A great climate, wealth of natural resources, and a pride in tradition and heritage makes Veliko Tyrnovo one of the top 10 destinations in Eastern Europe. The city is divided into two sections by the Yantra River; the older and historic renaissance part along the hillside and newer city a combination of modern and communistic style buildings.
Often referred to as the “City of the Tsars”, the city was the site of the Second Bulgarian Empire and is built upon three hills, Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora. Cross the wooden Vladishki or Bishop’s bridge to Tsarevets Hill, once the main fortress whose towers, gates and stonewalls protected the city from foes for centuries. It is here that the annual Stage of the Ages opera festival is held each year. Dotted across the hill are numerous medieval churches and monasteries like The Holy 40 Martyrs, The Nativity Church and St Paraskeva. Your Veliko Tyrnovo guide will advice you to look for the Archaeological findings at The Archaeological Museum, their finest exhibition being pieces of gold that are the oldest in the world.
With a large population of university students the new city is abuzz with wonderful restaurants and cafes. Take time out to enjoy a Zagorka beer with a Shopska Salad of tomatoes, onion, cucumber, sirene cheese and peppers. Save the evening to be enthralled with the Tarnov – a sound and light show where the sky is filled with multi-coloured lights and lasers. Bells and dramatic music completes the drama of the history of this wonderful historic city.