Veliko Turnovo is a mountain city located in the north of Bulgaria. A town with rich history, Veliko Tarnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire and has long traditions in the culture of Bulgaria. The city is rich in museums and historical sites, combined with vivacious night life propelled by the students in one of the largest universities in Bulgaria.
The old city is situated on three hills, Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora raising amidst the meanders of the Yantra. Tsarevets housed the palaces of the Bulgarian Emperors and the Patriarchate, as well as a number of administrative and residential edifices surrounded by thick walls. Trapezitsa was known for its many churches and as the main residence of the nobility. In the Middle Ages it was among the main European centres of culture and gave its name to the Tarnovo Artistic School of architecture, painting and literature.
Veliko Tarnovo is an important administrative, economic, educational and cultural centre of Northern Bulgaria. Veliko Turnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists with its unique architecture.
PLACE TO VISIT
If in Veliko Turnovo, make sure to visit the castle of the old Bulgarian capital - Tsarevets. The city itself is a collection of traditional renaissance houses scattered over the hills around the river Yantra.
Tsarevets - is a mediaeval stronghold located on a hill with the same name in Veliko Tarnovo in northern Bulgaria. It served as the Second Bulgarian Empire's primary fortress and strongest bulwark from 1185 to 1393, housing the royal and the patriarchal palaces, and is a popular tourist attraction.
The Church of St Demetrius of Thessaloniki - is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church in the city of Veliko Tarnovo in central northern Bulgaria, the former capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The church lies at the northeastern foot of the Trapezitsa and Tsarevets hills, on the right bank of the Yantra River, outside the city's medieval fortifications. Architecturally, it has a pentahedral apse and a cross-domed design with a narthex and a fore-apse space. It was once part of a large monastery and belonged in its southeastern part.
The SS. Forty Martyrs Church - is a medieval Eastern Orthodox church constructed in 1230 in the town of Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria, the former capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The SS. Forty Martyrs Church is an elongated six-columned basilica, has three semicircular apses and a narrow narthex from the west. Another building was added later to the west side of the church.
The Church of SS. Peter and Paul - is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church in the city of Veliko Tarnovo in central northern Bulgaria, the former capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The 13th-century church lies at the foot of the Tsarevets hill's northern slopes and was reconstructed in 1981.
Samovodska Charshia, the old trade street which sheltered skilful craftsmen through the Revival Period and even today many of the houses and the workshops are fully restored
Gurko Street, an illustration of Bulgarian Revival architectural style where it is possible to visit the Sarafkina House
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Although Veliko Turnovo's Gorna Oryahovitsa 4km (2miles) away is currently not open to international passenger air traffic (It is possible to arrange private aircraft landings there by arrangement), it is possible to fly to Bulgaria's capital city Sofia, or the coastal city of Varna and then by rail or modern coach to Veliko Turnovo.
By train - There is a small railway station in the town and it is possible to get a taxi to the centre of town from there for a cheap price. An alternative is to get a train a larger railway station at the nearby town of Gorna Oryahovitsa. You could then take a bus/minibus/taxi from Gorna Oryahovitsa station to Veliko Tarnovo.
By car - One of the main roads in Bulgaria runs through the city, so car transport is not a problem to and from the city. Since the town is located relatively in the centre of Bulgaria, it is quite comfortable to stop there for an hour to rest and get a glimpse of the sights.
By bus - Busses run approximately hourly from Sofia. Several buses daily run from Plovdiv and Varna.
