Veliko Turnovo

Veliko Tarnovo (Велико Търново, also transliterated as Veliko Turnovo), meaning Great Thorny City in Old Bulgarian, is a mountain city located in the north of Bulgaria. It has often been called the "City of the Tsars", as it was historically the capital of the Bulgarian political entities. It is located around a major bend in the Yantra River that carved steep hillsides on which the Old Town is built. The Old Town is separated into 3 hills: Tsarevets, Trapezitsa, and Sveta Gora, while the New Town spills out into a flatter region to the west of the hills.

A town with very 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 city is divided into an old and new parts. The old city is a collection of traditional renaissance houses scattered over the hills around the river Yantra and the new part consists of a mixture of communistic and modern style buildings.

If in Veliko Tarnovo, make sure to visit the castle of the old Bulgarian capital - Tsarevets. The medieval stronghold located on a hill of the same name, served as the Second Bulgarian Empire's primary fortress and strongest bulwark from 1185 to 1393. Housing the royal and the patriarchal palaces, it is a popular tourist attraction. The castle itself offers spectacular views of the town, surrounding hillsides, and the river below. The Tower of Baldwyn (also Baldwin Tower) within the complex allows for tourists to climb to the top and offers both spectacular views and an insight into how medieval towers wer designed and how they functioned.

Since most of the touristy old town (including both fortresses) is on a natural choke point caused by the Yantra, that part will feel more cramped and crowded with tourists, and anyone looking to see a less-touristed old town should go to the western half, where the city opens up. The only problem with this is that most of the museums and monuments are located in the choke point, and most of the western half is residential, but both parts still offer great insights to old medieval European towns.

There are various historical museums, located in Old Town, and an art museum on an island in the river. Nearby Arbanassi on the hilltop 4 km away is also worth a visit, a taxi will cost about 3-4 lev.

Right around where the old part widens, there is a large Monument to Mother Bulgaria, which commemorates Veliko Tarnovo's history as the former capital of the Bulgarian state.

Shopska Salad is made from tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, peppers, and sirene (feta type) cheese; it is cheap and great as a snack. There are many restaurants and bars in Veliko Tarnovo and this will be one of the most common things on the menu.

Bars and restaurants worth visiting:

• Malkia Inter, Ivan Vazov 22 sr. Local cuisine, run by a nice family. It is cosy with lovely and interesting decor of a lot of musical instruments. Tasty food and inexpensive/
• Ego Bar and Grill. National and foreign cuisine, cheap prices. There are three "Ego" restaurants, at 17, Nezavisimost St., at 1, Slaveykov Square, and at the 3rd floor of Central Mall.
• Pizza Tempo, 4, Ivailo St. Pizza and national cuisine. Cheap prices.
• Shtastliveca, 79, Stefan Stambolov St. A menu with mainly Bulgarian dishes, and a nice view of Yantra River.

Malkia Inter, Ivan Vazov 22 sr. Local cuisine, run by a nice family. It is cosy with lovely and interesting decor of a lot of musical instruments. Tasty food and inexpensive/

Ego Bar and Grill. National and foreign cuisine, cheap prices. There are three "Ego" restaurants, at 17, Nezavisimost St., at 1, Slaveykov Square, and at the 3rd floor of Central Mall.

Pizza Tempo, 4, Ivailo St. Pizza and national cuisine. Cheap prices.

Shtastliveca, 79, Stefan Stambolov St. A menu with mainly Bulgarian dishes, and a nice view of Yantra River.

• Ethno, Stephan Stombolov St (near 'Shtastliveca' Restaurant. A mixture of Bulgarian and foreign dishes is on the menu.
• Hadji Nikoli Inn, 19, G.S. Rakovski St, Samovodska Charshia. Housed in a beautifully renovated old inn, this fine dining restaurant with Bulgarian cuisine on the menu offers home-made wine. Also doubles as a cafe (with an open air section) and a wine bar. Affordable prices.

Ethno, Stephan Stombolov St (near 'Shtastliveca' Restaurant. A mixture of Bulgarian and foreign dishes is on the menu.

Hadji Nikoli Inn, 19, G.S. Rakovski St, Samovodska Charshia. Housed in a beautifully renovated old inn, this fine dining restaurant with Bulgarian cuisine on the menu offers home-made wine. Also doubles as a cafe (with an open air section) and a wine bar. Affordable prices.

