CENTRAL largest university alsoallowsittoboastthebestnightlife in central Bulgaria. Europe standingproudlyover it.Târnovo’s exuberantexistence ashosttoBulgaria’s second- built alongrollinghillsandbisected byariver, withoneofthemostimpressive in fortresses down tooneplace:Veliko Târnovo, themagnificentformercapital oftheBulgariantsars, famous forits rose oilproduction. lowlands beckonwithromanticlocalessuchastheValley long ofRoses,nearKazanlâk, cliffs,and thewaterfalls, caves andrivers thatrunthroughthem.At thesametime, mountain ranges–theStaraPlaninaandSredna Gora,sprawlingjusttothesoutheast– haseverythinging, caving,horsebackridingandotheroutdooractivities, todowithits worldly goods)ofthefreedom fighters andothereminentBulgarians of yesteryear. tradition, andtheregion’s preserve thespirit(andwonderful innumerablehouse-museums attestterwork tothevitalityofBulgarian ofthe19th-centuryTryavnaschoolwoodcarvers church frescoes ofthemonasteries atDryanovo andTroyantheincredibly detailedmas- Pass. suchastheShipka military victories achievements includingthevivid Stunningartistic andKoprivshtitsa,filledwithNationalRevival–periodarchitecture, andatsites ofkey and events thatshapedthe nation.Remindersofthispastaboundingorgeous townssuchas the placeofgreatest to the country’sturbulentmodernhistoryandpeople importance dividedintwobytherollingStaraPlaninamountainrange,is Bulgaria’s centralheartland, BulgariaCentral 164 © LonelyPlanetPublications For manyvisitors,however, thedistilledessenceofcentralBulgariaexperiencecomes climb- The naturalbeautyof central Bulgaria,whichcanbeexperiencedthroughhiking,

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS

in ethnically mixed Kazanlâk ( in ethnically mixed Kazanlâk p198 ) Dive intothedusty,garrulous openmarket Pure Balkans Planina ( p188 ) Bulgaria’sgrand‘oldmountains’ –Stara Hike Mountain meandering ( p183 ) of the‘Tryavnaschool’inpretty townof woodiconostases atthehand-carved Marvel Age-old artistry at TroyanMonastery ( p190 ) ZografSee thefrescoes oflegendaryZahari paintings Powerful ofVelikoold quarters Târnovo ( p170 ) Absorb thefairy-talecastle,churchesand Magical atmosphere Monastery Tryavna Veliko Târnovo Kazanlâk Stara Planina There’s anawfullotof concrete in , but Has a few English-language books on Bulgaria Has afew English-language booksonBulgaria and maps. has asurprisinglywiderange of eateries and fortress, crowned byastrikingmedieval and industrial cityfullof communistmemorialsis Not onlythat,thissomewhatfadedbutfriendly make Shumenskoit does itsownbeer, Pivo. % SHUMEN lonelyplanet.com Post office Café Internet Helikon Biochim Commercial Bank Information or aroundthemall and square. cafésandrestaurants are on Most services, park tothemainsquare, plOsvobozhdenie. mall, bulSlavyanski, stretches fromthecity at Shumen’s eastern end.Thelongpedestrian are andadjacenttrainstation The busstation Orientation Armenian and Muslim communities. remain withShumen’s minorityJewish, 1877. Reminders of Ottomanmulti-ethnicity tified todefend againstRussian advancesin SilistraandVarna)with Ruse, of townsfor- part of theTurks’strategic quadrangle(along and, inthefinaldaysof Ottoman domination, Chumla. market Itbecameanimportant the Ottomanscaptured Shumen, renaming it of Bulgariankingdom.In1388, themedieval andPliskabecamethecentres the TurkicBulgars inthe6thcentury,nearby and fortifiedShumen. After themigrationof Thracians andthenRomansoriginallysettled History . 