South of Romania is Bulgaria, a country that has existed more than 13 centuries in Europe. It is also a country known for its diverse terrain, having mountains, plains, seas, rivers, lakes and even a desert. Though it is relatively unknown and not that popular a tourist destination, it is rich in history and boasts of 7 UNESCO sites. It was the second Balkan State I visited albeit my visit was rather brief. Before I could really get to experience more of Bulgaria, I had to leave and the only memories I have of it are all that I am sharing in these two blog posts.
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From the border of Romania, we headed straight for Veliko Tarnovo, a province from where medieval history emanates. The city of Veliko Tarnovo was once the capital of Bulgaria.
Kilifarevo Monastery
The first attraction I visited was Kilifarevo Monastery, 14 km from the city of Veliko Tarnovo. The original monastery was built during the 14th century and is a place of great historical significance. It was an important center of Bulgarian education and literature during the Medieval times and has attracted writers, clergymen, theologians and philosophers. It was destroyed, restored and destroyed again over the span of a few generations. Its last restoration was done in 1830 and much of what I saw must be structures from that period.
Photo Gallery of Kilifarevo Monastery
The entrance into the monastery.
The monastery ground.
The church building
The Church Interior
Faded frescoes on the church ceiling
Old paintings on walls of church
@ the convent
Beautiful garden in monastery ground
Tsarevets Hill
One of Bulgaria'a most iconic attractions is the Tsarevets Fortress. Constructed as early as the 12th century, this fortress with walls up to 3.4 meters thick, and 10 meters tall serve as a defence against attacks from the enemies. A lot of restoration work has been done to preserve this ancient site which is now open to visitors. I just got to look at it from a distance though.
Standing right at the top of the fortress is The Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension of God which looks pretty intact after the restoration. Much of the castle complex is however still in ruin.
At the foot of the fortress lies a township which forms part of Veliko Tarnovo. I have taken some pictures of this charming hill town which is located at 676 ft above sea level.
As we were being driven around, I caught sight of Baldwin's Tower, a modern reconstruction of a medieval tower. This was built in 1930.
We left Veliko Tarnovo and traveled to Bulgaria's capital city, Sofia after this.
Related Posts: Click To View
Balkan Travel Pt 1: [ Romania] Bucharest Sightseeing
Balkan Travel Pt 2: [Romania] Bucharest Walking Tour
Balkan Travel Pt 3: [Romania] Peles Castle , Dracula's Castle & Romanian Scenery
Balkan Travel Pt 4: Bulgaria Attractions
Balkan Travel Pt 5: [Bulgaria] Sofia Attractions
Balkan Travel Pt 6: [North Macedonia] Skopje A City Of Mutifarious Statues
Balkan Travel Pt 7: [North Macedonia] Memorable Moments In Skopje
Balkan Travel Pt 8: [North Macedonia] Ohrid Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Pt 9: [Albania] Glimpses Of Albania and Its Capital City Tirana
Balkan Travel Pt 10: [Albania] Walking Tour Of Tirana
Balkan Travel Pt 11: Montenegro Scenic Drive
Balkan Travel Pt 12: The Charms Of Koto Montenegro
Balkan Travel Pt 13: [Montenegro] The Old Town Of Kotor Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Part 14: [Croatia] The Charms Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Pt 15: [Croatia] The Old Town Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Part 16: [Croatia] The Elaphiti Islands Of Dubrovnik
Balkan Travel Part 17: [Croatia] Plitvice National Park Photo Gallery
Balkan Travel Part 18: [Croatia] Rastoke Villagel
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