The town of Dryanovo has a population of 8 500 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 20 km northeast of Gabrovo. Dryanovo is a municipal centre of 62 settlements. The town is situated amphitheatrically along both banks of the Dryanovska River at an altitude of 270 m. The Dryanovska River is a tributary of the Yantra River.

In the region of Dryanovo there has existed a Thracian and a Roman settlement. The settlement is mentioned for the first time as a medieval fortress in 1186. In 1430 the settlement is written under the name of Diranava. Dryanovo reaches its zenith during the Revival period. In 1883 it is proclaimed for a town. Dryanovo is the home town of the most talented Bulgarian architect and master builder of the Revival period-Kolyo Ficheto. The town is liberated in 1877.

The tourist sights of the town are: the Revival period market place from XIX c., the Lafchev's house (1840), the Ikonomov's house, the church "Sveta Troitza" /Holy Trinity/ (1851), the church "St. Nikola" (1851), the museum of Kolyo Ficheto and the Dryanovo Monastery.

Tourist sights

The Dryanovo Monastery lies at a distance of 4 km from the town. It is founded at the beginning of XII c. On its present-day site it has been built in 1845. From that period is the small church "St. Archangel Michael", which is dug in the ground. The single-nave church "Uspenie Bogorodichno" /The Assumption/ dates from 1861. During the April Rebellion from 1876 the monastery is burned down and is later restored in 1880. In the yard of the monastery there is a charnel house of the victims of the rebellion.

The house of Kolyo Ficheto in Dryanovo represents the life of the most talented Bulgarian master builder of the Revival period. Nikola Ficheto is one of the fathers of the

Revival period architecture. He is the master builder of almost all major state construction works in the Danube Region during the rule of Midhad pasha. He has built many churches, mosques and bridges.

The "St. Nikola" church in Dryanovo is built in 1851 by Kolyo Ficheto.

The Lafchev's house is built in 1840. It is an example of a wooden house from the region. It houses the ethnographic exhibition of the history museum.