Elena (Bulgarian: Елена) is a town in Eastern Bulgaria, in Veliko Tarnovo Oblast; the seat of the Elena Municipality. According to the National Statistical Institute, as of December 31, 2011, the town has a population of 5,532. It is located at the foot of the Elena Balkan Mountains, on Kaleto Hill.
- Waters. Elena lies in the Elena River valley, near the Jovkovci reservoir. Nature. A large erratic boulder, Markow kamyk, which, according to legend, was thrown by Prince Marko, and Raew kamyk, a 1,300-year-old oak tree designated a natural monument, are found here. The Christovsky Waterfall. The slopes are densely forested, making it close to the peaks of Čumerna, Ostrec, and Simanovo.
- Hilarion, secular name Stoyan Stoyanov Mikhailovsky (born 1812 in Elena, died 4 June 1875 in Constantinople) – Bulgarian Orthodox bishop, one of the leaders of the Bulgarians in the struggle to establish an independent national Orthodox Church, and a participant in the Bulgarian National Revival. In literature, he is also referred to as Hilarion (Ilarion) Makariopolski – in accordance with the Bulgarian tradition of writing the names of Orthodox hierarchs, in which the adjective from the name of the cathedral replaces the surname.
- Stefan Savov Bobchev (Bulgarian: Стефан Савов Бобчев; born February 2, 1853 in Elena, died September 8, 1940 in Sofia) – Bulgarian politician, lawyer, diplomat and publicist, Minister of Education (1911-1912), deputy of the Ordinary National Assembly of the 13th (1903–1907), 15th (1911-1913), 16th (1913), 17th (1914–1919), 18th (1919–1920), 19th (1920–1923) term, founder and first rector of the University of National and World Economy.
- Elena’s first church was the Church of St. Nicholas, built in the 16th century. Donjo Gramatnik recorded that in 1518, St. Nicholas received a psalter from Venice. In 1800, the town was attacked; St. Nicholas and the books inside were destroyed.
- Elena, Bulgaria, boasts a symbol of technological progress and a center of daily life typical of many European cities – the Clock Tower. This historic building, built in the 19th century, is visible from afar and audible thanks to the striking of the clock on the hour.
- Elena is a town in Bulgaria known primarily for its traditional salted and dried ham called Elenski but. This local delicacy is made from pork thighs, which are matured in the region’s specific microclimate, often in wooden barrels, for at least six months. Elenski but can be found in restaurants in Elena and is eaten raw or lightly roasted, often as a meze with Bulgarian wine or beer.
- Elena is a small town and municipality in the Veliko Tarnovo Province in northern Bulgaria, located in the Stara Planina Mountains. It is known as the center of the ethnogeographic region known as “Elenickie,” and within its borders, you can find many houses for sale or rent, especially in the context of tourism and real estate.
