Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi Day Trip

Veliko Tarnovo is the most dramatic town in Bulgaria. It rose to power in the twelfth century as the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, and its centre still clings to steep hills above the looping gorge of the Yantra River, with stacked houses that seem to tumble down the slope. A day trip from Sofia makes it possible to see the main sights of the town and of nearby Arbanassi, though it is a long day, with around three hours of driving each way. For many visitors the effort is well rewarded, because the scenery and the history are among the best in the country. The centrepiece is Tsarevets, the fortress hill that once held the royal palace, the patriarchal church and the houses of the nobility. You walk through the great gate, along ramparts and past the ruins of churches to the summit, where a reconstructed church and views over the river bend reward the climb. On the way, guides tell the story of the Bulgarian tsars and the fall of the city to the Ottomans in 1393. In the evening, the fortress is often illuminated, though day trips normally return before that. Arbanassi, a short drive away, is a village of fortified stone houses built by wealthy merchants in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Behind high walls, the houses hide painted ceilings, carved wooden details and thick stone cellars, and the Nativity Church holds a remarkable collection of frescoes. Tours also often include a stroll along Samovodska Charshiya, the street of artisans in Veliko Tarnovo, where potters, weavers and woodcarvers still work in small shops. It is a full day, but it gives a vivid picture of medieval and Revival Bulgaria that Sofia alone cannot.