September 7, 1964 – not so long ago, and not just recently was the open-air architectural ethnographic museum „Etar“. The idea belongs to Lazar Donkov who wants in one place to show the folk crafts in their authentic environment.
Today in Etar guests of the complex can see active and demonstrative workshops, where crafts such as pottery, bakery, icon painting, leather-ironmongery, fur-dressing, saracity work. For those who are tired of the walk along the cobblestone street, the Sheker’s Workshop, which offers a variety of Gabrovo chocolate, is widely opened, and numerous other treats, as well as the oven that distributes the aroma of a warm smell.
It is no secret that in the Renaissance Gabrovo lived wealthy Bulgarians, whose houses can still be seen in Etara – the overflowing bays, the exquisite carvings, the spacious verandahs give not only urban luxury but also home-like coziness. For tourists, a typical Renaissance house, decorated according to the fashion of the 19th century, combines the city style and the folk tradition.
It does not take a month for Etar to open its doors for guest exhibitions and the restoration of various customs and holidays – Lazarovden Lazarovden, Greenjovden’s green swings, 77 yarns and half of Enyovden wreaths, and the traditional International Fair of Folk Crafts, inviting guests from all over the world to show a master.