There are several architectural ensembles preserved dating back to the Bulgarian National Revival and comprising about 130 old houses.

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 bride was called Elena – from the village of Kapinovo [bg], and the groom was Samuil from Tvarditsa.

Bandits attacked the wedding ceremony at the place where the town of Elena is situated today.

Because of the sorrow towards their son, Samuil's parents settled down in this region and established the village that was named after Elena.

On the north of the town is Chukani Hill, where – amongst the pine trees, is situated the building of the former Climate Health School.

The people of Elena had taken part in several important events from that moment on – for example, Velcho's Conspiracy (in 1835) and Tarnovo rebellion in 1862.

The church already was a book store-house as well in those ages – a bridge between Elena and the Tarnovo Literary School.

On April 23, 1800 – the day of St. Georgi, when Elena was attacked by Muslim tribes (kardzhalii), the church “St.

The rebuilding was managed by Hadji Ivan Kisiov – grandson of Pope Petko Sheytana, who attended the Sultan’s mother in Tzarigrad in a hat with a wheat-ear and persuaded her that the people of Elena should be relieved of their obligation to pay tax on growing of their wheat.

The door was made of thick oak boards studded with iron, with a unique heavy lock mechanism.

A stone plate built in on the left of the altar says that the church was rebuilt from its foundations after it was burned down by agrarian bandits.

Pope Doino Gramatik had mentioned the names of 12 church-donors, one of whom was Stoyan Mihaylovski – the father of Ilarion Makareopolski.

Nikola” was decorated completely by the famous Elena icon-painters of those ages – David and Yyakov who were born in Bolertsi.

A new chapel "The Assu of Holy Virgin" was built in 1800 with the permission of Rousse-Tarnovo governor Smail Aga.

He was a contemporary of Kolio Fitcheto, master Gencho Kanev, and he did not step back to their creativity, design and realisation.

In 1925 the church “The Assu of Holy Virgin” lost an incredibly precious artistic creation – in a fire the iconostasis was burned down.

The new iconostasis was carved by Gorgi Kirov, and the icons were created by the artist Hristo Berberov from Elena.

Conspirators from the Velcho’s Conspiracy swore at the icon of Hadji Yordan Bradata (that was brought from the Holy Sepulchre) in the temple of Plakovci monastery “St.

On July 20, 1859 the wooden walls of the chapel “The Birth of Holy Virgin” could not survive the fair that flamed out.

The icon stayed in the church for 15 years and afterwards was given as a present to the public school and now it is being preserved in the cultural-historic complex “Daskalolivnitsata” (meaning “the place that “produces” teachers”).

This served as a signal for the people of Elena to head for Kaleto as fast as possible in order to find protection against the bandits.

After the kardzhalii’s crime activities were over, the fortress Kaleto was used as Turkish Army barracks, but it started demolishing.