Veliko Tarnovo
Bulgaria · Veliko Tarnovo Province · 200 m
Description
Veliko Tarnovo (Велико Търново) was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire and remains the most dramatically built town in the country, its houses stacked in tiers on the cliffs of a tight meander of the Yantra. The fortress of Tsarevets fills a whole hill across the river, with the patriarchal church on its summit, an execution rock at the far end and a sound and light show projected onto the walls at night. Craft workshops line the Samovodska Charshia street. The town is a university city, which keeps its bars and cafés busy year round. The streets are steep and end at views over the river.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 4 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – June or September – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Tsarevets Fortress
- Sound and light show on the fortress walls (April - October)
- Samovodska Charshia craft street
- Patriarchal Cathedral of the Ascension
- Asenevtsi monument and the Yantra meander
- Arbanasi village and its Nativity church(Day trip)
- Trapezitsa hill and its funicular
- Church of the Forty Holy Martyrs
- Gurko Street and the cliff-hung houses
- Regional Museum of History
- Nikopolis ad Istrum Roman town(Day trip)
- Dryanovo Monastery and the Bacho Kiro cave(Day trip)
- Tryavna woodcarving town(Day trip)
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Veliko Tarnovo