Captivating Veliko Tarnovo built on hair-raisingly steep slopes seems like a fictitious movie set. Looking at the picturesque houses of Veliko Tarnovo, one gets an impression that they are built on top of each other. Still, they seem to be as firmly anchored in the rocky terrain above Yantra River as Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgarian history.
Medieval Bulgarian capital Veliko Tarnovo has been marked with turbulent history. After brothers Assen and Peter proclaimed the end of Byzantine rule in Bulgaria there, Veliko Tarnovo flourished between the 12th and the 14th century.
On the 17th of June 1393 however, after a three-month siege, Veliko Tarnovo fell under the Ottoman Empire. Bulgarians rose against Ottomans twice but were always defeated. The April uprising of 1876 followed by the Russian-Turkish war finally brought 480 years of Ottoman rule to an end.
If you are into history, you will find numerous historical ruins and buildings in Veliko Tarnovo and all over the surrounding hills. Else, you can simply walk around the old town and enjoy unforgettable panoramic views. You can climb from one street to the next one over steep staircases, but only if you are not suffering from vertigo.
Veliko Tarnovo is an ideal base for exploring surrounding sights, such as Arbanashi village or Preobrazhensky monastery. We decided to visit the monastery and our half-day trip developed into a real adventure.
Preobrazhensky monastery
Preobrazhensky monastery, about 7 km from Veliko Tarnovo, is one of the largest and most interesting monasteries in Bulgaria.
It was built in the 14th century and completely destroyed during Turkish rule. In 1832 the Turkish sultan issued a permission to build a new church on the ruins of former monastery. The church was built by the master Kolio Ficheto. It was completed in 1834 and then it took three years for the painter Zahari Zograf to decorate it with beautiful frescoes which can still be seen today.
We went to Preobrazhensky monastery by public bus No. 10, which makes regular trips between Veliko Tarnovo and Gornya Oryahovitsa. We had to get off the bus about 2 km from the monastery and continue on foot.
The route to the monastery is relatively well signposted, but at one point it splits. Based on the signs, you can either continue on the road or choose to walk through the forest. We thought that the forest route is shorter, so we bravely turned into the bushes. The path soon got narrower and at one point it virtually disappeared. We had to climb over fallen trees, there wasn't a single soul around and the eerie sound of cicadas had been making us really nervous. Are we on the right path? Are we lost? Are we walking into a trap of Bulgarian mafia? We reached into the pocket for Swiss Army knife, just in case.
When we were just about to turn back, we spotted a sign of civilisation. It was a sort of gate. We sighed in relief, but not for long. The sign on the gate read: 'Private property. Beware of the dog' and there was a picture of really sinister dog drawn on it, with enormous teeth. Uh-oh. We got out of there as fast as we could, luckily without meeting the beast, and soon we actually got back to the road, just a few hundred meters down from the monastery.
Preobrazhensky monastery is set on a hill offering nice views over the forest. When we visited, the outdoor frescoes were partly covered due to restoration. Restoration works went on inside the church as well, but not behind curtains, so all the frescoes were visible. The light in the church is provided by several beautiful chandeliers suspended from the ceiling.
Entrance into the church is free, but donations are welcome.
Before returning to Veliko Tarnovo we spent some time in a peaceful monastery's backyard, surrounded by vine. Oh, and on the way back we took the road, not the scary path through the forest.