Veliko Turnovo is situated in central Bulgaria, at the foothills of the Balkan Mountains. It is spread over the historical hills of Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora, towering over the wide curves of the Iantra river. The city is more than 7000 years old. Veliko Tarnovo impresses with its original renaissance architecture – antique houses, situated one above another, towers, splendid museums, and monasteries with icon-paintings that attract tourists from all over the world. Capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, Turnovo offers some of the most abundant and important cultural and historic attractions in Bulgaria. It also offers lively modern night life and nature with great opportunities for sports and rest.

Photograph by Nick Hutt

Veliko Tarnovo has a rich historical past. The first clues for life date back to the 3rd millennium b.c. The first inhabitants were the Thracians and their settlement existed until the end of the Bronze Age. The next inhabitants were the Byzantines. A big Slav settlement was situated here during the VIII a.c. The Old-Bulgarian settlement appeared during the IX c. and during the X c. the hills Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora were already richly populated. The brothers Asen and Peter organized successfully a revolt against Byzantine rule in 1187 and declared Veliko Tarnovo the capital of Bulgaria. Turnovo became a well-fortified city and a significant political, administrative, economic and cultural center in Europe during the next 200 years. The contemporaries referred to it as the “The Second Constantinople” and “The Third Rome”.

The most important remnant of these times is the archaeological preserve Tsarevets, a restored fortress that surrounds the hill Tsarvets. One of the main attractions of the fortress is the Baldwin towers where the Latin Emperor Baldwin was captured and locked during the crusade in the early 1200′s. The palace of the Bulgarian tsars was a self-contained fortress with the fabulous Throne Hall and the palace church St. Petka. The Bulgarian patriarchate was situated on the highest place within the fortress. In recent years, the fortress has received further acclaim with a “Lights and Sound” show – a program that combines sound and light effects to reproduce the history of the old Bulgarian capital.

Venturing beyond the fortress walls, one enters a historical preserved neighborhood with winding narrow cobblestones lined with craft shops, cafes, restaurants and boutique hotels. One can admire the numerous fully renovated Renaissance houses in a typical Bulgarian style, interspersed with ancient ruins and churches. The Gurko street and the ethnographic complex Samovodska Charshia reveal a great variety of Renaissance houses that seem to have landed on top of each other, with sheer views over the Iantra river. The Sarafkina house, built in 1861, is a particularly beautiful sample.

There is much to do around Veliko Turnovo as well including fourteen monasteries built during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom in XII – XIV c. Many of them were destroyed during the Ottoman rule and were renovated by the self-educated Bulgarian architect and builder Kolio Ficheto and wall-painted by Zohari Zograf during XIX c. One of the largest is the Preobrajenski monastery that was founded at the time of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom during XIII – XIV c. by queen Sara, wife of Tsar Ivan Alexander. It had an important role for the spiritual life of the capital. It is situated 6km from Veliko Tarnovo in a beautiful area with vertical rocks in the canyon-like gorge of the Iantra River.

Turnovo has much to offer for people interested in history and architecture but it is also a very vibrant, energetic town with long pedestrian areas, restaurants, shops, and cafes. It is a favorite destination for Bulgarians of all ages and interests as well as international tourists.

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Bulgaria is located on the Black Sea’s western side and is a country located in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania, Serbia, Republic of Macedonia, and Greece. As such, it is also a favorite tourist destination not only by the Europeans but also by other nations as well because of the beautiful scenery it offers any traveler, and here are the top 10 cities that is a must-see when you visit Bulgaria.

Photograph by Nick Hutt

1.) Sofia

This is the biggest city of Bulgaria and is also the capital city. This is home to over 250 remarkable landmarks and monuments like the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which is made more famous by the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, and the St. Sofia Church. This is also home to museums featuring artifacts from the Bronze and Stone era.

2.) Plovdiv

This is Bulgaria’s second largest city and is considered as one of Europe’s oldest cities. Here, you can see the Roman Amphitheater as well as the St. Marina Church. It also contains a lot of parks that any visitor can enjoy.

3.) Varna

Recognized as Bulgaria’s thrid largest city, Varna is known for its pristine beaches. It is also very modern as the city has bars and has an active nightlife that makes it one of the favorite spots in Bulgaria. If you want something mellow, there is always the Varna Archeological Museum as well as the Sea Garden and Varna Aquarium and Dolphinarium.

4.) Burgas

Burgas is Bulgaria’s commercial port and the center for oil refinery. This is also known for its Sea Garden Park or Morska Gradina where you can find a variety of plants and flowers. Burgas Bay is also a favorite spot for surfing and flying kites.