6 6 p hours’ drive of several unique destinations. the ,alsomeansit’swithinacoupleof coastand theBlackSea about halfwaybetween ofbase alowspurof Planinaranges, theStara Koteleven ( p209 ). Thecity’slocation,atthe the townsof Veliki Preslav, ( p169 ) and morean even fordaytripsto base comfortable ble, accommodationtotown,makingShumen stillquite fancier,though afforda- also brought and sipcoffee roundoutthe local attractions. lengthy pedestrianmallwhere thelocalsstroll aparkand museums, drinking spots.Several Recent additions on the sleeping scenehaveRecent additionsonthesleeping For information on local winery tours, see For informationonlocalwinerytours, see 054 /pop86,660 ( % (pl Osvobozhdenie; ШУМЕН 800 103; bul Slavyanski 88; 800 103;bulSlavyanski (ul ) (ulHristo CENTRALBULGARIA••Shumen (bulSlavyanski) h 7am-10pm Mon-Fri) h 9am-8pm) Mon-Fri) ing at . andcarpark, finish-the Information Centre ture andsurroundingflora. A3kmpathpasses Monument, hasinformation about the struc- 300m fromtheCreators of theBulgarianState sion 3lv; the city centre. then justwalkbackdownthesteps leadingto (3.50 lv oneway),and Gobytaxi Museum. along ulSv Karel Shkorpil attheHistory The circuitous5kmroadgoingthere starts the equallycommunist The3kmpathleadsfrom History Museum. behindhere the onfoot, climb thestaircase ’s 1300thanniversary. Toget was builtin1981tocommemorate theFirst This massive, Soviet-era hilltop monument MONUMENT CREATORS OFTHEBULGARIANSTATE the city centre. Monument,whichState thenbringsyouto leads tothegiganticCreators of theBulgarian costsabout3.50 mosque. Ataxi lv oneway. gate. Thefortress isabout5.5kmupfromthe formation booklet(2lv)isalsoavailable atthe boards dotted aroundthesite. Ayellowingin- century burntandlooted the fortress. invadingOttomansinthelateHowever, 14th renowned foritspottery andmetalwork. east Bulgaria’smostsignificantsettlements, (1185–1396), thefortress wasoneof north- BulgarianEmpire rison. DuringtheSecond gar-the Byzantines,whomadeitanimportant more walls. Itwasagainfortifiedlater onby centuries AD,theRomansaddedtowers and the2ndand4th andbetween century BC, and reinforced bytheThraciansin5th nally totheearlyIronAge. Itwasaugmented h the Towering over thecityfromasteep hillside, SHUMEN FORTRESS Sights Bank Bulgarian United Bulbank Unicredit Telephone centre money transfers. HasanATM4.30pm Mon-Fri) anddoesWesternUnion Bank SG Ekspres Shumen’s From thefortress entrance,a3kmpath Wandering thefortress isfun,withnotice 8am-7pm Apr-Oct, 8.30am-5pmNov-Mar) 8am-7pm Apr-Oct, Shumen Fortress h 8.30am-5pm winter,8am-7pmsummer) Information Centre (plOsvobozhdenie; Insidethepostoffice. (bul Slavyanski; (bul Slavyanski; (

