Gabrovo

Welcome to Gabrovo - the town of laughter. This is where the one and only House of Humour and Satire is located. The city is also famous for its well-known Aprilovska Gimnazia, founded in 1835. At the beginning of the 18th century Bulgarian National Revival began with its main principles like the development of knowledge and education. Gabrovo was one of the Bulgarian spiritual centres at that time. It was here, on January 2, 1835, that the First Bulgarian Secular School was opened according to the Bell-Lancaster method with donations from Vasil Aprilov, Nikola Palauzov, Vasil Rasheev, and others.

Etara Ethnographic Complex will take you to the past, presenting domestic buildings and craft workshops. Feel the power of the craft and see what the masters create with their hands. Observe the motive power of water that our ancestors used for manufacturing. These innovations have left their mark in the DNA of the people of Gabrovo, because after the Liberation, the city became the largest textile centre in Bulgaria.

Gabrovo is a leader in many fields. The first student library, the first physics classroom, the first fabric supply factory for the Princely Court, the first meteorological station, the first tennis court and an ice rink were found here.

And if that seems not enough to you, know that the first light bulb in Bulgaria was lit in Gabrovo. If you haven't visited the geographical centre of Bulgaria yet, go.