5.) Rousse

This city is affectionately called Small Vienna. Anybody who visits here is given a cultural high as he visits a lot of wonderful places like the National Transport Museum as well as the Pantheon of National Revival Heroes. You can also visit the House of Caliopa as well as the Sexiginta Prista Roman Castle.

6.) Vratsa

This sixth largest city offers visitor a magical sight to behold. There is the historical museum that you can visit as well as Sumi, the trade center. As for picturesque places to go to, you have the Vratsata (Mountain Passage) and the Ledenika Cave.

7.) Shumen

Shumen is the seventh city and is a bit modern unlike the first six. It has modern buildings but still retains a small part of the city that houses its older buildings. Here, you can visit the Madara Horseman that was carved along a cliff wall as well as Thracian tombs and Pliska and Preslav (Ancient Bulgarian Kingdom’s capitals).

8.) Veliko Tarnovo

This used to be Bulgaria’s capital during the Middle Ages. This city is rich in historical sites as well as museums. You can also find the ancient castle of Tzarevetz here as well as houses highly influenced by the Renaissance Period.

9.) Sliven

Sliven offers majestic views of its blue rocks. What makes Sliven a favorite tourist destination is that it is a good place to play golf at a very affordable price. So, it is no wonder than avid golfers from all over Europe visit Sliven.

10.) Smolyan

You are going to see a lot of wonderful places in this city as it is one of the favorite cities of many vacationers and those who are simply wanting to relax amidst nature. Here, you can see houses and churches that were built during the 17th to the 19th centuries, among them are the famous Pangalov’s House as well as the Sgurov’s House. You can also find Pamporovo, a ski resort, in this city as well as the planetarium center and a museum.

About the Author
Jonathan Williams is the travel writer for Destination Guide TV – the place to share travel videos. Visit http://www.destinationguide.tv/bulgaria to view or share Bulgaria travel videos.

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The country of Bulgaria has been nestled deep in the Eastern Europe situated in the neighbourhood of Romania, Turkey and Greece. Summer vacations in Bulgaria will enable you to enjoy the variation of sun, sand and sea.

Winter vacations in the country will allow you to have fun in the snow-capped mountains that are perfect for snow boarding and skiing. If you are the person who likes to enjoy the mixture of food and fine weather with wonderful culture, history and architecture, then Bulgaria is a must-visit place for you.

The country is loaded with a large number of historical remains, fortresses, monasteries and roman theatres. When you travel through Bulgaria, you will feel as if you are having a walk in the Garden of Eden, as on each turn, you will find beautiful landscapes full of open plains, secret waterfalls and wonderful mountains.

Arbanassi is an architectural museum reserve and is four kilometres away from the Veliko Turnovo. The village of Arbanassi features the unique architecture of Arbanassi houses, drinking yore fountains, old narrow streets, moving mural paintings, original iconostases, churches and monasteries.

Konstantsalievs House is a veritable fortress that is evident of exquisite art sense and high skills of the master builders of Bulgaria. The Hadzhiilievs House has a ceremonial entrance, a wide staircase, a spacious kitchen and guestrooms. The Church of Nativity is the oldest church of Arbanassi decorated with mural paintings.

The acting museum of Etura is a recreation of lifestyle, handicrafts and architecture that existed in the National Revival Period. It features markets, shops, water mills, little bridges, drinking fountains, cozy houses, clock tower and workshops. The fragrance of home made rolls and loaves of bread can be smelled and the Stranopriemnitsa Hotel has been constructed completely keeping in the mind the spirit of Etura.

Pirin National Park is a national park of world heritage, encompassing a large part of the Pirin Mountains situated in the south-west of the country. Bayuvi Dupki- Dzhindzhiritsa and Yulen are the two nature reserves located in the park boundaries. This national park accommodates 18 local endemic species and 60 preserved species including Edelweiss. The fauna includes 2090 species of invertebrate among which 300 are rate species, 214 are endemic and 175 are relicts.

The Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari is a 3rd century tomb and was discovered in the year 1982 in a mound. The tomb reflects the basic structural principles of the Thracian cult buildings. Its decor is unique with half human and half plant murals. According to the georgraphers, the Thracian people were in contact with the Hyperborean and Hellenistic worlds and this tomb is an amazing reminder of these Getae people culture.

The Boyana Church is situated on the outskirts of Sofia in the Boyana quarter. It is mainly popular for its frescoes forming a 2nd layer over the paintings. There are 89 scenes depicted on the church walls by an anonymous painter. The church was added in the UNESCO World Heritage List in the year 1979.

Many holiday makers now come to Bulgaria and stay in holiday villas, self catering holiday apartments, ski chalets or holiday cottages which they rent as holiday accommodation direct from their holiday home owners.

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