Cumulatively known as the Etâr Ethnographic Village Museum, the market complex contains nearly 50 shops and workshops clustered along narrow lanes. It’s set all by itself in a 7-hectare, tree-lined spot along the Gabrovo–Shipka road.
Etâr’s 19th-century National Revival–period-style buildings house the workshops of bakers, cartwrights, cobblers, furriers, glass workers, hatters, jewellers, leather workers, millers, potters, weavers and more. True, it’s all a bit precious, but there are quality goods produced, and if you’re looking to take home a memento of bygone days in the Balkans, this is the place. Intriguingly, some of the workshops are powered by water from a stream running through the complex.
Enter the complex either on the northern side (near the Hotel Strannopriemnitsa), at the central administration building, or on the far southern side, near the large car park. A multi-entry, one-day ticket is usually required, and guided tours (in English, French or German) are available for another 7 lv per person (minimum of five people).
