Why is Venice when you can see a carnival in the heart of the Balkan? Gabrovo carnival gathers participants and guests from all over the world, and for one day Gabrovo becomes even more colorful, even louder and cheerful. This happens every year during the May holidays of the city; so far the carnival has been interrupted twice – once before the Second World War until 1964. and a second time since 1991. until 1998.

Today, already reborn, the carnival has its own theme every year and invites everyone to look at life from the funny country – not scary ministers and presidents, he has a ready answer to the worst crisis and the most serious coalition. The carnival mocks the everyday problems and sticks to the face a huge laugh – almost as big as that of the Gabrovo cat.

The cat, as a symbol of the city, is also the main character of the carnival. In the midst of the carnival, of course, it remains without a tail – the mayor, armed with a huge scissors, cuts the tail of the cat in order to acquire a kind of Gabrovo cat.

Another symbol of the city, Racho Kovacha, whose monument rises in the middle of the Yantra River, also has his carnival contribution. Each year Racho Kovacha, the founder of Gabrovo, gets a carnival dress from a white shirt, a red belt and a black cap with a red wrist. Around him all the banks of Gabrovo gather, because, as it is said, he cut the coins in the city.