
Etarat Open-air Museum
About 45 km. from the city of Veliko Tarnovo, in the Etarat district of the city of Gabrovo, there is the amazing open-air Regional Ethnographic Museum “Etarut”. It is the first such museum on the territory of Bulgaria and will take you completely back to the time of Bulgarian craftsmanship, recreating the traditional Bulgarian way of life and culture from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century.
Apart from the fact that Etarat is part of the Hundred National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria, it has also been declared a national ethnographic park, as well as a cultural monument.
Its creation began in 1963 under the leadership of Lazar Donkov from Gabrovo, and to begin with, the existing mill along the Sivek River was completely restored. After that, the rest of the objects were built in stages, through the restoration of the buildings welded on the ground, as well as the re-creation and relocation of pre-set buildings.
The pride of the “Etarat” open-air museum are the only functioning water facilities in Bulgaria based on a collection of folk techniques for water management. They include the Karadzeika mill, Valyavitsa and Tepavitsa. There you can also find the only collection in Bulgaria of technical equipment powered by water.
The name of the regional open-air ethnographic museum “Etarat” comes from the ancient name of the river Yantra (Etar), which runs through the town of Gabrovo and was the main driving force, source of life and livelihood of the local population.
The museum also has a unique Craftsman’s Bazaar, which will fully transport you into the vibrant Renaissance lifestyle. It has working craft workshops, shops, a café and residential buildings.
REMO “Etarat” received the honorary order “Cyril and Methodius” – first degree in 1989 for merits in the preservation and popularization of the Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage.
We highly recommend you to visit the Etarat Museum to enjoy the picture of a bygone era. As the museum managers themselves say:
“Here, the water turns the wheel of a centuries-old mill, and the cobblestones underfoot remind us that the real beauty in life is hidden in experiencing the emotion of touching the craftsmanship of our ancestors.”
Directions via Google Maps to the “Etarat” from Chamurkov guest house in Veliko Tarnovo can be found by clicking here