It is situated at the foot of the centralBalkan Mountains, in thevalley of theYantra River, and is known as an international capital of humour and satire (seeGabrovo humour), as well as noted for itsBulgarian National Revivalarchitecture. Gabrovo is also known as the longest town in Bulgaria, stretching over 25 km[4] along the Yantra, yet reaching only 1 km (0.6 mi) in width at places. The geographic center of Bulgaria -Uzana - is located near the town.
According to the most widespreadlegend, Gabrovo was founded by ablacksmith named Racho,[5] close to whosefireplace ahornbeam rose, so the settlement acquired its name, from the Slavic wordgabar ("hornbeam") + the Slavic suffix-ovo.
After theOttoman invasion of theBalkans in the 14th century, the demographic position of Gabrovo changed significantly, as it was the only settlement in a considerably large geographic area and an attractive place forBulgarians fleeing from the conquered capital and neighbouring fortresses. It turned from a village into a small town (palanka) and began to develop as an economic, cultural and spiritual centre.
DuringOttoman rule, the rich tradesmen spent plenty of resources for the small town's public planning. The first Bulgarian secular school, theAprilov National High School, was founded in Gabrovo in 1835 with the aid ofVasil Aprilov andNikolay Palauzov. Gabrovo was officially proclaimed atown by the Ottoman authority in May 1860. In the 1870sFelix Kanitz said that Gabrovo is "a big workshop" and that it is a "city that lives from the water," referring to widely used water power. The glory of the goods of Gabrovo became known throughout the Ottoman Empire, and beyond that, inBucharest even nowadays there is a street named "Gabroveni".
Shortly before and after theLiberation of Bulgaria in 1878, Gabrovo developed as a centre ofindustry on the basis of its economic traditions. Joint-stock companies emerged,factories were constructed and connections to the largestock exchanges were created, prompting some to label the town "The BulgarianManchester".[6]
The Bulgarian National Revival church of Gabrovo, an architectural monument.
Gabrovo saw its most rapid growth in the post-World War II years, when its population was doubled. Following general population trends in Bulgaria, the number of citizens started declining after the fall of Communism in the country. People started emigrating abroad or to the capital ofSofia. Currently, Gabrovo is more than 30,000 people short of its peak, achieved in the period 1985-1991 when the number of the residents exceeded 80,000.[7] According to Census 2011, as of February 2011[update], the population of the town was 58,950 inhabitants.[8]
Internationally known as a centre ofhumour andsatire, Gabrovo has two theatres, the Racho Stoyanov Drama Theatre and the puppet theatre, aHouse of Humour and Satire that serves as a cultural institute, a centre, museum and gallery to popularise comic art. There is a cinema, Aleko Cinema, and museums and memorial houses in the town and around it, most notably theEtar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex and the National Museum of Education at theAprilov National High School.
On a Saturday around the week of May 21, Gabrovo hosts an annual Carnival of Humor and Satire with the slogan in Bulgarian “Da izkukurigame ot smyah” (translating to "Let`s go nuts from laughter"). On the day of the carnival, the streets of Gabrovo town are overflowing with fun characters like masked musketeers, bullfighters, shamans, gypsies, and much more. The carnival is also popular for its use of traditional Balkan songs, folklore choreography, and a rich display ofGabrovo humour and culture.[11]
Gabrovo has one of the biggest technical universities inBulgaria, theTechnical University of Gabrovo. The technical university in Gabrovo opened in 1964. The idea for the university came from the 1840s. Today the university has about 5400 students; around 60 of them are from other countries.[20]
