Location: Tryavna, Gabrovo Province Map
Official site
Art-M Hotel 20 Angel Kanchev St Tel. +359 6776 2492
Brashlyan Hotel Complex 6 Panorama St Tel. +359 6776 3019
Complex Harmony Hotel 54 Hristo Botev St Tel. +359 6776 2460
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Tryavna is a historic Bulgarian city in Central Bulgaria situated in
the Tryavna river valley. The city managed to preserve its
traditional architecture and historic heritage. Originally found by
the Thracian tribes much of the city date back to the 18th- 19th
centuries. Lack of hordes of tourists additionally add charm to this
authentic Bulgarian city. Tryavna is a small picturesque town in
Central Bulgaria near Gabrovo. Its architectural appearance is one
of the most remarkable and well preserved examples of Bulgarian
Revival period that took place in the 18th and 19th century.
Additionally Tryavna is also famous for its artisans, craftsmen and
artists. At the time it was part of the Ottoman Empire that was
officially a Muslim country. Bulgarians that were predominantly
Christian were seeking for a way to self- identify themselves in the
country those officials were often hostile to the local religion and
traditions.
A big influence of Tryavna Revival was
influenced by medieval churches and buildings that survived
centuries of neglect and foreign invasions. One of the most
important religious buildings that date to the period is a church of
Archangel Michael located on the Square of Dyado Nikola. It dates
back to the 12th century.
Tryavna Clock Tower (Tryavna)
Tryavna Clock
Tower was constructed in 1814 by Tryavna artisans as well as local
citizens. The clock mechanism itself was made in 1815 by the
craftsmen from Gabrovo. It reaches a total height of 21.15 meters.
At the time of its construction it was the highest building in the
city.
Tryavna Clock Tower can be divided into three parts. The
lowest part is a square shaped base, middle part is octagon shaped
crowned by a small metal cornice.
Tryavna Clock Tower was
renovated in 1971 to mark anniversary of a Tryavna Library. The main
clock got a new mechanism that sounds 10 sounds a day. Additionally
it plays sounds of the song "Inseparable" those words were written
by Doe. The melody became the anthem of the city and Tryavna Clock
Tower is one of the most symbolic buildings in the town.
The
Tryavna Shkolo (School) (Tryavna)
7 Angel Kanchev Str.
Tel.
+359 677 25-17
Open: Winter: 9am- 5pm
Summer: 9am- 6pm
Raikov Museum House (Tryavna)
1, Proff. P.N. Raikov Str.
Tel.
+359 677 34- 81
Ivan Kolev House (Tryavna)
ul Slaveikov
47
Open: 9am- 1pm and 2- 6pm Mon- Fri
Phone: +359 677 3777
Entrance Fee: 2 lv
Daskalov Museum- House (Tryavna)
Slaveikov Str.
Tel. +359 677 21-66
Open: Winter: 9am- 5pm
Summer: 9am- 7pm
Daskalov Museum House dates back to the early
19th century. The interior of this splendid Tryavna residence
preserved traditional interior of the Bulgarian houses as they
looked in the 19th century. Its most unique feature is a magnificent
wooden ceiling with intricate carvings.
Museum of
Icon-Painting and Wood Curving (Музеят на иконописта и дърворезбата)
(Tryavna)
Tel. +359/896 755 938
Open: Winter: 8:30am -4:30pm
Summer: 10am- 6pm
Angel Kanchev Museum-House (Ангел Кънчев
Къщата-музей) (Tryavna)
No. 39, Angel Kunchev Str. (39 ул. Ангел
Кънчев.)
Tel. +359/896 755 935
Open: Summer: 9.30am-1:30pm and
2pm- 6pm
Closed in winter
Angel Kanchev Museum House contains
a collection of paintings by local Bulgarian artists.
St.
Archangel Michael Church (Св. Архангел Михаил) (Tryavna)
No. 128
Angel Kunchev Str. (128 ул. Ангел Кънчев)
Tel. +91-22-2222-1234
Contact Information: fax: +91-22-2222-1235)
Church of Saint
Archangel Michael is the oldest well preserved medieval church that
date back to the 12th century. It survived several conflicts and
numerous invasions.
