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Sokolski Monastery "The Assumption"

The Gabrovo monastery is located in the northern skirts of the Shipka ridge of the Middle Stara planina mountain.

It was founded in 1833 by archimandrite Yossif, called later Sokolski. At present it functions regularly. It is a complex including a church and residential and farm buildings. Fires destroyed different parts of the monastery in 1918,1924 and 1938. The monastery was restored later in the period 1980-1982. The monastery church (13 x 8,30 m) was built in 1834 and was wall-painted in 1862 and 1935. It is a beautiful one-nef, one-apse, one-cupola building with two conchas and an open narthex. In 1836 a school was opened in the monastery. In the monastery yard in 1865 a stone fountain with eight spouts was built, supposedly by master Kolyo Ficheto. The monastery played an important role in the struggle for national liberation of the Bulgarian people. On July 31, 1856 (Julian calendar) the band of captain Dyado Nikola settled here with the intention to make it the center of the uprising. Vassil Levski turned up here. At the time of the April uprising (1876.) the band of the voivode Tsanko Dyustabanov was formed here. Nowadays valuable exhibits are kept in the museum. The monastery is a monument of culture. Women`s, Patron Saint's day on 15 August.

The monastery is about 9 km to the south of Gabrovo and there are regular bus connections. Nearby in the north direction is the architectural and ethnographic complex "Etur" By a third-class road to the south the monastery is connected to the town of Shipka (27 km) and from there - to the town of Kazanluk (another 12,5 km).

It offers sleeping accommodation and catering.