density is 54,73 %, which is some higher than the average figure for the country. Most of the settlements are included in the system of automatic telephone dialing. The optic network of the town is 7 km and is organized in one optic ring (1 per155 Mbit/s – STM – 1). There are 2 digital telephone exchanges EWSD Siemens with total capacity of 10712 PSTN lines, 264 ISDN ports for basic access and 40 ISDN ports for primary access. The internet providers cover the four towns in the region – Gabrovo, Sevlievo, Dryanovo, Tryavna. There is cable and wireless access to internet. The price of limited cable internet access /33,6 Kbps/ is 30 lv per month. As to the monthly charge for high speed connection /256 Kbps/ by DSL it is 110.00 lv. for 1000 МВ traffic.

1. Gasification of Gabrovo Region – it is an infrastructure project and its essence is the construction of a gas–main network. The gasification project concerns basically the territories of the three municipalities – Dryanovo, Gabrovo, Tryavna /Sevlievo has a partially–constructed gas-main/.

This is a project of national importance. The project for the tunnel crossing of the mountain Stara Planina includes the building of:
А/ Direct permanent way /beat road/ 10,340 km. long and a stage connection 3,130 km. long.
B/ Road tunnel Shipka 3,2 km. long. Construction measurement: width - 10 m., height – 4,8 m., number of roadways - 2 х 3,75 m.
The project realization will fulfil efficiently the function of the transport corridor to be multimodal and will contribute to the development of an enduring and effective transport network, meeting the social, economic and ecological needs of citizens.
3. Byala Dam – the project is concerned with the finalization of the dam construction, which will resolve the problem with drinking-water supply for more than 40 settlements in the following municipalities – Sevlievo, Gabrovo, Dryanovo, V.Tarnovo, Apriltzi and Troyan. The capacity of the dam is 18 mil.m3. 80 million leva are needed for the project to be realized in 4 years.
4. Neikovtzi Dam – on the territory of Tryavna municipality. There are two sub-sites – a dam and a purifying station Drinking water – Tryavna. The total cost of the project is 25 million leva. The realization of the four infrastructure projects will contribute to the economic revival of the region and the investment attraction. It will improve the quality of life and increase the state and municipal revenue.
5. Tourist Complex Uzana – The essence of the project is developing and improving the tourist site Uzana as a resort for recreation and sports in all seasons, for national and international tourism.
6. Regional Waste Depot and Plants for Waste Treatment – The problem with environment protection is part of the growing need of both society and economics. Technically the project includes five sub-sites, which will be fulfilled for six years. The total cost of the project is 71 900 000 leva.
7. Hi–Tech Park Gabrovo – it has the aim to attract and support initiatives for technically–oriented companies, which will become a growth factor in Gabrovo. The park will make use of the material base and the scientifical potential of Technical University – Gabrovo. The project envisages a business plan for the first five years and an initiation of credit programs with a total cost of 30 940 000 leva. The realization period is 5 years.
All these projects are welcomed by the great number of real estate agency Bulgaria in the region to advance their activities.

Cultural Tourism
Each generation discovers the past for itself depending on how that past is handed down to it, hence our commitment to prevent the relegation of history to the deeper shades of obscurity. The cultural route “Travelling Through the Unknown Revival takes us along the caravan routes crossing Bulgaria far and wide so that merchants could deliver the best and the finest produce of the land to the country's remotest corners. Since ancient times Haynboaz and Shipka Passes have linked Tryavna, Dryanovo, Sevlievo and Gabrovo. Our first stop on the way is Tryavna. Initially it was part of the old Bulgarian capital Tarnovgrad but later it became famous for its wood-carved churches, houses and icon-painting tradition. Dryanovo is next along the way with its tall stone walls moulded by the hands of true craftsmen. It is the birthplace of Usta Kolyo Ficheto, a famous master-builder, who built houses and bridges standing proudly to this day for admirers to marvel at. Another picturesque town - Sevlievo - stands across the plain and rich fields irrigated by Rositsa River where the wheat crops that the entire region feeds on are grown and where proud and hard working people live together driven by a common goal. The road to Shipka takes us to Gabrovo, the town of travelling merchants, skillful technicians and gun and knife blacksmiths. The four towns attract foreign investments for buying real estate and the activity of the real estate agency Bulgaria companies grows up fast. The people of Gabrovo have long been known as rather miserly, although education has always been extremely well financed in town and perhaps that was the reason why the first secular school in modern Bulgaria opened its doors there.
The four towns have their distinctive features but what unites them is the mountain, the rivers springing from it, the common history, the common family origin and interests. The Revival is the time when people and lands formerly unknown become famous and the world rediscovers Bulgaria and the Balkan people – tradesmen, skillful artisans, talented wood-carvers and icon-painters, famous builders and farmers.

