Veliko Tarnovo Fortress & Old Town

Veliko Tarnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire from 1185 to 1393 and held one of the great medieval fortifications of the Balkans — Tsarevets, a fortress citadel set on a meander of the Yantra river that loops 200 metres below on three sides, leaving only a narrow neck of land approachable from the west. This day trip from Sofia visits the citadel, the old town's tradesmen's quarter, and a panoramic viewpoint over the river bend. The drive northeast from Sofia takes about three hours, climbing gradually over the Stara Planina range. On arrival the tour begins at the gate of Tsarevets, walking the restored ramparts to the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension at the citadel's highest point. The cathedral's interior, repainted in the 1980s in a striking modernist style by Bulgarian artist Teofan Sokerov, is unlike anything in any other medieval church and divides visitor opinion — the guide presents both sides of the controversy. The route descends past the Baldwin's Tower, named for the Latin emperor held captive there after the Battle of Adrianople in 1205, and into the Samovodska Charshia, the working old-town craftsmen's bazaar where coppersmiths, weavers, and icon painters still operate from generations-old shops. Lunch is at a mehana, a traditional Bulgarian tavern, before a short drive to the Asen Monument viewpoint. Wear walking shoes for cobbled climbs.