Gabrovo, traditions, creativity and humour
Gabrovo is a city with hundreds of years of history and culture. Visitors will find much of interest in the town’s history, culture, ethnography, religion, architecture and arts. The area is situated in “the heart” of Bulgaria, not only for its geographical position but also for its legendary foundation on, a place of productivity, pulsating with energy.
According to the local lore, the town, founded by a blacksmith, made use right from the start of the advantages the river and the woods were offering for production: knives, metal tools, turnery, textiles, furriery. This rich intangible heritage is part of the today creative tourism offer international travelers are enjoying through an immersion into Gabrovo’s culture.
For similar reasons, Gabrovo was designated Creative city of Crafts and Folk Art by UNESCO in 2017. As a Creative City, Gabrovo is committed to develop and exchange innovative practices to promote creative industries, strengthen participation in cultural life, and integrate culture into sustainable urban development policies.
Gabrovo is also called the international Capital of Humour. It is a very specific humour, full of self-irony, which characterizes Gabrovians as an ingenious – and creative – people when it comes to save money and any kind of resources.
The territory of Gabrovo includes 133 impressive villages, which are part of the magic of the region. Perched on the slopes of the Balkans, they are the ideal place for relax, summer residences for artists, art camps and performances. The nature of this mountainous city is this nuance, which softens the typical urban characteristics, whose industry cohabits in harmony with the cultural life and whose social-economical and community development involves messages and practices for an environmentally -friendly and healthy life.
Crafts, traditions, humour and satire as well as modern art are fundamental for Gabrovo’s cultural life. Cultural institutions in Gabrovo are various: the “Etar” Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, the Museum of the architectural historical reserve of the authentic village of Bozhentsi, the “House of Humour and Satire” (the city is designated as Capital of Humour and Satire!) and the Interactive Museum of Industry. Gabrovo also hosts numerous international fairs and festivals as the International fair of crafts, the International festival of humour and satire, the International meeting of the illusionists “Zaltna kotka”, the Festival of the spiritual music, the International festival of the chamber music and a number of other musical and theatrical forums, which form a knowledgeable audience with acute sensitivity.
Examples of creative tourism experiences are:
Creatives Experiences :
Gabrovo Cooking class: your own bulgarian specialities
Cooking class: your own bulgarian specialities
Ceramic workshop at the charming Emo Etar
Ceramic workshop at the charming Emo Etar
Glass workshop in Gabrovo
Creative Glass workshop in Gabrovo
Traditional bulgarian dances and musics workshop in Gabrovo
Traditional bulgarian dances and musics workshop in Gabrovo
