A week in Veliko Tarnovo
We spend a week visiting the ancient Bulgarian capital of Veliko Tarnovo. We find a city with surprisingly much to offer and soon we understand that if we are to see all that Veliko Tarnovo has to offer, we must wait to sleep until we get home.
Friday
16.00
Arrival! After a pleasant three hour bus ride from the Black Sea resort Varna, we finally arrive. The sun warms our faces where we stand in the middle of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria's former capital. Via the internet, we have found our accommodation, an affordable holiday apartment in the city center. After check-in, we admire the view from the balcony overlooking the city and freshen up. We sit down in the living room to plan the activities of the next few hours. We eagerly read the tourist brochures and information accumulated in the apartment and are in full swing with the planning when our hunger strikes. Planning ends and we head for the restaurant and shopping district on the main street Nezavisimost to grab something to eat.
20.30
Mother Bulgaria Square, it is half past eight in the evening. This is Veliko Tarnovo’s main square and the best starting point if you want to examine some of the city's bars. As we are all a little tired, we opt for a quiet evening and go to Lobby Bar, one of Veliko Tarnovo’s most popular cafes.
We soon notice that we are not the only ones finding this café attractive, but after a few minutes we get hold of one of the sought after tables. Soon we sit with our cool drinks, thinking about how we can best use our week in the city. Should we stay awake longer? Or maybe get up earlier? We decide on both alternatives.
22.40
We have set sight on a small bar that we've heard about, namely bar Ulitsa on Stefan Stambolov street. This is a small bar which offers a nice break from the more modern bars in the area. This bar has good beer and you can taste a wide selection of Bulgarian vodka, as well as the local specialty plum brandy. We talk with several Bulgarians and notice that most persons under 35 years speak reasonable English.
Bulgaria's former capital quickly displays its warm and friendly atmosphere. Although we are three hours from the Black sea coast, the people of Veliko Tarnovo have the same habits as those in the coastal cities. The streets are full of people who move from one cafe to another.
Towards midnight, we make our way to the nightclub Bally near Mother Bulgaria square. This is one of Veliko Tarnovo’s hottest clubs where many happy party goers gather after midnight. The partying goes on into the early morning hours and the crowd is cheered on by both Bulgarian and European top DJs. We dance and join in as best we can, but around 2 am we start to lose energy and decide to take a taxi back to the apartment. We wave goodbye to the people around us, many of whom will surely keep on dancing for hours more.
Saturday
9.00
A beautiful day, it’s going to be a hot one! We enjoy breakfast on the balcony while we admire the view over the whole city. We spot several tourist attractions that are visible from the balcony, such as the Tsaravets medieval fortress and the Assen monument.
10.30
Number one on today's agenda is to discover old city center of Veliko Tarnovo. Wearing comfortable shoes we set off. Pretty soon we are moved back in time as we pass narrow alleys, cobbled streets and charming houses preserved from the early 1800's. In the Varusha district we find the Samovodska Charshia area that was the home of many craftsmen. In the 1980s, these shops were restored to carry on traditional crafts. We watch as iron smiths, carpet weavers, copper smiths, wood sculpters, potters, icon-painters, gold smiths and bakers exercise their crafts and also have the opportunity to purchase pastries and hand-made souvenirs.
Then we stroll through streets with antique shops, art galleries and souvenirs - all of which specialize in capturing Veliko Tarnovo’s special silhouette on the steep slopes towards the river Yantra.
12.00
We continue our walk along Gurko street, the oldest street in Veliko Tarnovo.
Gurko street is one of Veliko Tarnovo’s havens and virtually free of cars. We feel the calmness and see the river Yantra where it meanders slowly in the river valley far beneath us. Gurko street is covered with cobblestones and its old houses are very picturesque, they give almost the impression to be stacked on top of each other. We stop to gaze at two front doors that are less than 1.50m high and we wonder what kind of people once inhabited these homes.
The windows, doors and facades of Gurko street are covered with climbing grape vines, roses and ivy, which all contribute to the street’s romantic appearance.
Then we visit Sarafkina House on Gurko street which was built in the 1860s by a wealthy Turkish businessman. This is now a museum with rooms and interiors restored to the prevailing taste of that period. The museum has an exhibition of local crafts and also an interesting costume collection.
14.00
Time to find a nice restaurant. We choose the terrace at restaurant Ego on Nezavisimost street and enjoy the cool breeze and the nice view over the city. On the menu are many traditional Bulgarian dishes, but also a large selection of salads, pizza and pasta dishes. For those who prefer vegetarian food, there is a lot to choose from.
