Many Bulgarians have heard the name Etropole but do not have a clear idea about where the town is situated. Many foreigners have not even heard the name of the small town in northern Bulgaria at the foot of the Stara Planina.

Local people, however, have the ambition to change this and attract more visitors, both Bulgarian and international, to visit their town. The first step is the implementation of the project Young People and Alternative Tourism - A Factor for Sustainable Local Development, which aims at organizing the youth of Etropole to popularize the natural beauty and the historical heritage of their region.

And the region has indeed a lot to show to the world. Etropole is only an hour's drive from Sofia. Situated in the picturesque valley of the Maluk Iskur River at an altitude of 545m, Etropole's history dates back to Thracian times in about the sixth century B.C. The Thracian name of the town was Etropara (water town); while the Protobulgarians called it Untropole (inside closed field).

Historical artifacts have been preserved in the history museum in the centre of Etropole. In addition to traditional costumes, original books and craftsman's products, visitors can see interesting items such as notebooks of students who have written a sentence over and over to achieve perfection of their handwriting. The old notebooks have preserved sentences such as "Japan is a hostile country" and "Patience prevents people from making mistakes."

The museum, however, is not the only place that has preserved the history of the place. The House of Crafts situated in one of the town's neighbourhoods offers a tour through the different crafts which have been developed in Etropole. One room shows the textile achievements of local women and a live presentation of the weaving process. On the balcony, woodcarvers and fur-dressers continue the traditions and educate younger people. However, visitors are not only invited to see but also to taste the history of Etropole. Traditional and modern dishes are generously served - dishes which the local people take special pride in.

A landmark of Etropole is the house of Ivanka Grubcheva. In her three-storey house the 73-year-old woman has preserved the spirit of different epochs. All rooms on one of the floors are dedicated to the 18th century and the other to the 19th century. National costumes co-inhabit the house together with spears and guns. "Most of the things in the house I have preserved from my ancestors," Grubcheva said.

"We, the people of Etropole, want to preserve the natural primitiveness of the place," said the woman who still goes hiking in the mountain and uses a bicycle as a means of transportation. "We are looking for a way to achieve the happiness we deserve."

The ambition of the mayor and the city council is to turn Etropole into a tourist attraction. Vassil Hristov, a councillor and chairman of the tourism council, said that they have started constructing special sites for tourists in the Ribaritsa villa zone of the town. "For only a month and a half we managed to construct a gathering and starting point for all hiking roots," he explained.

He, together with volunteers from the town, has made a wooden table with chairs, a badminton court and many other leisure facilities where tourists as well as local people can relax. An exhibition of photographs shows the beauties hidden up in the mountain.

"There are many beautiful places in our town and especially in the mountain," said Katya Docheva, a certified mountain guide who not only takes people along mountain roots but also explains the history of every spot. Docheva, who is also a math teacher, explained that all mountain routes around the town have been marked thanks to her students who showed great enthusiasm in the job. "We have many other things to do but a start has been made."

In addition to the natural beauties of the region, Etropole boasts the exceptional beauty of its women. The first Miss Bulgaria Lyuba Yotsova was born there. Local people can tell numerous stories about men who have come and fallen in love with a woman from Etropole. The legend says that if somebody drinks water from the Fountain of the Sons-in-law built in the town, he will marry and stay in Etropole forever.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, there is no water in the fountain during this time of year, so it is safe to visit the town. On April 1 every year, the town celebrates the Feast of the Sons-in-law when all men married to local women gather and hold a unique celebration.

The list of celebrations marked in Etropole is endless. Probably one of the best places to feel the high spirit of the local people is the Arnaudovata Kushta whose second floor is preserved in the style of Bulgarian Renaissance and whose ground floor has been turned into a restaurant. The chief attraction there is the manager, generally known simply as bate Ivan, who not only cooks up a delicious grill but also entertains his clients with live music performances. A laureate of many singing competitions, bate Ivan plays the accordion and the grill sticks equally well.

Celebrations in Etropole continue until late at night and reveal one of the biggest assets of the town - the hospitality of the local people. They say their homes are open to anybody who is ready to spare an hour-long trip from Sofia and have an alternative weekend.


This article was written as a result of a trip to Etropole organized by the Bulgarian Association of Alternative Tourism, 20 Alexander Stamboliiski Blvd, tel. 980 51 02.