Veliko Tarnovo

Veliko Tarnovo, in the hills of north-central Bulgaria, is one of the most dramatically sited and historic towns in the country, the medieval capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire and the seat of its tsars. Its old houses cascade down steep, terraced gorges above a horseshoe bend of the Yantra River, and it is crowned by the great restored hilltop fortress of Tsarevets, once the seat of power, whose ramparts and the atmospheric craft street of Samovodska Charshia evoke the town's glorious past.

History

The first traces of people, from the 3rd millennium BC, were found on Trapezitsa hill, and Tarnovo was a stronghold of the First Bulgarian Empire; the uprising of Asen and Peter, begun on 26 October 1185, restored the Bulgarian state, and Tarnovgrad became the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. In the 12th-14th centuries it spread over some 70 hectares of the Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Momina Krepost hills, with 12,000 to 15,000 people and Armenian, Jewish and Catholic merchant quarters, until the Ottomans took it on 17 July 1393 after a three-month siege led by Patriarch Evtimiy; the word Veliko, great, was added to its name in 1965 (Wikipedia, Veliko Tarnovo).

What's there

• Tsarevets Fortress - the great hilltop fortress of the tsars.
• The river-gorge setting - the houses cascading down the terraced gorge.
• Samovodska Charshia - the atmospheric old craft and market street.
• The sound-and-light show - the evening spectacle over the fortress.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the mildest weather; the town's dramatic setting is beautiful year-round, and the evening sound-and-light show over Tsarevets, held on some nights, is a highlight. It is a relaxed, atmospheric town to explore on foot.

Practical notes

It is a few hours from Sofia in the interior, so it takes a trip to reach, but rewards with genuine medieval history and a spectacular setting. The town is steep and terraced, tiring to walk. The fortress is largely a reconstruction. Its dramatic gorge setting, historic significance and relaxed atmosphere, though, make it one of Bulgaria's most rewarding towns.

Nearby

The village of Arbanasi, the Etar open-air museum and the Balkan Mountains are nearby.

Key facts