Thracian settlement
Highly cultured Thracian settlements are
proved by a Thracian sanctuary from the Hellenistic and Roman eras
in the Elova Mogila locality, near the village of Popovtsi (now the
village of Chernovruh). The sanctuary is located about 7 km
northeast of the town, The plan is a round stone structure in the
middle of which a stone platform is built, connected with the cult
of the sun, worshiped by the Thracians in the first millennium BC
and its personification - the deity found in written sources under
different names - Sabazios, Zagreus, Orpheus.The sanctuary was built
in the IV century BC and lasted until the I century BC, when its
activities ceased due to the Roman conquest of Moesia. In the middle
of the 2nd century and functioned until the second half of the 4th
century, most of the finds were discovered during archeological
excavations, dominated by bronze bells, which have a ritual purpose
- their ringing aims to attract the attention of deities. and the
visitor to beg what he has come for.
The Vereya Drum
Later, through here, through the Tryavna Stara Planina passes, the
Roman road came from the Diskoduratera (now Gostilitsa) through the
mountain to Augusta Trayana (now Stara Zagora), known among the
locals as the Vereya Drum - connecting the Danube through the Roman
provinces of Moesia and Thrace with the White Sea and
Constantinople.
In the time of Khan Krum
On the night of
July 25-26, 811, in the Tryavna, Varbishki and Rishki passes of the
Balkan Mountains, Khan Krum inflicted the devastating defeat on the
Romans and killed the Byzantine emperor Nicephorus.
During
the time of Assenevtsi
In 1190 here the Bulgarian kings Assen and
Peter defeated in the battle of Tryavna Pass the troops of Emperor
Isaac II Angel, who after the Uprising restored the Bulgarian
kingdom decided to wipe out Bulgaria again and undertook a
large-scale campaign, ingloriously ended after a failed siege of
Tarnovo with this defeat. After the victory, Tsar Peter withdrew
from the government and handed it over to Tsar Assen I, and in honor
of the great Bulgarian victory, the oldest church in the city was
built - "St. Archangel Michael. According to the legend, during the
reign of Tsar Ivan Asen II above the nearby village of Tsareva
Livada around the Neychevtsi neighborhood was the king's summer
palace, from where "the royal swords and other royal things" were
excavated. To this day, the place is called the city and is a
frequent target of treasury raids. Again, according to the legend,
the horses of Assenevtsi grazed on the meadows in the hollow below
the village. Hence the name of today's Tryavna village - Tsareva
Livada. The plateau next to it is the historical place Strinava. It
is more difficult to access and in the Middle Ages it was fortified
as a strategic stronghold. Today there are preserved remains of
fortress walls and foundations of buildings. One of the
fortifications found in the area - 2 km north of the village of
Tsareva Livada, has been identified with the fortress Strinava
(Tsarovishteto), mentioned by Byzantine writers, in connection with
the battles that took place there. Here is the legendary place where
the brothers Assen and Peter were born to a Kuman mother and a
Bulgarian father, and later they asked the Byzantine emperor to
allow them to build their fortress and the excuse gave him the
formal reason for the Bulgarian uprising, and after the victory
Assen they often came to rest and hunt in Strinava, which was their
summer residence. Together with the three other fortresses belonging
to the fortified area - Boruna, Kuklata and Kaleto, it played an
important role in the defense of the Second Bulgarian State. Some of
these fortresses have triple rows of walls up to 2 meters thick.
Coins, arrows, spears, swords, a padlock weighing 13 kg were found
in the vicinity. These are indisputable proofs of an intensive life.
Around the Strinavo plateau with an area of about 5-6 square
kilometers, the area all the way to Tryavna abounds with names of
places such as Tsar Asenik, Tsar Kaolyanik, Tsaryuvi Bahchi,
Tsarskoto, Sternata, Tsar Asenova path, the villages Tsarevi livadi,
Kumani, Voynitsi, Skortsi and so called
After the Ottoman
invasion
At the end of the XIV century, dramatic events occurred
again, the Turkish invasion reached the lands around the capital
city. In 1393 Tarnovo fell under Ottoman rule. Legends say that here
and in the surrounding villages, Velentsi (from "velya" - I order),
Popovtsi (now Chernovruh) and Tsarevi livadi are settled
representatives of the clergy and boyars who fled from Tarnovo. A
legend, recorded by the local teacher Hristo Daskalov, tells of many
boyars who sought refuge in the Balkans, as many settlements in the
region connect their origin and their names with these turning
points in the history of the Bulgarian people.
