Traditional-styled Bulgarian house more than 2 centuries old in a picturesque village in the Gabrovo Balkan areaWe present to you this spectacular traditional-styled house located in the village of Orlovtsi, just 7 km away from Gabrovo and 10 km away from Bozhentsi architectural and historical reserve. The village is situated in a picturesque hilly area. Orlovtsi is suitable for a year-round residence due to its close proximity to Gabrovo. This quiet and tranquil village is the ideal place for you to take some rest away from the busy and hectic city lifestyle. The vicinities are great for hiking and family outings. There are also the places where you can go fishing and hunting.
 
This traditional-styled Bulgarian house used to be owned by the richest person in the village; it was built in 1780 by the Bulgarian mason Yotso. The adjacent garden is 1300 sqm. There are two houses within the premises. The bigger one is 300 sqm and is declared a cultural heritage monument in 1974. The smaller house is nearly 100 sqm. Both houses are fully renovated; theirwooden frameworksand stone roofs are also renewed. The wirings of the houses are also changed.
 
The big house is arranged on two floors. The walls of the first floor are 70 cm thick and made of stone; the floor is also stone. There are two rooms there that are arranged like wineries. They are equipped with tables, barrels, wine racks with wine from all over the county and also old grape brandy (rakiya) distiller. One of the rooms hosts anarea for producing home-made sausages. Under a lean-to shelter you will find an old grain quern. There is a big room with a hearth on the second level – it is used as a living room; there are two more rooms used for bedrooms, one of which is decorated and furnished in Viennese style and a forth room, the so-called women’s room, where ladies gathered to spin and weave. All the furniture and the decorations in the rooms are old and authentic. There are many authentic couches (minderi), wooden wine vessels (baklitsi), pitchers(stomni), low round dining table (sofri), stools, copper bowls (mentsi), cauldrons, lanterns, yarn crutches (motovilki), sewing spindles, distaffs, a bag pipe and four iconostases, one of which is more than 300 years old. There are three balconies, equipped with minderi, sofri, stools and cattle bells.
 
The second house is with preserved outside architecture but is luxuriously renovated on the inside; it offers all the necessary amenities. It comprises of two bedrooms, a kitchen, a lean-to shelter, a bathroom, a separate toilet and a corridor.
 
The garden is divided in two, fully enclosed by a stone fence with two big wooden gates. One part of the garden is covered withstone slabs and the other is only grassed and with cobbled alleys. There is a cannon made out of a cherry tree placed in the garden. There are also an oven hearth, a grain quern, a horse cart, a water well, an old motorcycle, travellers’ suitcases from the beginning of the 20th century, a vintage cameraand Viennese gramophone.