Gabrovo, town, north-central Bulgaria, in the foothills north of the Balkan Mountains. Gabrovo is located on the River Yantra. The town developed—probably in the mid-15th century—as a strategic point on the northern approach to the Shipka Pass, which lies 24 km (15 mi) to the south. The first Bulgarian school was opened in Gabrovo in 1835, and in 1877 the town was liberated from the Turks (see Ottoman Empire). The town is now a major centre for the textile industry. Population (1992) 76,522.