The City of Gabrovo
Gabrovo was found in Medieval times as a strategic settlement in immediate proximity to the two passes in the central part of the Balkan Mountain. The legend tells us its founder was Racho Kovacha (Racho the Blacksmith). Gradually other settlers came here. They were skilled in dressmaking, cooking, cart repairing and leather-processing. Because of the big elm by the blacksmith’s fireplace the town was named Gabrovo (elm-tree is ‘gabar’ in Bulgarian).
History
The area around Gabrovo, inhabited since the Neolithic, gained economic importance after Veliko Tarnovo became capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the 12th century. Craftsmanship and trade prospered due to the proximity to both the capital and the Balkan passes. Medieval Gabrovo was a small pass village of about 100 houses.
Houses of the late 19th-early 20th century in Gabrovo's central partAccording to the most widespread legend, Gabrovo was founded by a young blacksmith called Racho, close to whose fireplace a hornbeam (габър, gabar in Bulgarian) rose, so the settlement acquired its name.
After the Ottoman invasion of the Balkans in the 14th century, the demographic position of Gabrovo changed significantly, as it was the only settlement in a considerably large geographic area and an attractive place for Bulgarians fleeing from the conquered capital and neighbouring fortresses. It turned from a village into a small town (palanka) and began to develop as an economic, cultural and spiritual centre.
The Bulgarian National Revival church of Gabrovo, an architectural monumentDuring Ottoman rule, the rich tradesmen spent plenty of resources for the small town's public planning. The first Bulgarian secular school, the Aprilov Gymnasium, was founded in Gabrovo in 1835 with the aid of Vasil Aprilov and Nikolay Palauzov. Gabrovo was officially proclaimed a town by the Ottoman authority in May 1860.
Shortly before and after the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878, Gabrovo developed as a centre of industry on the basis of its economic traditions. Joint-stock companies emerged, factories were constructed and connections to the large stock exchanges were created, prompting some to label the town "The Bulgarian Manchester". Also the real estate market grows up together with the real estate agency Bulgaria.
Culture
Internationally known as a centre of humour and satire, Gabrovo has two theatres, the Racho Stoyanov Drama Theatre and the puppet theatre, a House of Humour and Satire that serves as a cultural institute, a centre, museum and gallery to popularise comic art. There is also a cinema, Aleko Cinema, and a number of museums and menorial houses both in the town and around it, most notably the Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex and the Museum of Education at the Aprilov Gymnasium. A planetarium is also in operation. Gabrovo is twinnned with the Belgian town of Aalst and Mogilev in Belarus.
Places Of Interest:
Aprilov High School is the first secular school in modern Bulgarian history. It is founded in 1835 by donations of a special fund established by Vassil Aprilov. This is the first modern building in Bulgaria specially intended for a school. The monument of Vassil Aprilov – one of the most generous donors, a reformer and ideologist of national education – is in the school front yard. Many of the leading politicians of modern Bulgaria were educated at the school. Following its founder’s will nowadays the school building unites a functioning national school (Aprilov National High School) and the Museum of Education. The museum is a monument of culture of national significance.
Gabrovo Museum of History. The history Museum in Gabrovo has a standing exposition– Gabrovo and its townsfolk – as well as collection of coins and traditional attire, a “Royal Chamber” and archeological finds. The first historical collection of 1883 in the Aprilov High School marked the inception of the museum. The extensive holdings of the History Museum comprise exhibits from the Paleolithic period, late-antique civilizations (4th – 6th c) on these land, the First and Second Bulgarian States, the National Revival period and the industrial boom of the Gabrovo through the present-day times.
The Clock Tower also dates back to 1835 and is one of the highest in Bulgaria – 27.70 m. It is a prominent landmark and has been included on the itinerary of many sightseeing tours providing chance to have a look at the authentic clockwork. A monument of culture and an intriguing feature of the central town square. The clock works were made by Gabrovo craftsman Ivan Sahatchiyta (Ivan the Clockmaker) but the bell was imported by Vienna.
 
