The town of Elena has a population of 6 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 39 km southeast of Veliko Turnovo. Elena is a centre of a municipality with 124 component settlements.

The town is situated in a beautiful valley of the Elena River at an altitude of 300-600 m. In XVIII-XIX c. Elena is a craftsman's, trade and cultural centre. There are 147 monuments of culture in Elena, 7 of which of national significance. The clock tower is built in 1812 by an unknown master-builder. From all ancient houses in Elena the most interesting one is that of Ilarion Makariopolski.

The tourist sights of the town are: the First Bulgarian Pedagogical School, the church "Uspenie Bogorodichno" /The Assumption/ (1837), the church "St. Nikola" (XVI c.), and Revival period houses from XVIII-XIX c.

Tourist sights

The Elena class school is built in 1844. Around the school there is a whole complex of Revival period buildings of architectural value.

The churches "Uspenie Bogorodichno"/The Assumption/ and "St. Nikola" are built in 1837 and 1804. They have a beautiful architectural style and artistic mural paintings.