Elena, Bulgaria

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Elena (Bulgarian: Елена) is a Bulgarian town in the central Stara Planina mountain in Veliko Tarnovo Province, located 42&nbsp;km away to southeast from the city of Veliko Tarnovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Elena Municipality. The area is a popular mountain resort also known for the typical local cuisine. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 5,665 inhabitants. It forms a terminal for the Gorna Oryahovitsa-Elena railway line.

History and architecture

Elena is an old settlement founded before the 15th century. During the 18th and 19th century it established itself as a centre of crafts, trade and education. There are several architectural ensembles preserved dating back to the Bulgarian National Revival and comprising about 130 old houses. Wall-to-wall construction forms interesting street silhouettes. The houses have stone basements with white-washed or wooden walls of the upper floor with protruding bays above.

The town's sights include an old first class school, founded in 1848 and named Daskalolivnitsa, where future teachers were educated (and where nowadays a museum exhibition is arranged), the St Nicholas Church of the 16th century, with valuable mural paintings and icons, and the three-naved Church of the Assumption, built entirely of stone (1837). The clock tower (Chasovnika kula) that features an antique clock...
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