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The Romansbuiltthefortress’s tress Hill today)andTrapezitsa stands habited Hill(on which the for- Thracian tribesthree millennia later, in- and times. Neolithicpeoplein5500 BC, from the earliestled themtobesettled The strategic geography of Târnovo’s hills History p66. and p66 see a few days. and willprobably draw youinforatleast experience, butTârnovo iswellworthit, destinations forgetting thefullBulgarian it’soneof the‘obligatory’sites. Certainly, overand Europeantourgroupspeering the Bulgarians drawnbyitsromanticambience it’salsopopularwithweekendingHowever, increasing numberof youthhostels attests. Empire. Itiscomplemented byscores of Fortress, Bulgarian of citadel theSecond is themagisterial, well-restored Tsarevets River. Commandingprideof place of forested hills,dividedbytheribboning amidstanamphitheatredramatically set For more informationonlocalwineries, As oneof the mainstopsontheBucharest– As thesite of Bulgaria’smostprestig- Overgrown Hill,onetimeresi- Trapezitsa Overgrown lonelyplanet.com second only to Constantinople inimpor- onlytoConstantinople second Empire in 1185, Târnovgrad wouldbecome Bulgarianthe foundationof theSecond rebellion againsttheByzantinerulers. With and Petâr, Târnovgrad becameacentre of lonelyplanet.com ad Arbanasi. and also includesmaps of Tsarevets Fortress The Domino V Turnovo Monasteries: AGuide Local monasteries are chronicled in andmostbookstalls.Information Centre tural informationinEnglish, attheTourist Find the MAPS and southwestfromul Vasil Levski. unvisited bytourists,spreads outtothewest Varosha. Târnovo’s modernpart,generally Charshiya; above thatisthequietoldtown, tional craftsshopping quarter, Samovodska latter street iswhere you’llfindthetradi- Where branches ulRakovski upfromthe andahuge thepostoffice underpass. tween Nezavisimost andulStefan Stambolov, be- Mountain). (Holy tres andSveta totheeast;Trapezitsa; Gora fortress; Momina Krepost, kilome- several fourhills:Tsarevets,between site of the bend ing’). Theriver windsinahorseshoe Thracian word the Yantra River (probably derived fromthe Veliko Târnovo alongaridge above isbased Orientation 1908. in proclaimed wasofficially the Bulgarianstate 1879, andwaswhere theindependenceof tion forwritingBulgaria’sConstitutionin Târnovo (asitwasrenamed) wastheloca- ing the BulgarianEmpire, VelikoSecond of dur- itsimportance the Turks.Because Gurkoliberated TârnovgradGeneral from Russo-Turkis the ing ing themid-19thcentury.In1877,dur- dur- itself Bulgarian nationalismasserted Ottomantimesuntilto stagnatethrough dle of avastempire, thetownwasallowed hill. Nolonger very strategic inthemid- Târnovgrad, destroyingthefortress onthe the next 200 years. andtradeculturetance, flourished for let (5lv ), packed withpracticalandcul- Under theleadership of brothers Asen The centre of townrunsalongul On 17July1393,theOttomanscaptured InfoguideVeliko Turnovo Veliko Târnovo CENTRALBULGARIA••Veliko Târnovo yatrus meaning‘quickflow- h War,theRussian map of town (4lv). book- The Cinema Poltava complex. many hotels and hostels. roomsandonwardtravel.It stocksleafletsfrom private frombasic infoandexcursionstobooking everything staffassistwith 6pm Mon-Sat)HelpfulEnglish-speaking 5; Botev 768; [email protected];ulHristo the mainroadforksdownto ul Gurko. inthenewpart doctors, speaking of town. A modernhospitalwithanemergencyroomandEnglish- which has been settled sincetime immemorial settled which hasbeen 9am-5pmNov-Mar) Oct, Reserve beloved monuments.The nates theskyline,andisoneof Bulgaria’smost town,thisreconstructedeval fortress domi- The inescapable symbolof this proudmedi- TSAREVETS FORTRESS InformationCentre Tourist TOURIST INFORMATION Telephone centre TELEPHONE postoffice Main POST Bank Bulgarian United Bank First EastInternational Alpha Bank following banks have ATMs: Foreign exchange are offices plentiful. The MONEY Cherkezov Hospital Stefan MEDICAL SERVICES Ladybird LAUNDRY Centre I-Net Internet tions, andsometimes computers. Most hotels andhostels have wi-fi connec- ACCESSINTERNET Knisharnitsa Apoloniya BOOKSHOPS Information 10am-6pm Sat & Sun) Same-day service; 5lv service; 10am-6pm Sat&Sun)Same-day per load. and otherEnglish-language travel books. Sun) Centralbookstore with maps,LonelyPlanetguides Stambolov 65; Under Mustang Food Under Mustang restaurant. Sights