The oldest official information about Tryavna is from the time of
the Ottoman rule - XV-XVI century. The area of today's town is
inhabited by a population from the high mountain surrounding
settlements, which served in the XIII-XIV century. roads through the
mountains and provided security for the passes. Tryavna is
structured as a Derventji village by people performing paramilitary
functions. This condition was regulated by a special sultan's decree
of April 8, 1565, in which the name Tryavna was mentioned for the
first time. The order states that there is a place in the mountain
called Tarnava, where it is appropriate to establish a settlement
whose inhabitants, against the obligation to guard and guard the
passage from robbers, to be released from state burdens and
customary levies. This provides Tryavna residents with tax
privileges and complete freedom.
In the 16th and 17th
centuries Tryavna grew rapidly. Newcomers from Edirne, Teteven and
others are moving to the city. The lack of fertile land pushed
people to seek other livelihoods and opportunities, such as trade.
Gradually, with hard work and entrepreneurship, the inhabitants of
Tryavna developed and turned into their main livelihood the artistic
crafts of icon painting, woodcarving, kazaslak, as well as
mutafchiystvo, kuyumdzhiystvo, gaitandzhiystvo, construction and
others. In addition, until the end of the 17th century, and later
Tryavna engaged in silk and rose production. The goods of local
craftsmen reached the most remote markets of the Ottoman Empire, and
even beyond its borders - to Austria, Wallachia and Russia. Economic
prosperity, the abundance of stone and wood and the proximity to the
samples of Tarnovo medieval art are the reasons from the middle of
the XVII century in the city was born the oldest of the Renaissance
art schools - Tryavna, which includes three main areas of artistic
activity: icon painting , woodcarving and construction. The founder
of the Tryavna Art School is Vitan Karchov, who worked in the first
half of the 17th century.
Participation in the struggle for
national liberation
Many people from Tryavna joined the struggle
for national liberation. Many of them, such as Mincho Stari, are
actively involved in supporting the Russian troops in the battles
near Shipka-Sheynovo. They are their scouts, mountain guides and
food suppliers. Levski's ally, Angel Kanchev (1850 - 1871), was born
in Tryavna. Vasil Levski himself visited the city several times to
organize revolutionary activities. Tryavna is among the settlements
that joined the April Uprising. On April 25, 1876, an envoy from
Panagyurishte arrived in the town with a letter from the apostles of
the IV Plovdiv Revolutionary District Georgi Benkovski and Zahari
Stoyanov, calling for an immediate revolt. Local activists, led by
the chairman of the revolutionary committee, painter Tsanyu
Zahariev, gathered a detachment of 50 people in ten days. Led by
Duke Hristo Patrev, the rebels captured the city on May 5 without
encountering resistance. On May 9, the detachment, now growing to
110 men, faced a bashibozuk and a regular army near the village of
Nova Mahala. Thanks to the chosen convenient position and their
organization, the people of Tryavna managed to repel the Ottoman
attacks three times. However, they experienced problems due to
hunger and insufficient ammunition and decided to separate and
retreat. Many were captured and executed or sent into exile. During
the Russo-Turkish war of liberation from 1877 to 1878, more than 200
people from Tryavna took part.
Tryavna welcomes its freedom
on St. Peter's Day 1877.
After the Liberation
From the
beginning of December 1892 Petko Voivoda lived here as an internee
until the fall of Stambolov, after which on May 18, 1894 he returned
to Varna. Citizenship treats the Duke with deep respect and
reverence.
The people of Tryavna took part en masse in the
five wars for the unification of Bulgaria, which were fought between
1885 and 1945.
The former craft workshops grew into small
furniture and textile enterprises. In the second half of the 20th
century, modern enterprises for the production of woolen textiles,
knitwear, furniture, machine building and military products grew
here. But the people of Tryavna have been making good use of the
natural resources of their beautiful region since the very beginning
of the 20th century. in Tryavna tourism and resort activity is
developing. The first tourists in 1896 were greeted with a slight
distrust, but soon the spirit of modernity and innate
entrepreneurship prevailed. In 1910 a Society for cultural and
economic uplift of the town of Tryavna was established, which
together with the city administration made great efforts to improve
the village and create amenities for vacationers coming here because
of the beautiful nature and healthy Balkan air. In 1927 a book about
the resort of Tryavna and postcards were published, and a film about
the nature and sights of the town was distributed. Thus, in 1937,
Tryavna received the status of a "resting place" by Order of the
General Directorate of Public Health.