Sevlievo
Sevlievo began to develop as an administrative, military, strategic and economic centre during the 10th century. From the second half of the 18th century the town became a Turkish 'kaaza' (district centre) of 50 smaller towns and villages in an area where crafts flourished – leather-processing, dressmaking, metal processing, wood-carving. Many foreign visitors prefer the town for a living place and buy houses using the services of the real estate agency Bulgaria.
History
The earliest traces of occupation in the region date back to the late Neolithic period (around the 8th century BC). Some Thracian tombs still survive. Hotalich Fortress is the last medieval town. It had been inhabited for more than 1,000 years and functioned as an important defensive centre. Hotalich existed for centuries together with the settlement on the site of the contemporary town, known as Servi and Selvi.
In the middle of the 19th century, the development of crafts led to the concentration of large sums of money in the crafts' societies. Commercial trips across the Ottoman Empire, Europe and Russia enriched general knowledge.
In 1834 St Prophet Eliah Church was restored and in 1836 the medieval Batoshevo Monastery was rebuilt. In the mid-1850s, Kolyu Ficheto, a prominent master of the Bulgarian National Revival period, built the stone bridge over the Rositsa River. In 1844 the famous wealthy craftsman and merchant, Hadzhi Stoyan Nikolov, invested his own money in the building of a huge school.
In 1870, under the direct guidance of Vasil Levski, known as the "Apostle of Freedom", a revolutionary committee was created. It prepared the population of Sevlievo for the April Uprising in 1876. The Bulgarians from this region took an active part in the uprising.
Ottoman occupation of the town ended 2 July 1877. As a major cultural institute, the loacl community centre has existed for 127 years. The Mara Belcheva House of Culture became the new centre of cultural events.
Places of Interest
The central square with the Monument of Liberty built in the 80s of the 19th century on the design of the Czech artist Horeishi and made by the sculptor A. Dzoky. The monument has an authentic Roman column from the Roman settlement Nicopolis ad Istrum built into it. The Russian armies were met in this square after the town was liberated and the Turkish armies had been driven away.
The Clock Tower is one of the four oldest ones in the country. According to the inscription it was built in 1777. The clockwork and all mechanical components are still functioning today. In June 1877 Sevlievo townsfolk welcomed the Russian armies there.
St. Ilya Church is the oldest preserved church in town and has been built solely with funds donated by the local population. There are valuable icons in the church by icon-painters from Novo Selo.
Dandolovite Kashti Museum consist of a residential section and trading premises typical of the Revival period (1870). In fact there are three individual houses under the same roof and a leather workshop and several small shops on the basement. The house is in typical architectural design with a prominent facade looking onto the street and a deep-set backyard. The History Museum expositions, urban and village interiors from the Sevlievo area, the typical Sevlievo courtyard of the Revival period, the beauty of artistic objects made by the artisans of Sevlievo during the Revival are in Dandalov Houses.   
Hadji Stoyan School Museum of History is the first secular school in town and one of the first ten schools in Bulgaria before the Liberation. It was built round 1844-1845 entirely with the funds donated by the great patriot Hadji Stoyan Nikolov. The Archeology and Revival expositions of the Sevlievo Museum of History are there.
Tabahna Leather Workshop. This is the only one large leather manufacture in the country, which has been fully restored to its original condition. Built in 1873 it functioned until 1948. The ground floor houses the exposition of the Historic museum “Leather crafts in Revival Period Sevlievo”.
Batoshevski Monastery Assumption of the Holy Virgin was founded in the 13th century during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom if the stone-engraved inscription in the courtyard is to be believed. The monastery was burnt to ashes and leveled with the ground in 1836. The wood-carved iconostasis made by Tzanyu Zahariev (the Elder) of the Tryavna Icon Painting School, is of great value and it forms a part of Bulgarian national heritage. All other icons have been painted by the great painter of the Revival Stanislav Dospevsky. The monastery also housed one of the very first secular schools of the Revival era where Matey Preobrajensky and Bacho Kiro studied.

