Ein paar Eindruecke von der Stadt, in der ich schon ueber drei Monate lebe

das Rathaus

und Gornas Bahnhof, wird zur Zeit aber renoviert, trotzdem ist er einer der bedeutendsten des Landes, auch weil sich hier die zwei wichtigsten Bahnlinien kreuzen


so und das ist echt gut, habe ich im Internet gefunden. Die Website heisst www.staraplanina.org/engl
leider nur auf Englisch


GORNA ORIAHOVITSA - THE STONE GUARDIAN OF THE BALKAN

The Municipality of Gorna Oriahovitsa covers a territory of 318 sq. km and 14 settlements (2 towns and 12 villages), with a population of 51,922, of which 34,417 people live in the administrative center. The town is located at the northern foothill of Arbanasi Ridge, on the verge between the Sub-Balkan and the Danube Plain. This is the reason for the significant fluctuations in altitude: 92 m above sea level on the banks of Yantra River and 500 m on the Kamaka Plateau. The Kamaka cliff, standing guard over the town in the north-eastern part of the plateau, offers magnificent panoramic views of Gorna Oriahovitsa, Yantra and all surrounding settlements.

The area has moderate-continental climate, with average annual temperatures of 12.5°C.

Access to Gorna Oriahovitsa is very convenient - the town is one of the most important transport centers of Bulgaria. Two first-class roads from the Republican Road Network pass nearby: I-4 (Sofia-Varna) and I-5 (Ruse-Kardjali), as well as part of the E85 International Road. Gorna Oriahovitsa has daily bus lines to the towns of Veliko Tarnovo, Lyaskovets, Svishtov, Elena, Pavlikeni, Sliven and Burgas.

The railway station of Gorna Oriahovitsa serves two major railway lines: Sofia - Gorna Oriahovitsa - Varna, and Ruse - Gorna Oriahovitsa - Stara Zagora. One of the five Bulgarian airports of international statute can also be found here, serving all types of aircraft.

Municipal economy is characterized by the branches of food-processing industry, machine-building, energy production, transportation, chemical and ceramic industries, agriculture, trade and tourism.


HISTORY

The earliest settlements in the area date back to the 3^rd millennium BC. Two Neolithic settlements, partly preserved, are a witness to that. In the times of the Roman Empire, 14 km north of today Gorna Oriahovitsa, stood one of the largest cities of Dolna Mysia Province - Nikopolis ad Istrum, built in 111 by Emperor Trayan to commemorate his victory over the Daki tribes. Here started the southern road to Augusta Trayana (present-day Stara Zagora) and, passing along the left bank of Yantra River, headed for the Balkan. To guard the road, many fortresses were built at that time, including the one later called Ryahovets. Its name came from the Persian word 'rah' - road. With time, it changed many times to give the present-day name of Gorna Oriahovitsa. The fortress is now to be seen at 3 km west of the town. It was taken and destroyed during the Second Crusades by Vladislav III Yagello in 1444. Later on, it was inhabited again, giving birth to the present-day town.

During Ottoman rule, Gorna Oriahovitsa developed as a lively trade center with markets well known all over northern Bulgaria. In 1870 it was officially declared a town and several years later, it became one of the four centers of the revolt against Ottoman occupation in April 1876.

After the liberation of Bulgaria, the town grew quickly. An important role for that played the fact that one of the major transport centers of Bulgaria - the railway station - was opened in 1899 and became a crossroad of the railways from the capital to the sea and from the Danube, through the Balkan, to the fertile plains of Thrace. The town is one of the biggest trade and industrial centers of the region.
In the period 1925-1932, an International Sample Fair was started in Gorna Oriahovitsa, and then moved to Plovdiv.







NATURE

Plant and animal life in the region of Gorna Oriahovitsa is quite diverse. Only 5 km south-west of the town one can find the protected site of Bojur Polyana (Globe flower meadow) - one of the rare sources of peony, taken as a symbol of Gorna Oriahovitsa. Right from the southwest suburbs starts the Kamaka Forest Park, where the visitor can see rare bird species such as the imperial eagle (Kartal), whose image was found on a medieval ring seal from the Ryahovets Fortress. In recent years, some couples of black stork use to nest in the park during the summer, while in winter the waters of Yantra River give home to the swan.


SUMMER AND WINTER TIMES

The visitors to Gorna Oriahovitsa are offered two walking trails to choose from:
o Monastery of Sveti Prorok Ilia - Bojur Hut (option: by cab) - Sveta Troitsa Monastery - Bojur Hut
o Historical Museum of Gorna Oriahovitsa - Ryahovets Fortress - Monastery of Sveti Prorok Ilia - sanctuary of the Mother Goddess in the Kamaka locality
There are opportunities for cycling in the vicinity of the town: from the Churukovets locality to the Bojur Hut, where is a marked cycling trail.

