"Traveler," says an old Spanish proverb, "there are no roads. The paths are made with walking. "Recalling this wisdom, we are heading towards this endless journey. Enjoy reading!
There are many legends about the emergence of Elena. The most common is the legend of two young lovers. It tells that in the virgin forests of Elena Balkan there was a trail, which was followed by a happy couple - Elena and Samuil. Bandits attacked the wedding. The kidnapper did not find a way to the girl's heart and she fell dead. Samuel was also cut off. From their affliction, their parents settled here and founded the village they called Elena.
Historical evidence suggests that the Elena valley had lived in its bosom another 6,000 years before Christ. The armies of Philip II and Alexander of Macedon passed through the Elena valley.
The main symbol of the regional cultural identity is the Daskalolivnitsa. It was built in 1844 for the needs of the first class school founded by Ivan Nikolov Momchilov in the distant 1843. . It is also a symbol of Elena's coat of arms. Its symbol is the pen, showing the awakening spirit of Elencani, their need for knowledge and their pursuit of enlightenment. Petko Rachov Slaveikov, who also gave this unusual and at the same time eloquent name, is also an alumnus. Daskalolivnitsa ie. place for casting pedals. Two museum expositions were set up in the building: "Elena in the Renaissance Age" (in it in documents and pictures is presented the history of the town from its emergence to the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation 1877-1878) and the "chapel Archangel Michael" (exposed icons , church plate and frescoes carried by the church of the same name in the village of Shilkovtsi).
'Clock Tower', built in 1812, and a major element in the city's coat of arms. At any point in town you can not see it and you hear the bell and the bell. And that's no accident. The place is chosen to be visible and heard from every part of the city
The Church of St. Nicholas is the oldest in the city. From a file on a psaltery given in 1518 to the church by some Perra, we learn that it already existed at the beginning of the XVI century. On April 23, 1800, St. George's Day, when Elena was attacked by the kardjali, the church of St. Nicholas was burned, and a large part of the books were burnt with it. It was renewed in its present form in 1804 with the means of wealthier citizens and the labor of the population. It was built secretly without the permission of the Turkish authorities for 40 days.
Outwardly, her architecture is modest and unpretentious, almost invisible, so as not to annoy the abuser. The interior is richly decorated in full agreement with the orthodox concepts of the temple as a mirror of the human soul. The murals are of exceptional value and are declared cultural monuments of national importance.
The Popnikolov house is one of the most characteristic in the town of Elena. It was built in the first half of the 19th century. In the first years after the Liberation, the city's technical office was housed, so it is also called "Old Engineering".
To the streets it is three-storey - ground floor and two floors, and to the courtyard - two-storey with two steps above the courtyard level. '' The Popnikolov House '', today '' Paleontological '' Museum, welcomes the guests of the town and through the exposed fossils found in Elena it returns them back to history millions of years back.
Eleven eco paths are currently marked and maintained on the territory of Elena Municipality. The safety of tourists is in the safe hands of experienced mountain guides.
The nature reserve "Waterfall" of the river Miojkovska is extremely attractive. It was declared a protected natural site by Order N 1427 of 13.05.1974 of the MGASP. Together with the waterfall is protected and the adjacent surrounding area with an area of 3.0 ha. The altitude of which it is located is 400m. The waterfall is located south of the Hristovtsi neighborhood, a land of the village of Ruhovtsi.
Undoubtedly, there is nothing else to tell about the beauties of the Elena Balkan