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The village of Bozhentsi
The village of Bozhentsi is a small picturesque village
situated at the foot of Stara Planina at about 15 km. from the town of Gabrovo and about 50 km from the old Bulgarian
capital Veliko Turnovo. The village is more than 600 years old and nowadays
it is an architectural reserve. About 100 of the well-preserved houses on the
both banks of the river Bozhanka are restored in
the same condition as they were 150-200 years ago during the period of the
Bulgarian Renaissance. 
Till the end of the 19th century Bozhentsi was an economic, administrative,
educational and spiritual centre for the surrounding villages. Now the
village has several vivid taverns, cafes, souvenir shops and many small
private hotels well known for the hospitality and delicious Bulgarian cuisine
they offer. Another interesting fact about Bozhentsi is that many Bulgarian
writers,  artists and architects live there.
If you decide to go for a walk down the narrow cobbled streets of the village
you will definitely feel the atmosphere of the past when you see the
beautiful white houses covered with stone slabs, the high stone walls, the
massive oak gates, the stone water fountains and bridges and the small
workshops. Now the shutters of the workshops are closed but tourists can
still visit the wax workshop which is turned into a museum. When you enter an
authentic house in Bozhentsi, you will notice the unique interior design from
the 18th and 19th century. The architecture of the houses is unique, too. It
is open and turned to the street. The ground floor usually consists of
household and trade premises - cattle sheds, stables, storage rooms, cellars
and shops. An outside staircase leads up to the veranda and then the first
living room, the kitchen and the bedroom. Large corner fireplaces are typical
of the Bozhentsi interior.
When you come to Bozhentsi, don't miss the chance to visit St. Iliya Church. This building is almost 200 years old and
has three naves, massive stone walls, vaults and cupolas. A curious thing
about the village is that its inhabitants succeeded in gaining permission to
build a belfry, which was prohibited by the Turkish authorities at that time.
The bell was brought from the distant Russian town of Tula.
Near the village of Bozhentsi there are three monasteries -
Dryanovski, Sokolovski and Kilifarevski
monastery.
The town of Dryanovo
The town of Dryanovo itself is situated near the Dryanovo River in the Fore Balkan. It was an
agricultural and crafts centre during the Revival period, a birthplace of the
self-educated architect and master builder Nikola Fichev
(Kolyo Fitcheto). Interesting places for sightseeing are the Town Museum of
History, the Museum of the Bulgarian Revival Architecture 'Nikola Fitchev'; the churches 'St. Nikola' (1851) and 'St.
Troitsa' (1897); the Old bridge built by Kolyo Fitcheto etc.
Museum exhibition Koliyo Fitcheto
Koliyo Fitcheto is Bulgaria's best-known master builder
(born in 1880 in Dryanovo). His churches, bridges and other monumental works
are seen throughout Northern Bulgaria. The exhibition shows his life,
scale-models of his masterpieces and their fate. The collection of masonry,
stone-cutting and woodcarving tools represent the potential of the building
techniques during the Bulgarian Revival.
Dryanovski Monastery of St. Archangel Mikhail is situated 4 km south-west of
Dryanovo, in the beautiful valley of Dryanovska River on the rocky slopes and cliffs
rising high around the place. It was founded in the l2th century and became
one of the big national centres of literature. During the Ottoman yoke it was
destroyed several times. Almost ruined after the Ottoman invasion, the
monastery buildings were restored in 1880 (soon after the Liberation) with
public donations.
Dryanovski Monastery was one of the centres of national liberation upheaval
during the struggle for Bulgarian independence. A local uprising started in
May 1876 under the leadership of Bacho Kiro and the monk Hariton.
Several hundred rebels defended the monastery for almost a week against 10
000 Turkish troops, whose commander offered to spare Bacho
Kiro's life if he publicly repented - and receiving
a refusal he hanged him.
Next to the church there is an ossuary raised in memory of the perished
insurgents. In the monastery there is a museum collection with exhibits from
all historical epochs including Neolithic finds from the Bacho
Kiro cave. The cave itself was declared a natural
landmark. The complicated labyrinth of cave galleries with length of about
3,600 m has several levels and according to the researchers, the forming of
the cave continued about 1,800,000 years. Different objects were found -
blades, knives, weapons and tools made from bones, etc. Some of the finds
dated back to 40,000 – 70,000 years B.C.
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