Kamaka Eco-trail offers a chance to observe interesting natural phenomena and rare plant and animal species. The trail starts at the Churukovets locality (south-west of the town), passes by Mravunyaka, the Kamaka rock with panoramic view of the town and its surroundings, Suhata River, Syuleiman Cheshma, and ends at Bojur Hut.

Another eco-trail is to be found near the village of Pravda. It follows the course of Yantra River and passes through the localities of Staroto Selo, Ashava and Cherven Bryag.

The rivers of Yantra and Rositsa, as well as the corrections of Yantra near the villages of Vurbitsa, Krusheto and Draganovo, offer plenty of pleasant opportunities for fishing.

Kortena Hunting Reserve can be a good place to hunt poultry and larger animals between the villages of Draganovo and Strelets - part of the State Game-breeding Station of Bolyarka.

Opportunities for a longer stay are offered by the Bojur Hut (5 km south-west of Gorna Oriahovitsa), located within the Kamaka Forest Park and near the protected site of Bojur Polyana. One can reach its location following an asphalt road from the town or walking along the picturesque eco-trail.


CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE

The territory of Gorna Oriahovitsa Municipality features a number of cultural and historical sites, preserved ever since ancient times. Of the first settlements (3^rd millennium BC), two Neolithic ones are situated near the village of Pravda and in the Chestovo locality.

In the settlement near Pravda Village, a number of ceramic and flint artifacts have been found, related to the cults and everyday life of pre-historic people. Among these, special attention should be paid to a small ceramic figure - plate with a bull's head.
The uncovered sanctuary in the Kamaka locality west of Gorna Oriahovitsa is connected to the cult of Mother Goddess from the times before the new era. The vertical cave symbolizes the womb of the Great Goddess - Mother. When the stone plate closing the entrance is moved aside, a sun ray penetrates the cave as if the son of the goddess - the Sun - inseminates the Mother as a symbol of eternal life.


Ryahovets Fortress, built in the 3^rd-4^th century by the Roman Emperor Aurelius III and reaching its boom during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (12^th-14^th century), when it was established as an important defense fort of the Bulgarian capital of Tarnovgrad, only 6 km away. At that time, it was also one of the biggest fortress towns of Medieval Bulgarian state. It has three fortress gates, oriented towards the world directions. According to the legend, there existed a secret underground path to the capital of Tarnovo from the northern gate, just under the watch tower.
Another preserved Medieval fortress is Kaleto near the village of Gorski Goren Trambesh.

8 km west of Gorna Oriahovitsa stands the Patriarch Monastery of Sveta Troitsa, founded in the middle of the 14^th century by Teodosii Tarnovski. It was here that in 1375 Evtimii was given the highest religious order - Patriarch of Bulgarians. After some centuries of decline during Ottoman rule, the monastery was renovated in 1847. The church was built by the master (Usta) Kolyo Ficheto and beautifully painted by Zaharii Zograf.

Only a kilometer southwest of the town is to be found the patron monastery of Gorna Oriahovitsa - St.Prophet Iliya, founded in the 14^th century. The saint is known as the defender of the town and it was here, around that monastery, where today's town appeared.

Since 1962, the historical heritage of the region is kept in the Historical Museum of Gorna Oriahovitsa. Its exposition includes over 800 original items, photos and documents, presenting the development of the town and region. Part of the Historical Museum are also the Ethnographic Museum in Dolna Oryahovitsa, showing the ethnical, demographic, social and economic characteristic of the whole area, as well as the Museum House of Assen Raztsvetnikov presenting the life of the famous Bulgarian writer.

Interesting sites are the house of the local Haidutin Sider Voivoda (fighter against Ottoman rule), the church of Sveti Georgi, the monuments of Georgi Izmirliev (local leader of the April revolt), Vassil Levski and Hristo Botev.

The municipality has 15 Chitalishta (Community Centers), 7 of which have more than 100 years of history.

The oldest cultural institute in Gorna Oriahovitsa is the Napreduk 1869 Chitalishte, with the famous groups of Sider Voivoda and Guslarche, and the choir of Slavyansko Edinstvo.

Since 1904 Probuda Community center has a children's dance ensemble for authentic folklore, a female folklore group, groups for 'old town' songs and folklore singing.

Each year Gorna Oriahovitsa hosts the annual National Assembly of 100-years Old Community centers in Bulgaria.

