Gabrovo Province
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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 Fools 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. There are plenty of restaurants in the city itself but the locals will recommend that you go out of town and visit Bozenzi, 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, its 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 its 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 caf house, and a bakery selling Turkish Delight and many other sweet treats. An hour or sowalk 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 a octagonal stone fountain.Template:Bulgaria-geo-stub