Energy levels restored – time to check of what is on offer in Veliko Tarnovo’s shopping streets.
Veliko Tarnovo is a city that never sleeps and the shops along the streets Vasil Levski, Nezavisimost and Stefan Stambolov are open until late at night. Small clothes and shoe shops are side by side. After visiting only a few stores, it is clear to us that there is a wide selection on offer at mostly good quality and much cheaper than at home. Sizes are predominantely small and medium. We are beginning to understand how the confident, young, slim Bulgarian women can be so fashionable dressed, all with a special accessory. Some of us are already starting to plan our next shopping trip to Veliko Tarnovo!
21.00
After dinner and a couple of hours relaxation, it is time to continue exploring the city night life. We start by going to the popular English pub City Pub on Hristo Botev street. It plays rock music and the atmosphere is relaxed, we get talking with several of the locals.
After a couple hours of rock music, we now move on to the nightclub Spider. Luckily we have dressed up this evening for this is the place to go to be seen and admired. The mood is high. Party goers mingle and dance and it is easy to get caught up in the rhythm. Around 1am we head home to sleep, but for those who want to continue the party goes on until four in the morning.
Sunday
9.30
At the sound of the alarm clock we are sleepy although we got several hours of sleep. We allow ourselves a quick shower and an equally quick breakfast, because today we will make a trip to Arbanasi.
We take a taxi to the historic village of Arbanasi located 4 km from Veliko Tarnovo on a plateau. The village was the first home to Albanians during the 1400's and then became a major trading city in the 1500's when many large stone house built here. In the late 1700's the village was almost completely destroyed by the Turkish invaders. Today Arbanasi is a popular destination for Bulgarians and many of Bulgaria's rich have large holiday homes here.
We walk along beautiful streets, admire the architecture and enjoy the cool mountain air. Then we enter the Konstantsaliev museum house which is one of the most representative examples of Arbanasi architecture. The house was built in the late 1600's in the Bulgarian Revival style, and contains preserved interiors. We buy a ticket which gives entry to all attractions in Arbanasi. The map we buy over Arbanasi is proving to be a good investment as there are very few signs posts in the village!
Arbanasi has approximately 90 churches, houses and monasteries, all of which are architectural reserves.
We visit the 1500-century monastery of Assumption of Virgin Mary that is in use today. The monastery has many icons from the 1600's and 1700's and an icon of Mary is said to fulfill wishes.
14.00
After lunch - time to visit one of the oldest churches in Arbanasi: The Nativity Church from the late 1500s. The church is richly decorated with detailed ceiling and wall paintings. There is also Bulgaria's oldest Wood Carving.
15.30
Our feet start to ache and we all agree that it is time for coffee. We opt for a break on a shady café terrace and order espresso and mineral water. This is the life - cool shade, beautiful surroundings and good coffee. Here we stay for a while to just enjoy ourselves before we take a taxi back to the apartment to rest.
21.00
Darkness has fallen over Veliko Tarnovo and we sit on the balcony with a glass of wine. Then the town's biggest attraction the Sound and Light show (a light, laser and fireworks show) starts at the medieval fortress Tsaravets. In the distance, we hear the sound of ringing church bells and dramatic music, while the fortress walls and hills light up in different colors following the rhythm of the music.
The light show tells about Bulgaria's great yet tragic story - the battles against the conquerors, the suffering of the slaves and finally the celebration of freedom. The light show is shown during major public holidays and also on request by payment to the local Tourist Information center, but thanks to the great view from the apartment, we enjoy the show free of chargeJ
Monday
10.00
Late start, today we will take it easy and combine a visit to Kapinovo Monastery of St. Nicholas, and then swimming in a nearby river. We bring picnic, swimsuits and suntanning lotion and then get picked up by a local tour company who organize guided activity tours in the Veliko Tarnovo region. Kapinovo monastery was first built in 1272 but the current building dates from 1825. The monastery is one of Bulgaria's largest and has a large collection of icons.
14.00
We picnic on the banks of Veselina river where we relax in the sun and bathe in the river's clear, cool water. The sun, the water and beautiful views are enjoyable and we all agree that the simple things in life often are the best.
17.00
On our way home we stop at the local food shop CBA under the fruit and vegetable market (in the crossroads between Bulgaria Boulevard and Nikola Gabrovski). We are impressed by the huge range of cheese and meats in the delicatessen counter and see approximately 30 different salami varieties. The fish shop by the market has approximately 10 varieties of smoked fish and various crayfish etc. And to top it off, the fruit and vegetable market has the best the region has to offer in the form of tasty, home grown fruits and vegetables. We buy fresh strawberries and cherries for the evening dessert.
