Does anyone know of the village called Elena near Haskovo?

Any comments welcome

Hi Judy I found this for you but I think your looking for a more personal view so maybe someone will come along who knows it ?


Elena, Bulgaria

Elena is an old settlement founded before the 15th century. During the 18th and 19th century it established itself as a centre of crafts, trade and education. There are several architectural ensembles preserved dating back to the Bulgarian National Revival and comprising about 130 old houses. Wall-to-wall construction forms interesting street silhouettes. The houses have stone basements with white-washed or wooden walls of the upper floor with protruding bays above.

The town's sights include an old first class school, founded in 1848 and named Daskalolivnitsa, where future teachers were educated (and where nowadays a museum exhibition is arranged), the St Nicholas Church of the 16th century, with valuable mural paintings and icons, and the three-naved Church of the Assumption, built entirely of stone (1837). The clock tower that features an antique clock mechanism (1812) rises at the town's highest point.

A Legend about Elena's Founding

There are a lot of legends about the establishment of the town of Elena, but one of them, the most interesting one, is about two lovers. The legend says that in the virgin forests of the Balkan Mountains was a pathway. The happy newly-married couple was passing through this way. The bride was called Elena – from the village of Kapinovo, and the groom was Samuil from Tvarditsa. Bandits attacked the wedding ceremony at the place where the town of Elena is situated nowadays. The abductors could not gain the girl’s participation, and thus she was killed by the Bridge of the Turkish Police office. She was laid in a grave in the area called “The Cross” that was later changed into a churchyard later on. Samuil was beheaded at the end of the present town now known as “Samuilets”. Because of the sorrow towards their son, Samuil’s parents settled down in this region and established the village that was named after Elena.

Geography

The beautiful town of Elena is situated in the skirts of the woody Elena Balkan range, in the nice valley of Elena river. On the north are situated Elena’s Hills, and on the south is the Balkan range. On the north of the town is Chukani Hill, where – amongst the pine trees, is situated the building of the former Climate Health School. Beyond the Hill there are few eminences composed of limestone, malm, and sandstone. The town is situated 38 km on the south of Veliko Tarnovo, 230 km away from Varna, and 280 km away from Sofia.

Here's a little more

The picturesque mountain town of Elena is situated in the wooded foothills of the Elena Balkan. It is situated in the beautiful valley of the Elena River. The north is situated Elena Heights, south of the Balkan range. North of the city is Chukanskoto Hill, where high among the pine trees, is situated the building of the former school climate. Behind the mountain range heights rise, built of limestone, marl and sandstone.

Mountain tsveteKlimatat in Elena is temperate continental with a characteristic of mountainous regions climatic phenomena. In a valley dominated by summer rainfall, which helps to preserve freshness and greenness of vegetation around the town until late autumn. Snow cover usually appears in early December and is lost around middle of March.

The air is clean and conducive to the treatment of asthma and lung diseases. This is mostly due to young conifer plantations and dense deciduous forests, located on a significant part of the surface of the basin.

The soils are mostly shallow light gray and brown forest and along the rivers in narrow strips, alluvial-meadow. Main soil formation rocks: sandstone, marly shales, limestones, conglomerates and others. Humus horizon is thin (10-15 cm). Grand naryazanost relief and deforestation have created conditions for strong development of soil erosion.

In the municipality there are no deposits of mineral resources. Only the river bed are used as sources for the extraction of aggregates.

Elena Municipality is rich in forest vegetation. The most common deciduous tree of the species: oak, hornbeam, maple, linden, beech and others. As their companions found elm, maple, ash, cherry, pear, crab, etc..;
From the bushes most commonly found: hawthorn, dog rose, hazel, cornel and others.

Game diversity is high. From big game and deer are common red deer and wild pig lately. Representatives of small game are rabbits, partridges, quail and others. In the high mountains of the municipality meet hawks, falcons and many small birds.

In the rivers meet barbel and chub. In cold and sparkling mountain streams are vadi Balkan and rainbow trout. Artificially reared trout river. In Iovkovtzi Dam is bred carp, crucian carp, bream, carp, catfish, whitefish and others.

Admin wrote:

Hi Judy I found this for you but I think your looking for a more personal view so maybe someone will come along who knows it ?


Elena, Bulgaria

Elena is an old settlement founded before the 15th century.

The town is situated 38 km on the south of Veliko Tarnovo, 230 km away from Varna, and 280 km away from Sofia.

Oh dear, I think that, after all the effort to find this information, you may be describing the wrong Elena.

[url=http:
//www.
bgmaps.
com:3834r5l1][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] lists two towns called Elena, one near VT
TOWN Elena;
municipality Elena;
province Veliko Tarnovo;
region Severen Tsentralen;
zip 5070;
Area Code 06151;
EKATTE 27190;
altitude 313 m.;
population in 2005 5951

and another near Haskovo
VILLAGE Elena;
municipality Haskovo;
province Haskovo;
region Yuzhen Tsentralen;
zip 6399;
Area Code 03701;
EKATTE 27200;
altitude 212 m.;
population in 2005 598

The Haskovo Elena has only a tenth of the population of the VT one, and. I suspect, nowhere near as romantic a past.

A good friend in Stamboliyski says the southern village is very peaceful, with no through traffic. There is a post office, bar and shop as well as visiting fruit merchant, and is by no means a 'dead' village and there is a bus service. The countryside around is beautiful, with two popular fishing spots nearby.

Keith

I think the Elena you are referring to is near Veliko Turnovo.

I'm referring to the Elena near the Rhodopes in the Haskovo region. It really is no more than a large village.

I was just wondering if anyone knew of it.

Ooooooooooooooooooops