Gabrovo Province

Gabrovo Province , former name Gabrovo okrug) is a small province lying at the geographical centre of Bulgaria. It is named after its main town - Gabrovo. In 2009 the total population of the area is 130,001.

Gabrovo • Sevlievo • Tryavna • Dryanovo Municipalities within Gabrovo Province with their main towns

Population

The Gabrovo province had a population of 144,150 (144,125 also given) according to a 2001 census, of which 7001484000000000000♠48.4% were male and 7001516000000000000♠51.6% were female. As of the end of 2009, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 130,001 of which 7001304000000000000♠30.4% are inhabitants aged over 60 years.

The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II:

Gabrovo Province Year 1946 1956 1965 1975 1985 1992 2001 2005 2007 2009 2011 Population 151,209 154,864 168,629 175,933 174,681 161,987 144,125 136,621 133,854 130,001 122,702 Sources: National Statistical Institute, „Census 2001“, „Census 2011“, „pop-stat.mashke.org“,?? Ethnic groups in Gabrovo Province (2011 census) Ethnic group Percentage Bulgarians   92.2% Turks   5.6% Gypsies   1.1% others and indefinable   1.0%

Total population (2011 census): 122 702

Ethnic groups (2011 census): Identified themselves: 115 358 persons:

• Bulgarians: 106 406 (92.24%)
• Turks: 6 464 (5.60%)
• Gypsies: 1 305 (1.13%)
• Others and indefinable: 1 183 (1.03%)

Religion

Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:

Census 2001 religious adherence population % Orthodox Christians 131 325 91.12% Muslims 8 860 6.15% Roman Catholics 432 0.30% Protestants 270 0.19% Other 534 0.36% Religion not mentioned 2 704 1.88% total 144 125 100%

Main city

Gabrovo is the main city of the Province of Gabrovo. Long known for producing leather articles and textiles that earned the town the sobriquet of the “Manchester of Bulgaria”, Gabrovo is a charmingly laid-back provincial place.

To the Bulgarians, Gabrovo is mainly known as the home of 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 jokes has always been Gabrovo.

A Festival of Humour and Satire takes place in May, comprising masked actors, folk music, animated cartoons and the giving of prizes. There are plenty of restaurants in the city itself but the local people will recommend that you go out of town and visit Bozhentsi and the Etara complex.

Bozhentsi and Etara

Bozhentsi is preserved as an old village museum. There is an ethnographic open-air museum, 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 it is artificial, it is nonetheless convincing and a joy to explore.

Traditionally crafts were inseparable from the charshya (bazaar), and the reconstructed bazaar of the type once common in Bulgarian towns forms the heart of the open-air museum. Throughout much of the day artisans are at work here, hammering blades, throwing pots, carving bowls and the like, and everything they make is for sale. 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 includes a couple of places for grabbing a quick drink, including a traditional café, 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 an assembly point during the uprising 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.

Tourism

Places of interest in Gabrovo province include architectural reserve Bozhentsi. Hiking is widely available in the Central Balkan National Park and in the Bulgarka Nature Park, itself home to Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex, Dryanovo Monastery, Sokolski Monastery, Shipka Pass, and the Uzana area. For admirers of historical tourism Shipka Memorial is a must-see.. For admirers of historical tourism, Shipka is a must-see.