Gabrovo

Gabrovo Габрово
Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God Church Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God Church
Flag of Gabrovo Flag Coat of arms of Gabrovo Coat of arms
Coordinates:
Country	Bulgaria
Province (Oblast)	Gabrovo
Area
• City	233.817 km2 (90.277 sq mi)
Elevation	392 m (1,286 ft)
Population  (Census February 2011)
• City	58,950
• Density	250/km2 (650/sq mi)
• Urban	66,551
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code	5300
Area code	066
Website	Official website

Gabrovo (Bulgarian: Габрово) is a city in central northern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province.

History

People have lived in the area around Gabrovo since the Neolithic. It gained economic importance after Veliko Tarnovo became capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the 12th century. Craftsmanship and trade grew because Gabrovo was close to both the capital and the Balkan passes.

In the 1870s Felix 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, in Bucharest. There is still a street named "Gabroveni" in Bucharest.

Twin towns – Sister cities

Gabrovo is twinned with:

Thun, Switzerland Mytischi, Russia Mogilev, Belarus Kumanovo, Macedonia Aalst, Belgium Chernihiv, Ukraine

Mittweida, Germany Panevėžys, Lithuania Sisak, Croatia Nowy Sącz, Poland Preshov, Slovakia

Other websites

• Gabrovo municipality's home page (in Bulgarian)