In 1963 Tryavna was officially declared a resort.
Tryavna
Art School
During the Revival an art school appeared in Tryavna.
The founder of the Tryavna Art School is Vitan Karchov, who worked
in the first half of the 17th century. The Tryavna Art School is
best known for its woodcarvers and painters.
Architecture
The unique appearance of Tryavna is due to its original
architecture, to the generations of master builders who built
churches, bridges, schools, who created the original and beautiful
Tryavna house. The Revival street ensembles "Petko R. Slaveykov" and
"Assenevtsi" in the Kachaunska neighborhood have preserved their
authenticity and romance. The two-storey houses with bay windows and
wide eaves facing the street attract the admirers of the Revival
architecture. One of the most impressive and representative houses
in Tryavna is Daskalova. Built between 1804 - 1808, it is home to
the Daskalovi family and a typical example of early Renaissance
residential architecture, combining utilitarianism and originality
in the exterior. The house has a traditional and rich interior. The
most impressive elements in the interior are the carved ceilings in
the two living rooms, in the shape of the sun - masterpieces of
Bulgarian woodcarving from the Renaissance. Six Tryavna families
work in the field of icon painting, which for two centuries have
created masterpieces of icon painting - the beautified type of
Renaissance icon, combining the traditions of medieval iconography
and dogma, and the innovations of the New Age - realism,
spirituality, rich color. The icon painters of Tryavna adorn the
name of Tryavna with glory and brilliance, working in the most
remote corners of the Bulgarian land, thus passing the suggestion of
their art to the heart of the common man. Tryavna carvers cover
homes and churches with their exquisite woodcarving, which softens
the strict and uniform proportions of private and public buildings,
thus bringing more warmth and splendor to the interior. Master
builders, carvers, icon painters reached exceptional mastery and
virtuosity in their works and established themselves as extremely
sought after and valued throughout the Renaissance. All over the
Bulgarian land they create and leave for generations innumerable
material and spiritual values - churches, monasteries, icons,
houses, schools, bridges, fountains, bell towers and most of all
unique beauty. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Tryavna became one of
the leading cultural centers in Bulgaria, a center in which the
heritage of the late Middle Ages was transformed in a way consistent
with the new social and economic realities. Thus, over time, they
began to call Tryavna "alton", ie. gold.
Among the
masterpieces of Tryavna's architectural heritage are the houses
built by Dimitar Sergyuv. Kalincheva House (1830), Dobrevata (1834),
Sergevata (1841), Raykova (1846), Kirevata (1851) are among the
architectural creations of the famous Tryavna builder. The most
typical and beautiful examples of the Tryavna house are Kalincheva
and Raykova (a cultural monument of national importance). The houses
have a similar spatial solution - two-storey, with a representative
facade facing the street line; a shop on the street side; bay window
bidding on the second, residential floor above the first (which
breaks the facade and softens the severity of the house); large
veranda on the second floor, open to a large courtyard.
During the years of foreign rule, the people of Tryavna not only
proved to be talented masters, but also organized their native place
in which they live, which still arouses admiration and creates a
reason for national pride in the architectural complex in the city
center, including several significant monuments. the construction
art, testifying to the enterprising spirit of the Tryavna man, his
striving for beauty and self-expression.
In the center of Tryavna is the only preserved today Revival
Square in Bulgaria, with its adjacent buildings. Unique with its
urban planning solution, which allows the gathering of many people
on different occasions. Almost all the buildings enclosing the
square have a remarkable architectural value. Built at different
times by different masters, the talent of the Revival architect is
indisputable. Dyado Nikola Square is the most significant, unique
and fully preserved Revival Square - an ensemble with the famous
clock tower of the city, mentioned by Slaveykov (as the main reason
for pride in Tryavna), "Slaveykovo (Old) School", on the right of
the square, currently an art gallery and museum of the Tryavna
carving school, with the ancient church “St. Archangel Michael "next
to it across the street and the old stone" Givgiren Bridge
"(Humpback Bridge), connecting the bazaar with the square.
The most representative building on the square with the clock tower
is the Tryavna school. The school is among the first secular schools
in Bulgaria. The vigilant and enterprising people of Tryavna did not
lag behind the progressive ideas of the Revival and with the efforts
of the whole Tryavna community a building was built in which one of
the first secular schools in Bulgaria was organized, where the most
modern pedagogical methods were taught. Built between 1836 and 1839,
the building is elongated, with a rectangular plan, with rooms on
all sides, enclosing a small courtyard. The plan of the building
resembles the monastery complexes of that time. The great Bulgarian
poet, writer, publicist, public and political figure Petko R.
