Troyan

Troyan is not a very large city located in the center of Bulgaria, 160 km to the east of Sofia. The city is named after the Roman road Via Trayana, which crosses it, connecting Philippopolis with Eskus and Nove on the Danube (today they are Plovdiv, the town of Gigen and the ancient Roman village of Nove, 4 km from the city from Svishtov). Troyan is famous for its ceramic school, as well as for its handicrafts such as the hairy abbey (wool cloth used to sew clothing for men), carving and metallurgy. Many of the tools for these crafts can be seen in the Museum of Crafts and Applied Arts of the city. Only 7 km away from Troyan is the town of Oreshak, famous for its unique ceramic vessels and carvings. Every year, at the end of September, the town hosts an attractive plum and brandy plum party. An event with many producers and of course many visitors tasting their drinks. Take care of alcohol levels: Bulgarian brandy is one of the strongest. In the immediate vicinity of the village is the third largest monastery in Bulgaria: the Troyan monastery «Assumption of the Virgin» founded around 1600. The monastery church retains the unique and miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary of Troyruchitsa, which has supposedly helped many believers.