Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanasi and Dryanovo Monastery – medieval Bulgaria

Veliko Tarnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1393) and is one of the most picturesque towns in the country. Its houses seem to perch on top of each other on the steep slopes above the Yantra River, which loops between three historic hills – Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora. Nearby are Arbanasi, the village of wealthy merchants, and Dryanovo Monastery, scene of heroic fighting in the April Uprising. Together they tell the story of medieval and Revival-era Bulgaria.

Veliko Tarnovo

Tsarevets – the fortress of the Bulgarian tsars. Walk the walls, see the ruins of the royal palace and climb to the Patriarchal Church of the Ascension at the top. Its modern murals are dramatic and unexpected. Legend says the Latin Emperor Baldwin of Flanders was imprisoned in Baldwin’s Tower.
Sound and Light – on holidays and special occasions, Tsarevets is lit with coloured lights and lasers set to music, telling the story of the Second Empire. It’s best watched from the viewing area opposite the fortress.
Trapezitsa – the second fortified hill, with the ruins of dozens of medieval churches.
Samovodska Charshia – a street of Revival-era workshops where coppersmiths, potters, knife-makers and confectioners work.
Holy Forty Martyrs Church – home to the column of Tsar Ivan Asen II, inscribed with his victory at Klokotnitsa (1230).
The Asen Dynasty Monument and the art gallery on Sveta Gora – with the best view of the old town.
Gurko Street – the houses above the Yantra that appear on every postcard.

Arbanasi

On the hill above Tarnovo, 4 km away, is Arbanasi, a rich merchants’ village of the 16th–18th centuries. More than 140 stone houses look like small fortresses, with thick walls, iron doors and windows high above the ground. Go inside the Konstantsaliev House. Visit the Church of the Nativity – plain outside, but covered inside with 17th-century frescoes of more than 3,500 figures. Arbanasi is a lovely place to stay in a family hotel.

Dryanovo Monastery and Bacho Kiro

About 25 km from Tarnovo, in a scenic gorge of the Dryanovska River, is Dryanovo Monastery (St Archangel Michael). In 1876, during the April Uprising, the band of Pop Hariton and Bacho Kiro fortified it and held out for nine days against a far larger Ottoman army. The monastery has a museum and an ossuary of the fallen.

Close by is Bacho Kiro Cave, with lit galleries. It’s one of the places where some of the oldest traces of modern humans (Homo sapiens) in Europe were found – around 45,000 years old. The Dryanovo eco-trail follows the river from the monastery.

Two-day itinerary

Day 1. Arrive around lunchtime. Tsarevets and the Patriarchal Church. In the afternoon, the craft street and Gurko Street. Catch Sound and Light in the evening if it’s on. Stay in Tarnovo or Arbanasi.

Day 2. Arbanasi in the morning – the houses and the Church of the Nativity. In the afternoon, Dryanovo Monastery and Bacho Kiro Cave. Drive back to Sofia.

Getting there

By car – from Sofia via Botevgrad and Pleven or along the Hemus motorway, about 220 km and 3 hours. By bus – frequent direct buses. By train – change at Gorna Oryahovitsa.

When to visit

April–October. Summer brings the most frequent Sound and Light shows and many festivals. Winter is quiet, and Tsarevets looks beautiful in the snow.