A medieval capital above a winding gorge
Veliko Tarnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, and its setting is dramatic: houses cling to the cliffs above loops of the Yantra river. The Tsarevets fortress, with its walls and patriarchal church, covers a whole hill, and hosts an evening sound and light show on some nights. Browse the craft workshops of Samovodska Charshiya and visit the nearby village of Arbanasi, with its painted churches and old merchant houses.