Slaveykov was a teacher for eight years with some interruptions. The
house where his family lived has now been turned into a museum. His
son Pencho Slaveykov was born here - one of the most prominent
Bulgarian poets and cultural figures.
Harmoniously connected
with the surrounding architectural environment and the appearance of
Tryavna is the arched stone bridge, built by Dimitar Sergyuv in 1844
- 1845. Together with the Clock Tower it has become one of the
symbols of the city. It brings additional charge to the unique
atmosphere of Tryavna.
The Clock Tower (1814): "Make the
Tryavna clock…" - wrote the chronicler of Tryavna priest Yovcho.
Legend has it that in order to obtain permission from the Ottoman
authorities to build the tower, Tryavna women had to refuse to wear
the traditional headdress, sokai, resembling beautiful royal tiaras.
The clock mechanism was made and installed in 1815 by the Gabrovo
masters Kanyu and Genyu Radoslavovi. Today the Clock Tower is one of
the symbols of Tryavna. The slender stone silhouette, which seems to
have remained imperishable over the years, directs the gaze upwards
to the bronze bell tower, whose bell ringing measures time and the
expiring human life.
The houses in the architectural reserve
have kept their authentic look with carving workshops and shops, and
the roofs are with stone slabs. The church of the town (just
opposite the clock tower) is in this style.
Remarkable as
compositions are the two churches of the city. In honor of the
battle in the Tryavna Pass, in 1185, the oldest church in Tryavna
was built - the church "St. Archangel Michael. The church is an
integral part of the composition of the ancient square with the
clock tower. The date of its construction is unknown. In 1798 the
church was burnt down by the Kurdzhali people and was rebuilt by the
people of Tryavna in 1819. The plan is a three-nave, one-apse
pseudo-basilica with a narthex. The icons of the church and the
iconostasis were made by representatives of the Vitanov family, in
the period 1820-1821.
The other city church is St. George.
The church is located in the "Lower" neighborhood of the city. It
was built in the period 1848 - 1852 by first master Dimitar Sergyuv.
The iconostasis of the church was made by Dimitar Doikovcheto - one
of the most talented Tryavna master carvers. Representatives of the
Vitanov family painted the icons, and the frescoes were the work of
painters from the Zahariev family and the family of priest Dimitar
Kanchov.
In 1938, the wife of Tsar Boris III, Queen Joanna
donated her dowry for the construction of the Children's Royal
Sanatorium for Treatment and Prevention of Lung Diseases, which was
opened in 1943. It comes to treat and heal children from all over
Bulgaria.
Nearby villages and other attractions
In the vicinity are the
picturesque villages Bozhentsi (Bozhentsi), Skortsite, Velentsi,
Kumanite, Voynitsite, Popovtsi (Chernovruh), Genchovtsi, Enchovtsi,
Bozhkovtsi, Bizhevtsi, Radantsi, Plachkovtsi. The humor typical for
the Balkan people makes the area around Gabrovo and Tryavna the
center of the most Zevzets village names in Bulgaria, here are:
Dupinite (Nikolaevo), Srboguzite, Guzurnitsite (Lyubovo), Pardlevtsi
and Dupelite (adjacent to the previous one), Tarsigezi (Search) ,
Bag of Lies, Hitrevtsi, Kreslyuvtsi, Barbortsi, Kiselkovtsi,
Mrazetsi, Trapeskovtsi, Svirtsi, Kisiitsite, Malchovtsi, Bahretsi,
Kurtipanya, Parzhigrah, Bangeytsi, Jackals, Bardeni, Pobuk,
Vrabtsite, etc. Nearby are the peaks Golyam Bedek and Malak Bedek,
the chapels and eco-trails to the peak Bazovets and the peak Golyam
Krastets, the caves Zmeyuva Dupka (Zmeeva, Zmeyova Dupka) to the
town of Tryavna and Marina (Steam) Dupka near the village of
Genchovtsi, National Nature Park with the localities Vikanata Skala
and Studenia Kladenets. The geographical center of Bulgaria - the
Uzana area in the central Stara Planina is also not very far.