Tuesday
9.30
Today we will familiarize ourselves with Veliko Tarnovo’s most famous attraction: the medieval fortress Tsaravets from the 1100th century. This is now an architectural reserve and during excavations remains of more than 400 homes, 22 churches and 4 monasteries were found. During Bulgaria's peak period the Second Bulgarian Kingdom 1185 - 1393) Veliko Tarnovo was Bulgaria’s capital and inside the walls of Tsaravets the Bulgarian emperors (and the Patriarch) had their palaces. Parts of the fortress walls, gates and the Baldwin tower are very well preserved. A palace and "the Patriarch's complexes of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom" have been restored. Between 1100's and 1300's Bulgaria was the most influential county in South East Europe with its foothold one three seas.
We refrain from a guided tour, but have great use of the guide book we bought at Tsaravets entre that helps us to understand the importance and functions of the different fortress parts. Tsaravets is a large fortress, surrounded on three sides of the river Yantra. It soon becomes clear to us that this was an impressive and strategically important fortress.
14.00
Encouraged by yesterday's successful trip, we want to see more of the countryside around Veliko Tarnovo and go cycling. We rent bicycles from Gorgona Rent-a-bike (on Zelenka street 2, just one street down from the apartment) and off we go. The steep slopes of Veliko Tarnovo soon give us significant speed but we find that the traffic rules here are somewhat different than at home, and that caution should be observed ..
But the feeling of freedom being in countryside is lovely, everywhere we see villages preserved from the past and the absence of modern buildings and landmarks is wonderful.
The soil is farmed by hand in small-scale argiculture and neither combine harvesters nor tractors can be seen. In the gardens there are no lawns, all vacant space is used to grow grapes, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables which are then sold along the roadside to passers by.
We cycle past wooden carts laiden with hay, pulled along by struggling horses and donkeys, and have to stop to let a herd of cows slowly cross the road, to a symphony of sounds from cow bells on their necks.
We stop at a local restaurant for refreshments in the shade before returning home again. On the roads it is apparent that Bulgaria is a country of contrasts – here animal transports, former Eastern Block Trabants and the latest models of BMWs all share the narrow roads....
Wednesday
7.30
An early start for today's climbing, and as usual, the sun is shining. Veliko Tarnovo is well known in international climbing circles, 1989 "The World Cup Championship competitions” was held here. The city also recently began to host "The bouldering and the Speed Climbing World Cup". In the town there are three climbing clubs, among them the rapidly growing climbing club "Tsaravets". Since we are all beginners, we select the cliff wall "Ousteto Massif B" which is suitable for morning climbing before the sun gets too hot. The cliff Ousteto is located 2 km from Veliko Tarnovo center and is was carved out by the river Yantra.
14.00
The day is hot, so we take a taxi to the cool interiors of the Bacho Kiro Cave, located half an hour from Veliko Tarnovo (and 300 meters from one of Bulgaria's most visited monasteries "Dryanovo monastery").
The Bacho Kiro cave is located in the beautiful river valley of Dryanovo river and Anadaka river and was shaped by the flowing waters when they slowly eroded the limestone over the course of 1.8 million years. In the cave archeological finds have been made such as flint, tools made of bone and pottery from "middle and late Paleolithic age" 40 - 70 000 years BC, which makes the cave one of the earliest sites for life in the Balkans. A skeleton of a cave bear was also found here. We choose the long guided tour and see many beautiful halls and rock formations with stalactites and stalagmites. Bacho Kiro cave has several floors and is over 3 km long but only 700 meters are accessible to tourists. After the cave visit, we take a short walk along the nearby footpath Dryanovska eco-trail to see the "Blue Pool" waterfall and admire the view over the Dryanovska and Anadaka river valleys. The footpaths are clearly marked with green colour and signs. After about 600 meters we reach a point from where the view is excellent and here we take a break. Then we turn back and take a taxi to the apartment.
Thursday
9.30
Another beautiful day! Bulgaria really lives up to its reputation to have the most sun hours in Europe. We walk to the statue Assens monument built in honor of the Assen Tsars: Peter Kaloyan and Ivan Assen II. The Tsar was crucial for Bulgaria's greatness period 1185 - 1393 when Veliko Tarnovo was the most important city in the Balkans. In 1185 the Tarnovo brothers Assen and Peter organized an uprising to free Bulgaria from its Byzantine rulers.
