Dryanovo

The town of Dryanovo (8700 inhabitants, 270 m. altitude) is situated in the northern side of Fore-Balkan Mountains, amphitheatrically along the two banks of the Dryanovo River, a tributary to the Yantra River. The town is a center of a municipality, which is composed by 62 villages, hamlets and huts picturesquely spread out of the mountain folds. The population of the town is 9 707 inhabitants. Dryanovo has a favorable geographical position; it is situated 20 km away from Gabrovo, 24 km from Veliko Tarnovo, 17 km from Tryavna and about 30 km away from Sevlievo. The town lies on Russe-Veliko Tarnovo-Gabrovo - Shipka - Kazanlak - Stara Zagora highway and it is a station of the main railway thoroughfare, which links north and south part of Bulgaria. This is the birthplace of Bulgarian construction genius Nikola Fichev - Master Kolyo Ficheto, 1800-1881. Byzantine chronicles mention the settlement first in 1186, at the end of the Byzantium rule as a castle on the Strazhata plateau. At that time the Assen brothers’ dynasty lead the Bulgarians for a revolt (1185-1187). The name of today's town comes from the cornel tree - as sturdy as the mountaineers themselves. In 1430, it is written in some Turkish registries as Diranav. Like all Balkan settlements, Dryanovo reaches its bloom at the time of the Renaissance. In 1883 it is announced a town. Masons and woodcarvers spread the fame of the town throughout Bulgaria and far away in the Turkish Empire. In Dryanovo region were discovered the oldest traces of life on Balkan Peninsula- proofs for human presence from Paleolithic epoch were discovered in Bacho Kiro cave, near Dryanovo monastery, situated in Andaka river valley. There were found numerous relics of ancient villages, fortresses, pillars with inscriptions and ornaments from Thracian and Roman times (Boruna and Diskoduratera fortresses). People call Dryanovo "A town of centenarians" for the healthy climatic conditions prolong people's life.