FORTRESS TSAREVETS (КРЕПОСТ ЦАРЕВЕЦ)

Tsarevets hill is one of the attractions of Veliko Tarnovo. It can be seen in the distance from almost all the entrances of the city. You can go there on a walk to get closer to the remains of the fortress and from the walk there is a magnificent view of Veliko Tarnovo and the meandering river. This hill was first occupied by the Thracians in the ^2nd millennium BC, but the fortress itself was founded in the ^12th century. Between 1185 and 1393, Veliko Tarnovo (then called Tarnovgrad) became the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, whose fortress was the center of political and religious power. It was eventually destroyed by the Ottomans, but impressive ruins are still visible today. The royal palace can still be seen, as well as many churches and houses. The main gate to the west was once equipped with a drawbridge; to the north is the Lobnata skala - a rock from which condemned prisoners were thrown to their deaths; and to the south is the Baldwin Tower. The church at the top with its monumental frescoes from 1981 is a reconstruction of the original church.

Interesting fact: a Frenchman, Baldwin of Flanders, emperor of the Latin Empire, was locked up in the tower that bears his name. After the battle of Adrianople in 1205, he was taken hostage by the Bulgarian tsar Kaloyan and legend has it that he was favored by the Bulgarian queen while in captivity.