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171 CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA 172 0 400 m VELIKO TÂRNOVOTARNOVO 0 0.2 miles CENTRAL BULGARIA••Veliko Târnovo A B C D E F To Preobrazhenski v To Arbanasi 10 14 R Monastery (6km); fo

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abr lonelyplanet.com G Sveta Gora ay ver ola Highw Park To Hospital Stefan Cherkezov (200m); ik Yantra Ri N 4 Central Mall (2.5km); a Cinema Arena (2.5km); sk 59 Pâtnicheski Prevozi Bus aliy Station (3.5km); Emen (25km) Marm Druzhba Park Veliko Târnovo To Gabrovo (46km); Train Station To Varna (228km) Varna (228km) lonelyplanet.com monastery the unrecognisable remains of a12th-century and 10mthick.Further alongthewallsare walls, someof which were once 12mhigh gates andveer left(northeast)forthe fortress Tourist Information Centre. (10 lv)canbearranged byenquiring inthe vided, butguidedEnglish-language tours much English-language informationispro- is plentyof randomrubblelyingabout. Not have received themostrestoration, andthere The Patriarch’s Tower ComplexandBaldwin gates andtowers have uncovered. sofarbeen and numerousmonasteries, dwellings,shops, the faithfulnessof the restoration). somearchaeologists(although grumbleabout returning of ittoasemblance itsformer glory destroyed. TouristscanthanktheSoviets for Turkish invasionin1393,itwassacked and fortress wastrulymagnificent,butwiththe BulgarianEmpire’s the capital, the Second early 12thcentury.WhenTârnovgrad became centuries, andagainbytheByzantinesin Slavs andBulgars the8thand10th between The fortress wasrebuilt andfortifiedbythe tress here the5thand7thcenturies. between the Byzantinesbuiltfirst significantfor- itasadefensiveRomans used position,but due toitsstrategic location.Thraciansand Church ofSvetiPetar& Metodii...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Church ofSvetiNikolai...... Ladybird...... Knisharitsa Apoloniya...... First EastInternationalBank...... ConstituentAssembly...... Church ofSvetiKirili United BulgarianBank...... Main PostOffice...... Alpha Bank...... Tsarevets FortressEntrance...... Trapezitsa...... (see 32) State ArtMuseum...... Sarafkina Kâshta...... Museum ofNationalRevival& Monument oftheAsens...... Forty MartyrsChurch...... Church oftheAssumption...... Pavel...... Church ofSvetiGeorgi...... Church ofSvetiDimitâr...... Church ofSvetaBogoroditsa...... Tourist InformationCentre...... Telephone Centre...... (see6) I-Net InternetCentre...... Entering thestructure, two passthrough The remains of over 18churches 400houses, , various CENTRALBULGARIA••Veliko Târnovo dwellings & workshops 12 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 C1 B1 C2 C2 A1 C3 C2 E2 D2 D3 A2 E2 E1 F1 C1 E1 E1 E2 C2 C2 D3 Hikers Hostel...... Grand HotelYantra...... Museum...... Starata Mehana...... Kâshata PrivateFlats...... Hotel-Mehana Gurko...... Hotel Trapezitsa...... Hotel Premier...... Hotel Kiev...... Hotel Bolyarski...... Pink Bakery...... EATING SLEEPING Hostel Mostel...... Veliko TârnovoArchaeological Restaurant HotelStudio...... (see31) Hotel-Mehana Gurko...... (see34) Ego Pizza&Grill...... Ego Pizza&Grill...... Villa Tashkov...... Nomads Hostel...... Loft Hostel...... Hotel Tsarevets...... Hotel Studio...... Hotel Boliari...... Hotel Allegro...... Shtastlivetsa...... and two veer left along the path hugging thesouthern veer left alongthepath hugging 14th- and15th-century Bulgarian history. than themodern muralsinside,depicting city fromthefront steps are more impressive extensivelybeen restored. Theviewsof the it wasprobably builtabout 1235,buthas Saviour. Onceabout 3000sqmetres insize, Complex path andupthesteps tothe ferred from nearby Nikopolis-ad-Istrum. throne andRomancolumns,probably trans- appropriately enormous(about30mby10m) ering 4500sqmetres, thepalaceincludedan 22 successive kingsruledBulgaria. Oncecov- foundations of the two p175 ) are aruined theboxed show;see sound andlight text, Past inthe oneof modernbells(used several hill-top Patriarch’s Complexasalandmark. able, soreturn tothemiddle,using 1300. in was themostfamousfigure totake theplunge, River. Alleged traitorPatriarch Joachim III which traitors were pushed intotheYantra century churches Returning towards themainentrance, From thepalace,headwestto main thePatriarch’sBelow Complexare the The complex’seastern pathisunremark- churches 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 , alsocalledtheChurch of theBlessed . Tothenorthlieremains of a13th- monastery C2 A1 C2 A1 B1 B1 B2 B1 A1 B1 E3 A1 E2 C2 D2 B2 D3 C3 E3 D1 C2 D3 tothe left (east). Ulitsata...... (see 32) Rila Bureau...... Oryakhovitsa Etap Adress...... Icons KrasimirIvanov...... Scream DanceClub...... (see41) Jack...... Deep CaféClub...... Shekerdzinitsa...... Café Aqua...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING Bally...... Yug BusStation...... Minibuses ForGorna Magazin zaManasta...... Gorgona...... Theatre...... Konstantin KisimovDramatic Pepy's Bar...... City Pub...... Stratilat...... TrainStation...... , and Royal Palace nobleman’s dwelling Execution Rock Execution , fromwhere Patriarch’s Patriarch’s , from 48 47 46 45 59 58 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 44 57 and

