Troyan Monastery, Etar and Tryavna – on the trail of Bulgarian crafts

In the heart of the Balkan Mountains, the living traditions of Bulgarian crafts survive. Potters, woodcarvers, coppersmiths, weavers and icon painters worked here during the National Revival, and today you can see their workshops and schools in action. This route links Troyan Monastery, Oreshak, the Etar open-air museum and Tryavna. Do it as a day trip to Troyan or as a relaxed 3–4 day tour.

Saeva Dupka cave

On the way from Sofia, near the village of Brestnitsa (Lovech region), is Saeva Dupka, one of Bulgaria’s most beautiful caves. Its stalactites, stalagmites and columns took millions of years to form. The halls are artfully lit, and one is called the “Concert Hall” for its excellent acoustics. Guided visits take about 40 minutes.

Troyan Monastery and Oreshak

Troyan Monastery (Dormition of the Virgin) is the third-largest monastery in Bulgaria and a bastion of Orthodoxy and Bulgarian identity. Vasil Levski, the national hero, set up a revolutionary committee here, and the monks hid him. The main church was painted by Zahari Zograf. It holds the miracle-working icon of the Three-Handed Virgin, which draws pilgrims.

In the neighbouring village of Oreshak is the National Exhibition of Arts and Crafts – the only place in the country that gathers work by masters from every ethnographic region. You can join workshops in pottery, glass painting, weaving or folk dancing. Pick up some Troyan pottery with its distinctive “dripping” pattern in brown, green and yellow.

On 24 June (Enyovden, Midsummer), Oreshak hosts a folk programme, demonstrations of traditional healing and a herb market.

Etar

About 8 km from Gabrovo is the Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex, an open-air museum with around 50 buildings. Its craft street has workshops for knife-making, pottery, copperwork, confectionery and woodcarving. There are also water-powered installations – a fulling mill, a watermill and a lathe. Craftsmen work in front of you and sell what they make. On holidays such as St George’s Day and Enyovden, Etar comes alive with customs and concerts.

Tryavna

Tryavna is home to the Tryavna School of art – Bulgaria’s oldest, famous for woodcarving, icon painting and building. Walk across the arched Kivgiren Bridge to the Clock Tower of 1814, whose original mechanism still works. Visit the Slaveykov House, Raykov House and Daskalov House with its famous carved ceiling “suns”, the result of a contest between two master carvers. Don’t miss the Museum of Woodcarving and Icon Painting. Tryavna is also the birthplace of the revolutionary Angel Kanchev.

Routes

Day trip from Sofia: Saeva Dupka (10:00) → Troyan Monastery (12:30) → lunch in Oreshak → the National Exhibition (15:00) → back in Sofia around 18:30.

4 days:

Saeva Dupka and Troyan, the town of crafts.
Troyan Monastery, the Oreshak exhibition and a pottery workshop.
Etar – a whole day among the workshops.
Tryavna – the bridge, tower, houses and woodcarving museum. Return in the evening.

Nearby

Gabrovo – the House of Humour and Satire.
Bozhentsi – an architectural reserve 15 km from Gabrovo.
Veliko Tarnovo – about an hour away. See Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanasi.

Practical tips

Buy the combined ticket at Etar if you want to go into most of the workshops.
In Troyan, try the famous Troyan plum brandy – there’s even a museum dedicated to it.
Dress modestly for the monastery, with shoulders and knees covered.