Summary

The article recounts the author's enchanting experiences in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, a city celebrated for its old-world charm, stunning architecture, and vibrant cultural scene.

Abstract

The author, Jill, shares a captivating account of their time spent in Veliko Tarnovo, a city in Bulgaria known for its picturesque cobblestone streets and historical significance. Despite the unexpected rain, they explore the city's three main hills, admiring the quaint alleyways, 150-year-old houses, and the vibrant mix of traditional shops and high-end stores. The city's charm is further accentuated by its diverse offerings, from artisanal crafts to scenic parks and the intriguing blacksmith's workshop. Jill expresses a deep connection with Veliko Tarnovo, highlighting the city's beauty, the warmth of its locals, and the anticipation of a future visit to experience more of what the city has to offer, including the fortress.

Opinions

The author was pleasantly surprised by the city's beauty and had no prior expectations.
Veliko Tarnovo is described as an 'adorable' city with a mix of old-world charm and modern amenities.
The city's layout, with tunnels and cobblestone streets, is praised for creating a peaceful atmosphere away from traffic.
The author regrets not being able to visit the fortress due to rain but plans to return in the fall.
The presence of Romanian, Ukrainian, and Russian tourists suggests the city's appeal as a holiday shopping destination.
The author enjoyed the city's panoramic views from cafes and restaurants perched on the hillside.
The city's art scene, including wall murals and metal sculptures, is appreciated and seen as an integral part of its identity.
The article conveys the author's love for Veliko Tarnovo and encourages readers to visit, despite the local perception of it being an 'expensive tourist city.'
The author values the experience of living like a local, as evidenced by their interest in the city's less touristy aspects.
The article ends with an invitation for readers to follow the author's journey through various social media platforms and a suggestion to subscribe for more stories.

TRAVEL | BULGARIA | EASTERN EUROPE | VELIKO TARNOVO

The Adorable Bulgarian Streets of Veliko Tarnovo

We are in love with this beautiful city!

One of the prominent buildings in the city center. Photo Credit: Author

Veliko Tarnovo, known as VT by the locals, is mind-blowingly gorgeous. We never could have predicted how incredible the city is!

As stated in my other post A Small Adventure in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, we hadn't researched the city and we had no idea what to expect. To say that we were pleased with our findings, would be a huge understatement.

Three main hills make up the city, and there are even tunnels that go through the hills to connect the main highways that surround it. This leaves the quaint cobblestone streets to sit above it all on the tops of the hills and away from the hustle and bustle of the traffic.

One can’t help but try to wander down all of the alleyways, attempting to see what is around every corner.

150-year-old houses line the old cobblestone streets. Photo Credits: Author

We spent 4 nights in VT which gave us time to do some exploring. However, it rained on one of those days, and it just so happened to be the day we were going to go to see the fortress. So, unfortunately, that didn't happen, but we already have plans to return there, so we will catch it then. We were told that it is better seen in the late fall anyways, as it is quite exposed and gets very hot under the sun in the summer.

Plus we will get great views of the hills around us and the changing fall leaves.

VT is a very diverse town. Much of it has centuries-old cobblestone streets, but another part of it has fancy stores and a full-on shopping row.

Many shops like this are on the main high-end shopping street. Photo Credit: Author

Apparently, Romanians, Ukrainians, and Russians choose this as a holiday shopping destination. We didn’t poke our heads in many shops, as we don’t tend to purchase much, but I’m sure there are some good deals to be had as we have found Bulgaria to be very inexpensive in most cases.

We loved roaming down all the different streets. Photo Credits: Author

As we would walk along the already quaint streets, we would see small staircases going up and down the hillsides. Of course, we couldn’t help but follow them to see what we could find. Quite often we would find an adorable little cluster of doors at the far end of the trail, plus some cats and stacks of wood stored for the winter.

Cute walkways going up and down in every direction. Photo Credits: Author

Centuries-old stone staircases would lead to the entrances of tall buildings that were perched high on the hillside. Most of the city looked out onto a stunning view of the river valley below.

Certain sections of the city have quaint and authentic Bulgarian shops that sell all manner of locally crafted items. Of course, there are typical tourist junk shops, but there are also beautiful artists' shops selling stunning handmade items.

We even came upon an operating blacksmith who was pounding away on his creations.

I wish I had of photographed more of those sorts of things. I will make a point of doing it the next time we visit.

Small shops and cafes line the streets. Photo Credits: Author

Some locally made items we saw along the way. Photo Credits: Author

Because the city is mostly built on the sloping hillside, many cafes and restaurants have views overlooking the world below. We enjoyed sitting in these spots and found great pleasure in watching things going on below us while taking in the beautiful fall days.

We also made our way through a few lovely parks in the city that were complete with gorgeous fountains and benches for people to sit and enjoy their time.

I wrote about the art in Bulgaria, and much of it was seen here in VT. Large wall murals were in public areas and we saw the metal dandelion sculptures like the one in the fountain, in a few different spots.

We already can’t wait to return to VT so we can check out the fortress plus explore this amazing city some more. Although we are told that it is an ‘expensive tourist city’ by locals, we sure didn’t find it that expensive, nor that touristy. However, we were there well into September, so maybe this time of year is better for visiting this popular place. We will see what it is like when we return later in October.

Thank you for joining me on another tour of Veliko Tarnovo. We truly fell in love with this wonderful Bulgarian city.

Happy Travels!

xo Jill

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