• Bulgarian Lessons, Lioben Karvavelov (In the centre of town opposite the outdoor market. A small language school offering Bulgarian lessons by qualified tutors with PhDs who specialise in the teaching of Bulgarian as a second language.
• Bulgarian Dances, Veliko Tarnovo internet portal for Bulgarian folk dance clubs and events. A list of all the folk dance clubs and groups in Veliko Tarnovo can be found here. Details on each club, location, rehearsal nights and contact details. The site is only in Bulgarian but has an English language version coming soon
• Cycling. The roads around Veliko Tarnovo are generally in good condition, making for pleasant (if sometimes rather hilly) cycling. A number of monasteries are close enough for cycling day trips. The closest and easiest is Preobruzhenie Monastery, approximately 5 km north-west of Veliko Tarnovo. It is also moderately easy to cycle to Arbanassi, although a few kilometres of climbing and high traffic may put off beginners.

Bulgarian Lessons, Lioben Karvavelov (In the centre of town opposite the outdoor market. A small language school offering Bulgarian lessons by qualified tutors with PhDs who specialise in the teaching of Bulgarian as a second language.

Bulgarian Dances, Veliko Tarnovo internet portal for Bulgarian folk dance clubs and events. A list of all the folk dance clubs and groups in Veliko Tarnovo can be found here. Details on each club, location, rehearsal nights and contact details. The site is only in Bulgarian but has an English language version coming soon

Cycling. The roads around Veliko Tarnovo are generally in good condition, making for pleasant (if sometimes rather hilly) cycling. A number of monasteries are close enough for cycling day trips. The closest and easiest is Preobruzhenie Monastery, approximately 5 km north-west of Veliko Tarnovo. It is also moderately easy to cycle to Arbanassi, although a few kilometres of climbing and high traffic may put off beginners.

• Zagorka Beer - Zagorka is one of the most popular types of beer in Bulgaria and is definitely worth a try if you are a fan of beer. The best thing is that it is very cheap in comparison to beer prices in Western Europe, as are other beers and alcoholic drinks in general in Bulgaria.
• Buljarka Beer - the local brand of beer, brewed just outside the town.
• Bottled Water - It is advisable to drink bottled water.
• Rakija - Bulgarian strong liqueour usually 40 vol% flavoured with anise.
• Sliwovitz - Plum brandy, often quite strong 40-60 vol%
• Melon Live Music Club. Nice live music concerts at night time(around 11pm). During summer they do open air concerts in front of the Beaux Arts Museum. 3 lev live music concert.

Zagorka Beer - Zagorka is one of the most popular types of beer in Bulgaria and is definitely worth a try if you are a fan of beer. The best thing is that it is very cheap in comparison to beer prices in Western Europe, as are other beers and alcoholic drinks in general in Bulgaria.

Buljarka Beer - the local brand of beer, brewed just outside the town.

Bottled Water - It is advisable to drink bottled water.

Rakija - Bulgarian strong liqueour usually 40 vol% flavoured with anise.

Sliwovitz - Plum brandy, often quite strong 40-60 vol%

Melon Live Music Club. Nice live music concerts at night time(around 11pm). During summer they do open air concerts in front of the Beaux Arts Museum. 3 lev live music concert.

With a little common sense and respect for the locals, your stay in Veliko Tarnovo will be a safe one. It is a friendly student town with a lot of history and welcoming people.

Arbanassi, a nearby village.

Preobruzhenie Monastery, approximately 5 km north-west of Veliko Tarnovo.

The city of Gabrovo to the south-west, at the foot of the Balkan Mountains, which has historic sites, a humor museum and impressive shopping and dining opportunities, is worth visiting.

Nature Park Bulgarka, just south of Gabrovo, provides many out door activities opportunities for people who enjoy nature and hiking.

The city of Rousse, border with Romania and on the way to Bucharest (11 lev). To go there go to the Prevotzi Zapad Bus Station (West bus station), it is 1 km west from the center so you can take local buses 10, 12, 14, 70 or 110. They have 8 buses daily, starting at 07:00.

Visit Devetashka, a huge and stunning cave near to Pleven and only a few lev to enter. To reach it you must take the small country roads which are in terrible condition.

Plovdiv buses leave several time through the day, this route will take you past Budzludzha (the abandoned UFO building)