173

C4 C2 C3 B1 B1 B3 B3 B3 C2 C3 B2 A1 C2 A1 B1 B3 CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA hall built in1872,waswhere Bulgaria’s first h This CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY MUSEUM OFNATIONAL REVIVAL & with vintage familyphotos on the walls. period furniture fillstheupperfloor,along tional costumesandbreadmaking. Revival- has somefascinatingexhibitsabout tradi- andjewellery, and woodcarvings metalwork, noon &1-6pmMon-Fri) ( style National Revival–period and moneylender,thisfinefive-storey Built in1861byarich Turkish merchant KÂSHTA SARAFKINA views from the top. the Bulgariansayearlater. There are great imprisoned andexecuted after hisdefeat by Byzantium in1204–gothisjustdesserts, of wholedthesack Christian ous Crusader where Iof Baldwin Flanders –the perfidi- wall. Atitsendistherestored 174 %

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, 6pm Thu-Tue) costumes, booksandphotosaboutVeliko by the Turks. as aroyalmausoleum,andthenmosque II’s victoryover theByzantines.Itwasused originally builtin1230tocelebrate Tsar Asen are on closed Wednesdays. Most of Veliko Târnovo’s numerous churches CHURCHES settlements. Neolithic there’s alsosomeancientgoldfromnearby its includehuge muralsof thetsars, while from elsewhere. Medieval Bulgarianexhib- Istrum andmore Romanpottery andstatues Romanartefactscontains fromNikopolis-ad- ul IvanVazov; adult/under7yr4/2lv; sculptures, the naded terrace andcourtyardfullof Roman inagrandoldbuildingwithcolon- Housed MUSEUM VELIKO TÂRNOVO ARCHAEOLOGICAL town photos,andsome valuable icons. ages of note. hasclassic old Thebasement upstairs, displaysportraitsof localperson- Târnovo’s hall, history.Theformerassembly to write thecountry’s first constitution. National Assembly years later washeldseven claimed an uprisingagainst Byzantinerule, in1185, Tsarssecration Asen andPetâr pro- northern . During thechurch’s con- ofSt Dimitrios,patron saint in so-called Târnovo style,itwasnamedafter Evtimii; admission4lv; proportioned is Târnovo’s oldestchurch, thebeautifully comforted bythe Virgin Mary. wherethe altar, Jesus onthecross isbeing isinthecornertoleftof best preserved ing early-11th-centurywallpaintings.The churches, mainlyasthere are somesurviv- murals. Thisisthemostinteresting of the layers of remarkable 11th-and17th-century adult/concession 4/2lv; Petar &Pavel ChurchofSveti reliefs decorating its sides. but it’svery pretty withblue-painted bas- century church. Thechurch isusuallyclosed, Assumption Two blocksnorth,the late-13th-century Across fromitisthetiny numerousThe groundfloorcontains The Across the river, enclosed by a high wall, Across theriver, by ahigh enclosed Forty Martyrs Church Martyrs Forty , intheoldAsenova quarter, was , builtin1923over aruined14th- Church of Sveti Dimitâr Church ofSveti archaeological museum archaeological h h by arrangement) 9am-5pm) ( %

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eeat tower. elegant ul PatriarhEvtimii;admission4lv; can open itonrequest. warden attheChurch of Sveti Petar &Pavel Empire (1185–1396).It’soften buta closed, which wouldcreate Bulgarian the Second Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels there are great viewsover thetown and river. BulgarianEmpirement of in1185; theSecond inspiring commemorationof theestablish- entry isfree on Thursdays. are available forabout 5 lv extraperperson; GuidedtoursRuse. (inEnglish andFrench) loan fromgalleriesinSilistra,Dobrich and exhibits more artworks,mostlyonpermanent region bynumerousartists.The2ndfloor paintingsofcontains Veliko Târnovo andthe Asenovtsi Park; adult/student3/1lv; Yantra River, the Dramatically situated bendof inatight the STATE ARTMUSEUM Church iMetodii Kiril turn leftalongulKiriliMetodii tothe follow thesteps ontheleft(western) side,and (ul Vâstanicheska; distinguish itonthe old town’s skyline. the church’s large green neo-Byzantine domes main cathedral.Located justoff ulIvanVazov, of Sveta visits. arranges inside. TheTsarevets Fortress ticket office early 18thcentury.Itboatsimpressive murals invaders, butrestored duringtheirruleinthe ruins, wasinitiallydestroyedbytheOttoman churchprobably builtin1612onmedieval Nearby, the Up inVarosha, visitthe There are frescoes alsonotable atthe The nearby laser beams. Starting timeisanywherelaser beams. from8pmto9.30pm dependingonthetimeofyear. Starting hope theshowison, ordowhatmostlocalsandvisitors do: listen for thebells,andlookfor Information Centre ( p171 ) oryourhotel tocheckforyou.Alternatively, and turnupatthefortress lights settomusic). the SecondBulgarianEmpire (althoughformostpeopleitwilljustbeapretty arrayofflashing tour groupsintown.The showis40minutes longandapparently relates the riseandfallof people have butduringthesummer ithappensmostnights,asthere boughttickets, are always homage totheSecondBulgarianEmpire. numberof The showdoesn’thappenunless acertain sees the whole of Tsarevets litupingreat Hill flashesofcolourandrumblingmusic,aspectacular Târnovo event rocksoutwithmedievalflairduringtheSound&LightShow,anocturnal that THE SOUND&LIGHTSHOW To findoutiftheshow ishappening,ringtheorganisers on h Monument oftheAsens Church of Sveti Georgi Church ofSveti 9am-5pm) State Art Museum Art State

