Zheravna Bulgaria

Zheravna village lies 14 km south of Kotel, in the slopes of the Eastern Stara Planina mountains, at the elevation of 650 meters. The local history museum of Zheravna treasures coins dating back to the 2nd and the 3rd century AD, when the first local inhabitants, the Thracians, were living here under Roman government. One can also see a lot of preserved Thracian burial pottery and jewelry discovered through random excavation works. The ruins of a fortress found on a nearby hill called “Vida” also date back to the Roman era. The Slavs came and settled in the vicinity in the form of hamlets. They left denominations of purely Slavic origin, preserved until today. Zheravna was within the boundaries of Bulgaria even since the first Bulgarian state. During the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, when its frontiers were expanded far to the south, Zheravna was situated at the crossroads of two important roads of the kingdom. The one who enters the village from Turnovo through Elena, Kipilovo, the western areas of Zheravna (“Russi kladenets”, “Pesi dol”), enters the village and in the area of “Krastoputya” (the Field) is intersected with another important road, which existed since Roman times and was used during the first Bulgarian state: from Preslav through Kozyak peak “Vida” (its western foot), “Korenik”, the “Usoite” area, and leads to the hill “Dobromeritsa”. At its foot it intersected with the Turnovo road, which leads to the village of Ichera and from there to Sliven, and the Turnovo road – to the sea.

Zheravna village has been declared an architectural and historical reserve and represents true open air museum. All of its over 200 houses of Zheravna village are monuments of culture of Bulgarian National Revival period. Among the most impressive sights of Zheravna village are the birth house of the eminent Bulgarian writer Yordan Yovkov, the house-museums of Sava Filaretov, Rusi Chorbadzi, Todor Ikonovom, the Metochion of the Chilandar Monastery, where the Zheravna copy of the famous Slavonic-Bulgarian History was made…

Every August the traditional Festival of the Folklore costume is held in Zheravna, that truly enhances participants and visitors with its unique program, fun, singing, dancing, old crafts presentation, ancient games and well preserved heritage and colorful customs. There are numerous outstanding accommodation facilities in the Zheravna village that fulfill demands and expectations of visitors, providing relaxed stay with imaginative contents.

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