Tryavna
Fresh mountain air, lushness, century-old woods, crystal-clear rivulets, modern architecture elegantly blending in with the stunning beauty of Revival houses - Tryavna is synonymous with all these. Even today the town emanates the spirit of its forefathers - famous builders, woodcarvers and icon-painters. The old town has been declared an architectural reservation, which has approximately 140 monuments of Revival architecture within its bounds. It attracts tourists and new inhabitants who turn to real estate agency Bulgaria for assistance.
Tryavna has the only truly authentic Revival town square architectural set preserved in Bulgaria. In addition to the other major public buildings of cultural significance, Dyado Nikola Square hosts the Clock Tower, built in 1844. The Tower and the Hunched Bridge built in 1845 are the most prominent landmarks of the town.
Places of interest
St.Archangel Michael Church is the oldest church in the town and is a monument of national significance dating back to the Middle Ages. The wood-carved altar was made by the Tryavna craftsmen Papa Vitan, Simeon Koev and Dyado Doncho. The bishop's throne is one of the finest examples of the Tryavna woodcarving school. The church is home to the Royal Cross made of boxwood on which 12 evangelical scenes have been carved up.
Saint George Church was built between 1848 and 1850 by Usta Dimiter Sergyuv. The Romanian church pews are richly decorated with wood-carved elements and demonstrate the skill of the self-taught craftsmen of this region.    
The Icon Painting School Museum of Tryavna stands at the heart of the Royal Chapel, which was built in 1943-1944 and given to the town as a present by Queen Joanna. The museum has the only representative collection of icons painted by famous Tryavna icon-painters between the 17th until the end of the 19th century. Over 160 icons represent the artistry of 6 famous families of icon-painters. In addition the museum has an exhibition of icon-painting instruments and instructions for painting in compliance with the canons of Orthodox Christianity.    
The Tryavna School was built between 1836 and 1839 and is one of the first secular schools in the country. Petko R. Slaveykov was a teacher at the school, save for short breaks, for nearly eight years. It houses one of the oldest libraries in Bulgaria (1847) and the local Community Centre Trudolyubie.
Slaveykov's House is a museum dedicated to the life and work of Petko and Pencho Slaveykovi. The famous Bulgarian poet and Revival activist Petko R. Slaveykov lived there between 1853 and 1876. The house has exhibitions showing the way of life typical of the age and a number of documents related to the life and work of the famous father and son.
The Asian and African Art Museum contains part of the donation of Zlatko Paunov, a Bulgarian sculptor living in New York, USA. There are over 200 artifacts originating from Tibet, Nepal, China, India and several African countries. All of them are authentic cult-oriented artifacts dating back to various periods in history from the 2nd to the 20th century.

Dryanovo
The town lies on the northern slopes of the central Balkan range spreading towards the valley of Dryanovska River. The oldest traces of human life on the Balkan Peninsula have been discovered in Bacho Kiro Cave. They testify the existence of human life as far as the Paleolithic age.
During the Ottoman domination the settlement enjoyed certain privileges - the population was exempt from payment of taxes against a commitment to protect the mountain passes. Like all other Balkan Mountain towns and villages, Dryanovo flourished during the Revival period. The town became famous for its wood-carvers and builders. One of the most glorious episodes of the April Uprising is the defence of the Dryanovo Monastery. Some of the visitors settle the town buying stylish homes assisted by the real estate agency Bulgaria.
Places of Interest
St. Nichola Church. The building of the church began in 1835. The foundations were laid by Ivan Davdata but the entire building was completed by Kolyo Ficheto. Having finished the church he was officially recognised as master of the building craft. The church is a three-dome basilica supported by wooden columns. The facades are richly decorated by wave-patterned pediment.
The Holy Trinity Church was built in 1847. The church is entirely stone-built with horizontal layers of lime in between. It has three domes and is uniapsidal in design.
The Clock Tower. What remains of the old Dryanovo Square are several houses, which are very interesting from an architectural point of view. These are Ikonomov's House, Afazov's House, Rumunov's House, Taninov's House in the Boyuv Dam hamlet. The old Clock Tower in the town-centre has been fully restored.
Kolyo Ficheto Museum is dedicated to the self-taught master-builder of the same name who made his home town famous far and wide with the unique houses he designed and built - the Byala River Bridge, the Sokolsky Monastery Fountain, St. Nicholas Church in Dryanovo, the Osam River covered bridge in Lovech, to mention but a few.
Dryanovo Monastery is situated 4 km to the west of Dryanovo, tucked amidst the rock formations of the Balkan foothill and the picturesque river gorge. It was founded sometime in the 12th century. Between the 15th and 18th centuries it was one of the very few monastic establishments, which kept its doors open to the faithful Christian population in the central Balkan Mountain area. After the fire of 1845 only the church remained. The museum exhibition tells the story of the Dryanovo area - from the age of the earliest Paleolithic settlements to the Bulgarian Liberation.
Bacho Kiro Cave is close to Dryanovo Monastery in the fascinating canyons of Andaka River and Dryanovska River. It stands 300 meters away from the Archangel Michael Monastery set into a sheer lime rock. The cave was opened for tourists in 1938 owing to the efforts and hard work of Dryanovo townsfolk. The cave offers a picturesque tourist itinerary, which is easy and pleasant to follow, as well as a modern attractive lighting system, which allows full view.