The town of Tryavna has a population of 11 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 22 km east of Gabrovo. Tryavna is a municipal centre of 105 settlements. The town is situated at the northern foot of the Sredna Stara Planina Mountains by the Dryanovska River at an altitude of 440 m.

The legend tells that during his rule king Kaloyan erected the "St. Archangel Michael" church and around it a settlement has sprung up. The settlement flourishes in XVIII and the beginning of XIX c. Many houses, schools and churches are built.

Many master craftsmen and wood-carvers form their guilds and make the Tryavna art school a very influential one. Today there are about 140 Renaissance-style houses in Tryavna, which are architectural monuments from the Revival period. They have preserved the masterpieces of the Tryavna's master craftsmen.

The tourist sights of the region are: the Slaveykov's house, the Raykov's house, the Popangelov's house, the church "St. Archangel Michael" (1819), "St. Georgi" (1852), the clock tower (1814), the vaulted bridge (1844), the museum of wood carving in the Daskalov's house (1804) and the museum of the Tryavna's icon-painting school.

The Tryavna's art school is developing in two directions - icon painting and wood carving. The first representative and founder of the art school is Vitan Stari. Together with the Vitanov's kin famous craftsman's families from the region are the Zahariev's, the Popdimitrov's and the Minyov's.

Tourist sights

The architectural complex of Tryavna consists of Revival period houses, yards, streets and churches. In the centre of Tryavna are situated the clock tower (1814), the vaulted bridge (1844), the church "Archangel Michael" (1819), the old school (1839) and others.

The museum of the wood carving is housed in the Daskalov's house. It is built in 1808. The house impresses with its unique wood-carved ceilings, wardrobes, doors, walls and other elements.