Gabrovo Region

Bozhentsi The architectural reserve of Bozhentsi is located 16km to the north-east from Gabrovo, through the village of Kmetovtsi. The reserve consists of nearly 100 18th century Bulgarian Revival houses beyond which lies only forest. Beware that a couvert charge to enter the village may be required to enter the reserve. The settlement is said to date back more than 600 years, when a member of the nobility, Bozhana, brought her family here from a Veliko Turnovo being laid waste by the Ottomans. The village became prosperous, and is believed to have expanded to more than 1000 households, shrinking again when stability and liberation saw people returning to Veliko Turnovo and Gabrovo. In the interval, it became somewhat of an artists’ and writers’ colony. (Few of them seemed to have achieved very much; I suspect if I lived in a place that tranquil, indolence might too seduce my work ethic.) Bozhentsi charms with its cobbled streets, delicious home-made yoghurt, Turkish coffee and byalo sladko (a traditional sweet that may be dipped in the coffee). A high proportion of the houses offer rooms. Many of the houses appeared to be in private hands, and not only having been sold to foreigners. Within, or just outside, the solid stone walls that characterise the narrow lanes of the village were luxury cars with “C” (for Sofia) licence plates. Dryanovski monasteryDryanovo monastery is noted in Bulgarian history for the bravery of the detachment of rebels that held out within its walls during the 1876 April uprising, and whose surroundings of sheer stone cliffs mesmerise the gaze. The monastery was constructed and demolished two times since 12th century, until it was built up again in its current location in the 17th century.The monastery itself and a number of nearby hotels offer accommodation the tourists.An eco-track beyond the monastery leads to the Bacho Kiro cave. The cave, named for a hero of the uprising, is lit by electric light and stretches for about 1200m. Guides and brochures are available in a number of European languages. Sokolski monasteryBuilt in the 19th century high in the hills 12km from Gabrovo the Sokolski Monaster boasts a breathtaking panorama. The chapel is pained with enchanting iconography dating back to 1862. The fountain in the monastery yard is a monument of architecture.The monastery, as most monasteries in Bulgaria, played an important role in Bulgaria’s liberation movement, by hosting rebels.The monastery offers accommodation.