Assens monument was inaugurated in 1985 when Bulgaria celebrated its 800th anniversary of the uprising and the declaration of Tarnovo as the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1185 to 1393). The monument comprises of a sword that surrounded the the four tsars in combat on horseback. The statue is huge, which explains why it is visible from almost everywhere in Veliko Tarnovo!
Behind the Assens monument we find the Boris Denev art gallery which is one of Bulgaria's oldest art galleries with about 5000 objects. The collection is divided into three sections: paintings, black and white drawings and sculptures. Most motifs are taken from Veliko Tarnovo and the surrounding area.
12.30
It is time for a cool drink and a good bite to eat in order to recharge our batteries before the afternoon's horse riding. We take a taxi to the Orchard Stable in Devetatse (beyond Kilifarevo) where we meet Michelle and Rob who show us around. When we have organized ourselves the horses carry us out into the beautiful scenery - over mountains, open fields and through rivers, we follow old historic trails. Halfway through the ride we stop at a local restaurant "Mehana" for dinner and refreshments before we return to the stables.
Friday
9.30
Last day and time for some exercise! Equipped with a map, picnic and lots of drinking water we head for the edge of Varusha district where a 3-hour hiking trail (eco-trail) begins. The trail offers beautiful views of Veliko Tarnovo and the landscape and we are once again taken aback by the beauty of Bulgaria’s nature. There are several hiking trails in the region around Veliko Tarnovo established by BARET (The Bulgarian Association for Rural and Ecological Tourism). We leave the trail at "Bryograshinki monestary" where we go to the road from Ruse to Veliko Tarnovo to take bus 10 back to the city.
16.00
We get talking to a young Bulgarian couple who invite us to have dinner with them at Tempo restaurant (opposite the Tourist Information at Mother Bulgaria square). The menu is both in English and Bulgarian and a large part of the menu is traditional Bulgarian dishes and salads. With curious interest we note that they serve rabbit stew. Other dishes are pizza and lasagna. Our newfound friends tell us that Bulgarian women live mostly on salads which explains why so many of them are size zero!
The Bulgarian cuisine contains a lot of vegetables that are eaten fresh in salads, or roasted or stewed with meat in stews. Garlic, onions and spices are other popular ingredients. Turkish and Greek influences can be found in traditional dishes such as "Surmi" (stuffed vine leaves), "Moussaka" and "Baklava".
In true Bulgarian spirit, we begin the meal with salad and "raki" (Bulgarian spirit made from grapes) and the cheering goes on for well over an hour.
18.00
Tired after the day we move to the terrace of cafe Royal (near the theater) on Vasil Levski street. In the shadow of the trees we enjoy a cold drink when we see that the street gets closed off for an outdoor concert. A two-hour jazz concert follows, and we note that the program is a nice mix of everything from Russian folk songs to the theme music from James Bond. We find that Veliko Tarnovo lives up to its reputation of being a lively and spontaneous city where, for example, performances of traditional folk dances often take place at Mother Bulgaria square and various concerts take place in the nearby Marno Pole park. But our newfound friends confirm the fact that information on concerts and events in the city is very scarce – when we asked at the tourist information, they had very little information concerning the dates of planned events in the city.
21.30
Friday night at the largest nightclub in the Veliko Tarnovo region: Organza Club at Vasil Levski street. Of course it is packed with people and the atmosphere is good. The club has three dance floors, each with its own style of music. Around midnight, we retreat to get a decent night's sleep before tomorrow's departure.
Saturday - departure day
Breakfast is enjoyed in the morning sun on the apartment balcony and we summarize our week in Veliko Tarnovo and the surrounding area. We all agree that the town and its surroundings surprised us in more ways than one. Since the city is not very large in size, it is easy to walk to get around the city center. The size, however, nothing to do with what Veliko Tarnovo has to offer. The landscape is uniquely beautiful and offers a range of activities. The city is a mixture of old charming architecture and everywhere there are things to experience and see, taste or hear. The warmth of the Bulgarians and their fondness for socializing makes the city vibrate with life and joy - giving Veliko Tarnovo its very own atmosphere.
Although our visit was packed with things to do, we had to refrain from many activities due to lack of time. We could easily have spent another week here, but hopefully we will get the chance to visit Veliko Tarnovo soon again.
Three words sum up Tarnovo for us, beautiful, vibrant and cheap....well worth a visit!