The village of Bozhentsi is located 15 km east of Gabrovo and 25 km west from Tryavna, combining these three wonderful places in our weekend excursion. First, we visited Tryavna, staying overnight in the beautiful Renaissance town, the next day we headed towerds Bozhentsi, Etara and stayed in Gabrovo.

On the way to Bozhentsi we told the kids about the boyar Bojana who founded this village 6 centuries ago. In general, the legend says that during the Turkish invasion, a large part of the people fled from the capital city of Veliko Tarnovo and settled in the hard-to-reach parts of the Balkan Mountains. Among them was the young boyar widow Bojana, who came here and settled a village named after her – Bozhentsi. Her sons engaged in trade and the village grew rapidly. Especially beautiful is the house-museum of Baba Raina, revealing the local lifestyle and way of life during the Renaissance. In fact, the whole village was declared an architectural and historical reserve in 1964 and is part of the cultural monuments of UNESCO.

The cobbled streets lead to numerous restaurants, shops and the beautiful Renaissance Basilica of Prophet Elijah. As an architectural reserve, there is a ban on the construction of buildings that are not in the preserved style of the village, turning the walk in this picturesque town into a real journey into the past.

General information about Bozhentsi:

Location:  The village of Bozhentsi is located 15 km east of Gabrovo and 25 km west of Tryavna. It is situated in the southern branches of the Gabrovo Heights, in the valley of the Andaka River springing at the village.

Area: 7.3 sq.km

Trip Tips:

Best time to visit: all year round.

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Typical foods and drinks: Bozhentsi yogurt is sold all over Bulgaria, but it tastes the best when buying it locally. The manufacturing company Elvi is located less than 15 km from Bozhentsi in the village of Velkovtsi. In Bozhentsi there are several taverns where it is worth trying the pots, homemade potatoes and parlenki in the oven.

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