Scroll to top
Back

Tsarevets Fortress

Scroll

01. Descriere

The architectural and museum complex called Tsarevets is located on the hill with the same name in the old center of Veliko Târnovo. The area has been inhabited since the year 3 BC, and in the  century V-VII A.D here was the great Byzantine city of Zikideva. In the 9th century, a settlement was erected by the old Bulgarians, protected by the walls of the fortress. Târnovo was proclaimed capital of the second Bulgarian Kingdom in 1185, and the fortress became extremely important as an administrative, military, cultural, religious and commercial center. On the Tsarevets hill were located the important buildings for the administration of the country, the royal palace complex, the houses for aristocracy, monasteries, and right on top the Patriarchal Church. The fortress has three entrances, namely the main entrance, the small gate (Asen) and the Frenkhisarska gate, which was guarded by towers. The most famous is the Baldwin Tower, where the Latin emperor Baldwin of Flanders was imprisoned in 1205. The kings who ruled the second Bulgarian Kingdom in the city of Tsarevets are Asen I, Peter IV, Kaloyan, Ivan Asan II, Ivan Alexander, Ivan Shishman. A great tourist attraction is the audiovisual show of sound and light, consisting of hundreds of colored lights, music, and lasers projected on the walls of the fortress and which present moments from the history of Bulgaria.

Download PDF

The ancient Roman town of Nicopolis ad Istrum was founded by Roman emperor Marcus...
July 17, 2019
The Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonder Maker in Arbanasi

The Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonder Maker in Arbanasi

It is 5 km from Veliko Târnovo, on the road to Gorna Oryahovitsa, at...
July 17, 2019
Monastery Kapinovo in Velcevo

Monastery Kapinovo in Velcevo

It is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Bulgaria, being located in an...
August 23, 2019
The Church of Saint Demetrius from Thessaloniki in Veliko Târnovo

The Church of Saint Demetrius from Thessaloniki in Veliko Târnovo

It is the oldest church in the city, erected in 1185 and is related...
July 17, 2019
Church Assumption of Virgin Mary in Arbanasi

Church Assumption of Virgin Mary in Arbanasi

The monastery is located on the road between Veliko Târnovo and Gorna Oryahovitsa, at...
August 26, 2019
Church of Saint Archangel Michael of Kilifarevo

Church of Saint Archangel Michael of Kilifarevo

The monastery complex is on the way to Hainboaz Pass, 14 km from Veliko...
July 18, 2019
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Veliko Târnovo

Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Veliko Târnovo

The church is located in the neighborhood of Asănești, opposite the church “St. 40...
August 26, 2019
Church of the 40 Martyrs from Veliko Târnovo

Church of the 40 Martyrs from Veliko Târnovo

Built in the 13th century, in honor of the victory of Tsar Ioan Asan,...
August 26, 2019
The Holy Trinity Church in Svishtov

The Holy Trinity Church in Svishtov

The orthodox church “Holy Trinity”, located in the highest place of the town of...
July 17, 2019