The name sounds Indian, but then streets in Helsinki sound like that too. Or, for that matter, place names in Eastern Europe as well. I hadn't even thought of this city. The excitement of discovery and vague familiarity makes me more agog than ever.
Diverse, geography, and culture of the Balkans carries on
As we leave rose valley we drive past more neat rose fields
A brown horse stands in a grassy field. The tranquil rural setting is suddenly more forested. As we take a sharp bend I spy shiny domes rising through dense trees. A fairy tale castle as in The Sleeping Beauty? It's none other than the Shipka Memorial Church, also known as the Memorial Temple of the Birth of Christ. So we are now on the historic Shipka Pass. The church, built between 1885 and 1902, commemorates the Russian and Bulgarian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), particularly those who fell during the Battle of Shipka Pass.
We resume the journey at a rest stop called Complex Balkan. There are more women than men in our group and so we always end up making a long line for the meagre number of stalls.we hardly have time to enjoy the scenery around us or even for a quick snack.
Staggered by the slant
When we pass an old building with the word Post on it we know we have arrived. Within a few minutes we are unloading at our hotel. This 15 floor hotel is one of a kind for. Some of us are assigned rooms from the 4th to the seventh, and others at -4, -6, etc. When we meet at the reception before taking a tour of the old town everybody is excitedly chattering about the negative levels, with those whose rooms have a view over the valley bring the object of envy. The levels are tiered along a slope. We left the rose-filled amphitheatre of Rose Valley for another building that has its rooms staggered down to the Yantra River that loops just below us. The word Yantra also has an Indian feel for it means ‘machine/machine’ or a ‘religious‘ symbol which seems more apt in the context.
Will it be a let down?
We have an elderly guide who seems tired out even before she starts. She warns us that daylight is diminishing and so the tour will be a short one. We are prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt. We march out onto Samovodska Charshia Square. This is the historic part of Veliko-Tarnovo.
The first thing we see is a large mural depicting medieval knights on the side of a building. It probably represents the brothers who founded the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1185 after leading an uprising against the Byzantines. Also, during the communist era, murals became a popular way to decorate buildings in Bulgaria. We have living proof of these artistic expressions as we pass by picturesque traditional buildings flanking cobble-stoned streets. Since we are half way up a hill there are several look outs onto the valley. We look over steep staircases with landings at each level onto which streets open out to the sides, with hidden courtyards, artisan workshops and attractive cafes.
Coexistence of cultures and religions
Next we weave through streets that lead to important looking buildings of the historical and spiritual capital of Bulgaria.
The building with a curved wall is the Administrative Court which handles administrative cases and disputes.
The next building is as terraced as our hotel for it has four floors on the valley side and two on the square where we are. It is the old police office of the Ottoman Empire.The building is a cruciform and has an arched entrance. This is where the first session of the Constituent Assembly was held. It has now been converted into the Museum of Revival and Constituent Assembly. It's closed for renovation which doesn't bother us very much since it's already quite late in the day. Besides we've had our fill of Roman ruins and artefacts in Sofia. But this museum is certainly different since it showcases the development of Christian art during the Ottoman rule. Now that's something for modern day religious fanatics to chew on.
Balconies painted bright,filled with potted flowers, some flying flags, a hotel with Bulgarian architecture and then a row of buildings that are characterized by traditional Bulgarian National Revival period architecture follow.
And then the showpiece
Our guide is showing signs of boredom as she leads us on to a broad tiled avenue with three huge pottery jars at theFortress gate. We are now at Tsarevets Fortress, overlooking the town. The buildings within the walls include the Royal and patriarchal palaces. The central part is occupied by the Royal Palace Complex with the Throne Room, Palace Church, and Royal Chambers. The Patriarchal Cathedral is at the top of the hill. 18 churches and numerous houses were once in the vicinity as well.The lady at the ticket booths is a good friend of our guide. She allows us to enter the gates just to take pictures before we leave.
The fortress is definitely very impressive; almost everything is well preserved. It is surrounded on three sides by the river Yantra, a natural moat! Only 3 sides and therefore not really a closed fortress. The fortress that served as the medieval stronghold of the Second Bulgarian Empire has been around since the 12th century.
Interestingly Veliko Tarnovo is also called the “City of Tsars” since the fortress was the seat of the tsars.
Digging for details
Back at the hotel we enjoy the panoramic view of the river Yantra surrounded by the terracotta roofs on houses tucked into the lush green hillsides. At the loop of the river way below our window is an interesting building that looks like a church. It has a large statue at the entrance. We look hard to find a way to get to the loop for we see traffic nearby. After dusk we walk into the streets in the direction of the monument. We pass by a market, which is now closed, a small monument and then a park which we think should lead us to the atypical building. It doesn't get us anywhere. So we simply take in the bustling night life before we return to our room
More research tells me that the lush green park with the monument is Park Sveta. The statue is a Monument to the Asen Dynasty, built in 1985, it features the then rulers, perched on their horses with their 33m swords.
The building facing it is the State Art Museum.
Just a little bit more
In the morning, as we leave Veliko Tarnovo, we drive by the monument that we simply passed by the previous night. For an uncanny reason? It is the Monument to the Hanged on the historical site where the Ottoman built a gallows to execute Bulgarian rebels.
Then the Floral Clock inspired by the famous floral clock in Geneva, Switzerland passes by.
The last notable building that flits by is the Town Hall
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