The Exhibition Hall of Gorna Oriahovitsa is a gallery with permanent expositions of paintings, graphics and sculptures, mostly from Bulgarian artists. The gallery is a co-organizer of the annual national fair - Zhivopisatira for satiric painting, attracting many artists from abroad.

Gorna Oriahovitsa has made some serious steps towards the development of festival tourism. Each summer the town becomes the capital of the International Festival of Tourist Songs and the International Folklore Festival.

Every year the municipality holds also a National Chamber Dance Competition, Municipal Folklore Holiday (village of Parvomaitsi), May Days of Culture with Regional Fest of 'Old Town Songs' - Bojuri and Rahovche Children's Festival, Peace Eco-Forum and others.

In June each year, together with the municipalities of Veliko Tarnovo and Lyaskovets, they organize a National Festival of Folklore by the Petropavlovski Monastery.

The town of Lyaskovets, located at 3 km from Gorna Oriahovitsa, is an old gardening and wine center, which has preserved its traditions to the present day. It is a colourful town from the Bulgarian National Revival Period (18^th-19^th century) with about 80 old houses, spread along five cozy narrow streets. There are several churches with valuable icons and wood-carvings on the altars: Sveti Atanas (restored in 1835 after a fire), Sveti Nikola, Sveti Georgi and Sveti Vasilii with a clock tower. The town features a Historical Museum and Gardening Museum - the only one in Bulgaria. The two towns are connected by a regular bus line.

Near Gorna Oriahovitsa the visitor can find the museum village of Arbanassi and the old monasteries of Preobrajenski, Kilifarevski, Petropavlovski, Kapinovski and Plachkovski.


TRADITIONAL CUISINE

Dishes from Gorna Oriahovitsa:
Ever since the times of Ottoman rule, one of the leading crafts of Gorna Oriahovitsa has been zalhandjiistvo - making of special smoked-meat products (sudjuk, pastarma) exported all around the Empire. That is why the most traditional recipes are based on meat.
Gornooriahovski Sudjuk - appeared several centuries back to the past. Then, as well as today, it was made only of beef. Local masters traditionally produce it in two types:
o in the beginning of autumn - Gornooriahovski sudjuk made of 10 kg of beef, 220 g salt, 10 g saltpeter or 10 g sugar, 25 g ground black pepper (you might add 20 g ground cumin).
o in winter - Dry Beef Nadenitsa made of 10 kg of beef, 250 g salt, 10 g saltpeter (keeping the red colour of meat), 10 g ground black pepper and 20 g dry savory.
Ryahovska Pastarma - prepared from mutton, goat meat and beef - with or without the bones. It is cut in thin long pieces, which are salted and left to dry in layers. In 10-14 days, the pastarma is ready.
Kaizer Pastarma - prepared from beef pastarma, covered in special mixture of red pepper and ground garlic, with some water and flour. Meat loafs are left for two days to get the special aroma, then taken out, covered once again with the same mixture and left to dry.
Vegetable Gyuvech, Gorna Oriahovitsa style - 1.5 kg of meat (for 6 people) is cut into pieces and placed in rectangular clay pot (gyuvech). Two onions and oil are added. In a different pot, the following vegetables are prepared: 1kg potatoes, 1-2 aubergines, 200 g okra, 5-6 peppers, 4-5 tomatoes and (optional) 200-300 g of French beans. Meat and onions are fried together, vegetables added and the whole mixture put to bake. During baking, stir at least twice using wooden spoon. At the end, 2 eggs are added and the gyuvech is ready.
Green cutlets - 4-5 pieces of lettuce are cut in small pieces, added to 4 grate potatoes, 3 eggs, 1 teacup of flour, salt, black pepper, savory and thyme. The mixture is shaped into balls, fried in very hot oil. Served with yoghourt.

Die nahe Lage zur alten Haupstadt Veliko Tarnovo, zu Arbanassi und den herrlichen Klöstern ringsum macht die Stadt auch zum Anziehungspunkt für Touristen.

also das ist fuer mich ja der groesste Witz des Jahrhunderts- in GO gibt es ueberhaupt keine Touristen- und wenn dann wird meine Mum die erste sein wenn sie mich im Februar besuchen kommt, denn hier gibt es gar nichts zu sehen und nur weil der Ort nahe VT liegt, heisst es nicht, dass man deshalb nach GO faehrt...

habe ich aus http://de.zonebulgaria.com/nord/gorna_orjachoviza/geschichte/

fuer diejenigen, die sich die hoechstinteressante Geschichtsbeschreibung mal durchlesen wollen

Aber die Bilder vom Rathaus sind echt gut und hier zu finden http://www.g-oryahovica.org/about/111.html