Veliko Tarnovo can feel a bit out of the way as you’re traveling across Bulgaria, but it actually makes a great stop as you break up the journey between the big cities of Sofia and Plovdiv and the small beach towns along the coast. Here, you’ll find ruins of fortresses, a gorgeous park, good food, and a city that feels different from many of the other places in Bulgaria.
Here’s what I recommend you do in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.
Things to See in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
As always, this is a targeted list and focuses on what I think are the top things to do in Veliko Tarnovo. You can find more things if you look harder, but if you just have one day in Veliko Tarnovo (which is what I recommend), this will take up a good chunk of your day. So let’s get into it.
Tsarevets Fortress
If you only do one tourist-y thing in Veliko Tarnovo, make it a visit to the Tsarevets Fortress. This ancient fortress sits on top of a hill and provides excellent views of not just the city of Veliko Tarnovo, but the surrounding mountains as well.
I’ll be honest. There’s not a lot of ruins here. Yes, you’ll find remnants of some of the ancient buildings, but it’s not a lot and there’s minimal signage to explain everything. So, if you’re going to Tsarevets Fortress to really learn about the fortress and history, you might be disappointed.
That said, I really enjoyed my visit. The views of the surrounding area are incredible. Whether you take in the view from Baldwin Tower or one of the many other locations around the complex, you’re sure to find a good view.
And of course I have to mention the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension. This cathedral is maintained and stepping inside it felt very different from all of the other orthodox cathedrals I’ve visited so far.
Rather than the gold icons, the walls are decorated with paintings from bible scenes (these paintings are not original). For an extra fee, you can take the elevator to the top of the cathedral for more views. However, since the cathedral sits on top of a hill within the fortress that’s on top of the hill, I don’t know how much different the views would be, so I opted to skip it.
For the best experience, I recommend visiting in the morning. When I visited, the site opened at 8:00 am, but I don’t think there’s any reason to go that early. I would recommend visiting shortly after 9:00. There’s fewer people and that just makes it more enjoyable. By the time I left (just before 11:00), there was a short line of people waiting to buy tickets. That line seemed to remain for much of the early afternoon as well.
Entrance to the Fortress costs 7.5 euros a the time of writing. There’s no need to prebook anything in advance. Just show up and purchase your ticket.
Trapezitsa Fortress
Before moving on, I want to mention one more fortress in Veliko Tarnovo and that’s Trapezitsa Fortress. You can actually see this fortress from the top of Tsarevets Fortress and when you look over, you might find yourself reconsidering your visit. I know I sure did.
While Tsarevets Fortress has some information and some remnants of the original fortress, Trapezitsa Fortress doesn’t have much. Honestly, I think you’ll be fine with just a visit to Tsarevets Fortress, but I still wanted to include Trapezitsa Fortress on this list.
It’s up to you whether you visit, but I say keep the money and splurge on a nice meal in Veliko Tarnovo.
Church of St. Peter and Paul
This church is old, having been built in the thirteenth century. From the outside, the church doesn’t look like much and honestly, if you’re just going to visit the outside, I don’t think it’s worth detouring out of your way to get here.
However, what keeps this church on the list is its artwork. Some of the original frescoes still survive, so for a small fee, you can enter the church and see for yourself.
Nativity of Mary Cathedral
For a church that’s more central to town and more interesting from the outside, consider a visit to the Nativity of Mary Cathedral. This Orthodox Cathedral sits in the center of Veliko Tarnovo and offers some decent views of town.
I didn’t enter the cathedral as there seemed to be a service going on when I arrived, but I think it’s worth admiring the architecture. What’s cool is that you can pass by this cathedral on the way to Tsarevets Fortress and then from the fortress, you can look down on the city. The cathedral stands out and can serve as a great marker to help you orient your view.
Samovodska Charshia Market
Take a stroll down Samovodska Charshia Street when you’re in Veliko Tarnovo. Here’s where you’ll find a street full of artisans and local craftsmen. If you’re looking for a souvenir, this is a great place to look.
I found so many beautiful things, but unfortunately for me, I still have several weeks in Europe and I couldn’t justify carrying them in my backpack for that long. If you’re on a shorter trip, this is a fantastic place to do some local shopping.
Stambolov Bridge
The Stambolov Bridge is on this list not necessarily for the bridge itself, but because of what is nearby. As you cross the bridge, you get an excellent view looking up at Veliko Tarnovo. The bridge straddles the Yantra River and helps to get pedestrians from the main part of the city to Sveta Gora Park and even the train station.
Plus, you’ll also find the Monument to the Assen Dynasty and the Boris Denev Art Gallery right near by.
Sveta Gora Park
If you have a good book, there’s nothing like finding a nice bench in a park and reading. Sveta Gora Park is excellent for that and if you’re crossing the Stambolov Bridge, you’re almost there.
The important thing to note about Sveta Gora Park is that it’s on a hill. By now, you should have noticed that Veliko Tarnovo is a bit hilly, so be prepared. It’s not bad, but after several weeks of pretty flat cities, it was definitely something I noticed.
To reach the best parts of the park, you’ll either have to take the long way around to look for some ramps or you can climb the 340 steps to get into the park. The choice is yours.
Inside the park, you’ll find not only benches and great places to sit and walk, but also some nice views of the city. The Sky Bridge had some awesome views, but I’ll admit that I didn’t explore the entire park.
How to Get to Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Depending on where you’re coming from, Veliko Tarnovo can feel a bit out of the way, but I think it’s still a great option to break up journeys between Sofia and Plovdiv and the cities along the coast of the Black Sea.
There’s two direct buses each day to the city of Burgas, along the Black Sea. MBus (where eTickets are valid) operates one route and AlexOk runs the other. I had planned to take the bus, but MBus sold out about 24 hours before. Instead, I took the train. It’s slower and involved a connection, but I got there in the end.
If you’re heading to Plovdiv, there are a handful of buses operating the route, but you can also take the train. When I did this, there was only one direct train per day and it left at 7:15 in the morning. Not ideal, but if you have the option to take a direct train, I’d recommend it.
Find train connections on the Bulgarian Train Website and even purchase your tickets online.
From Varna, there’s numerous buses leaving throughout the day, so you should have no trouble finding some kind of transport. Use a site like BusBud to see the timetables. For trains, there’s a few options, but with the amount of buses running this route, I think the bus is going to be a better choice since you don’t have to make a connection by bus.
If you’re traveling from Sofia, I’d also recommend the bus. There are no direct trains between Veliko Tarnovo and Sofia (at the time of writing), so your best bet is to take one of the many direct buses between the two cities.
How to Get Around Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Veliko Tarnovo is very walkable. While it can be a 20 minute walk from the bus station (and a 30 minute walk from the train station) to reach the center, once you’re in the center of the city, you can easily walk to all of the top tourists spots. There can be a few hills, depending on where exactly you go, but I’d still recommend getting around on your own two feet.
Final Thoughts
Veliko Tarnovo was a town that surprised me. I didn’t have high hopes, but I enjoyed my short time in the town. The setting is gorgeous, the food is delicious, and there’s just enough to see to keep you busy for a day. In other words, Veliko Tarnovo is my perfect kind of town.
