Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria: travel guide
The medieval capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, dramatically set on the meandering Yantra River gorge around the mighty Tsarevets Fortress and the craft street of Samovodska Charshia.
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Currency
- EUR
- Time zone
- Europe/Sofia
Top places to visit in Veliko Tarnovo
Tsarevets Fortress
Fort · about 2 h · entry EUR 5
The colossal hilltop citadel of the Second Bulgarian Empire, crowned by the Patriarchal cathedral and a nightly sound-and-light show.
Trapezitsa Fortress
Fort · about 1 h · entry EUR 3
The second fortified hill of medieval Tarnovo, once dense with churches, reached by a restored funicular.
Samovodska Charshia
Market · about 1 h
A revived 19th-century craft bazaar where potters, weavers and coppersmiths still work in Revival-era workshops.
Asenevtsi Monument
Viewpoint · about 0.5 h
A dramatic 1985 monument to the Asen dynasty on a bend of the Yantra, framing the classic city panorama.
Holy Forty Martyrs Church
Church · about 0.5 h · entry EUR 3
A 1230 royal church in the Asenova quarter, where medieval Bulgarian tsars were crowned and buried.
Boris Denev State Art Gallery
Museum · about 1 h · entry EUR 3
The regional art museum set in Asenevtsi Park, with Bulgarian painting and sweeping views of the gorge.
Sarafkina House Museum
Museum · about 0.8 h · entry EUR 3
An elegant 1861 five-storey merchant house on Gurko Street, now an ethnographic museum.
Arbanasi Village
Heritage · about 1.5 h
A hilltop museum-village of fortified stone houses and frescoed churches, four kilometres above Veliko Tarnovo.
Nativity of Christ Church, Arbanasi
Church · about 0.8 h · entry EUR 3
A plain-walled 16th-17th century church concealing a breathtaking interior of over 3,500 painted figures.
Konstantsalieva House, Arbanasi
Museum · about 0.8 h · entry EUR 3
A restored 17th-century fortified merchant's house showing the wealthy Arbanasi lifestyle.
Things to do
- Tsarevets Fortress & Old Town Tour Walking Tour · 2.5 h · from EUR 15 per person
- Tsarevets Sound & Light Show Show · 0.7 h · from EUR 10 per person
- Arbanasi Village Half-Day Tour Cultural · 4 h · from EUR 30 per person
- Yantra Gorge Panorama Walk Hiking · 2 h · from EUR 12 per person
Day trips and tours
- Arbanasi & Village Churches Tour 4 h · from EUR 30
Where to stay in Veliko Tarnovo
- Varusha / Old Town about EUR 65 per night
The cobbled Revival district around Samovodska Charshia and Gurko Street — the tourist hub.
- Asenova Quarter about EUR 55 per night
The riverside cluster of medieval churches below the fortresses.
Hotels
- Meridian Hotel Bolyarski 4-star · EUR 70 to EUR 140 per night
- Yantra Grand Hotel 4-star · EUR 55 to EUR 95 per night
- Hostel Mostel Veliko Tarnovo EUR 10 to EUR 40 per night
- Hotel-Mehana Gurko 3-star · EUR 40 to EUR 65 per night
Where to eat
- Shtastliveca Veliko Tarnovo Bulgarian, European · about EUR 16 per person
- Han Hadji Nikoli Bulgarian, Fine dining · about EUR 28 per person
- Ego Pizza & Grill Pizza, Grill, Bulgarian · about EUR 12 per person
- Ivan Asen Bulgarian, Traditional · about EUR 16 per person
- Asenevtsi Restaurant Mediterranean, Seafood, Sushi · about EUR 24 per person
- Pizza Tempo Pizza, Italian · about EUR 9 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.