Kazanlak
Our first stop at the base of the south side of the Stara Planina, and one of the centers of rose production in Bulgaria. They make tons of rose based products and have a big festival every year during harvest season.
Ethnographic Complex
Here there had two houses in the style of 19th century Bulgarian architecture. One was a peasant style house and the other was middle class. The of course had a rose garden and we sampled rose liquor and jam. The jam was good, the liquor smelled good...
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| Rose Garden |
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| Middle Class House |
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| Jam and Liquor |
Thracian Tombs
Thrace was an ancient kingdom present in Bulgaria during the Roman Empire. Spartacus was Thracian. There is a Thracian tomb in the city of Kazanlak, and it has been preserved under an outer protection building. You can't go in the original, but they have a copy next to it that you can go in. The artwork is similar in style and quality to that of the Hellenistic period of Greece. There was another tomb, most likely of a Thracian king Seuthes III in a burial mound outside of Kazanlak. This one you can go in and the original tomb pieces are still there; a sculpture of the King's head, a horse bridal, pottery, a vine crown, some coins etc.
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| Protective Building over the Thracian Tomb in town |
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| Entrance to the Tomb of Seuthes III |
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| Seuthes III |
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| From inside the tomb |
Famous because of its location near a mountain pass, the Shipka Pass, it was the location of the Battle of Shipka Pass during the war between Russia and the Turks from 1877-78.
Monastery
The Shipka Monastery was built after the Bulgarian and Russian forces finally ousted the Turks, putting an end to Ottoman rule in Bulgaria. The church is built in the style of 17th century architecture in Russia in honor of their aide. The churches bells are cast out of cartridges found on the battlefields.
Monument
Also built to commemorate the Liberation of Bulgaria.
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| Me and Lucy |
Over the mountain pass from Shipka, and the home of the House of Humor.
Ethnographic Village
For all intensive purposes this is a mini Greenfield Village done Bulgarian style with old buildings and working shops including a kinfe maker, a mill, cowbell maker, confectionery, tea and herbal remedy shop, leather goods, fur goods, a tannery, a saw mill, a toy store, a pottery store etc.
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| Artwork at the entrance of the village |
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| rug drying |
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| wagons |
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| "village" center |
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| cowbell making |
We had lunch in the center of Gabrovo at a very nice traditionally styled Mehana and had time to walk around and see the sights. I coulda gone in the House of Humor but I figured I'd saved money and watch some comedies when I got home instead.
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| Lunch Spot |
In the middle of the highest area of the Stara Planina, used to be 4 villages but when they got big enough they merged together.
Center
We had some time to just relax and have coffee in the center. We went to the fruit and vegetable market and saw old houses.
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| Statue with a Stork's nest |
Founded in 1830 has a family monastery. There was a glass case inside that held 15 human skulls. There was nothing labeling who they could belong to or why they were there. This glass case was also next to a small decorative gateway that had a rudimentary drawing of the all seeing eye, making it even more creepy.
The city developed as a craft center for the region, the Arts and Crafts Museum there showcases this.
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| Craft Museum |
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| Craft Museum |
One of the more well known monasteries in Bulgaria and is the 3rd largest in the country. The interior and exterior painting on the central church area was done by the same painter as the Rila Monastery (the largest and most popular in Bulgaria). It also holds one of the most famous pieces of Eastern Orthodox artwork, a three handed Mary.
Taxidermied mammals and birds along with a butterfly collection to showcase the nature found in the Balkans.
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| Elmer Fudd Season |
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| Red Robin |
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