Ethnographic complex Etara

Etara is the first outdoor ethnographic museum in Bulgaria. It is located 8 km south of the town of Gabrovo and occupies an area of 7 hectares in the woody slopes of the Stara Planina mountain. The building of the complex started in 1963 and was completed and officially opened on September 7 1964. The aim of the museum is to show the architecture, lifestyle and economic past of the Bulgarians in the period of the National Revival (the second half of the XVIII and XIX century), when Gabrovo was famous for its rapid economic development – more than 26 crafts were developing in it. The products, made by the local craftsmen, were sold as far as Bucharest, Viena, Marseilles, and Anadola. Nowadays, tourists can still see how vessels are made of clay under an old technology, how skillful masters are elaborating exquisite fretwork, and baking different bread items following old recipes. The unique spirit of the museum has been achieved through the restoration of many buildings, which had survived through the years, as well as through the moving here of some original facilities, found in the region. Some of the buildings on the territory of Etara are exact copies of famous buildings from the National Revival period.