Gorna Oryahovitza public holiday

The town is the successor of the old fortress of Ryahovetz, which took its name from a walnut variety grown in the region. Some of the earliest information about the town dates back to 1444, when it was destroyed by Vladislav II Varnenchek. Gorna Oryahovitza is given some rights to implement commercial and craftsman activities by a royal decree from 1538. During this period, different crafts, such as furriery, homespun tailoring, smithery, goldsmith’s trade, cart-wright’s trade and saddle-making, flourish in the town. It gradually becomes renowned as a major commercial center. Gorna Oryahovitza plays a major role during the Bulgarian Revival. As early as 1822, the first monastery school was established in it, and in 1859 Ivan Momchilov set up the first class school, which marked the beginning of classical education in Gorna Oryahovitza. In 1869, the town already had its own cultural club, and two years later Elena Grancharov established the first female union Enlightenment. In 1868, the town became a “nahia” – a municipality, included in the structure of the Tarnovo “sandjak” (region). In 1870, it was officially given city rights. When Bulgaria was liberated from the Turkish yoke, Gorna Oryahovitza was already a town with 5700 population, 1200 houses, 5 churches and 6 schools.