( h ( h 9am-5pm) 9am-5pm) , builtin1879.After, Church of Sveti Nikolai Church ofSveti h h CENTRALBULGARIA••Veliko Târnovo 10am-5pm Tue-Sun) , which hasan by arrangement) , thetown’s

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/fax CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA private rooms(25lvto35forasingle/dou- always someone around. are available. inadvanceasthere’s Call not mon room,andinternet andlaundryservice colourfully painted andhasaspaciouscom- dorms, adoubleandsmallapartment.It’s new hostel tucked intoasidelaneoffers two to theSamovodska Charshiya Complex,this tral budget place,Nomadsoffers allthesame ul Gurko27;dm/d18/25lv) the river toshow itsage andtownis starting s/apt 28/54lv) time. check-out jaunts,and hasnofixedtrips andevening ing balconywithviews.Itarranges bothday amenities astheotherhostels andhasarelax- DiadoNikola2a;dm/d/apt 16/40/80 lv) Kapitan pick-ups fromthetrainor bus stations. in free dinnerandaglassof beer. forfree Call throw ‘party room’isintheworks.Theyeven back gardenhasaBBQ,anddownstairs and doubleswithsparklingbathrooms.The hostel offers clean,very moderndormrooms just150mfromTsarevetshouse Fortress. The inarenovatedbig, newplace,set 170-year-old Mostel has madeasplashinTârnovo withthis ner 14/20/60lv) .com; ulJordanIndjeto10;tent/dm/dinclbreakfast &din- free pick-upfromthetrainor bus stations. the Samovodska for Charshiya Complex.Call computers, isafive-minute uphillwalkfrom free wireless internet and has laundryservice, from here with a coldbeer. Thehostel, which is onit’sfuntowatch thefar-off spectacle Showwhen theSound&Light (see p175 ) outfitted withcouches, hasgreat viewsand patio alsohastwotents. Theupperbalcony, 10), plusonedoubleroomare onoffer; the dorms (onewithfourbeds,theother themondaytrips.Simplebutclean or taking Hristov, transferring whoisconstantly guests hostel, Hikers isrunbytheenergetic Toshe fast 12/20/50lv; 91;tent/dm/dinclbreak- ulRezervoarska .hikershostel.org; Gurko, ornear Tsarevets Fortress. trict, alongthelower(southeastern) endof ul Charshiya Complex( p178 ) intheVarosha dis- ble). Foratmosphere, neartheSamovodska stay ( The TouristInformationCentre p171 ) BUDGET 176 Nomads Hostel Hostel Mostel Mostel Hostel Hostel Hikers Hotel Trapezitsa Hotel Hostel Loft CENTRAL BULGARIA••Veliko Târnovo Thisvery centralplaceoverlooking ThefamousSofia-based Hostel

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finds air-conditioned roomsatthisoldtownplace .com; ulGurko33;s/d80/110lv; ul Reservarska 5;d/apt40/70lv) ul Reservarska of &Helena StsKonstantin andthefortress ing newboutiquehotel theChurch between 2;s/d/ste66/88/99lv) Boteva Ivanka is friendly and helpful. There aren’t alotof extras,butmanagement has breezy, tastefully decorated rooms. imposing façadeandold-worldlobby bar 4; s/d50/75lv; Kiev Hotel MIDRANGE and ing, satellite TV furnishings. bright apartmentwithaircondition- self-contained are shared, butmodern.There’s alsoaspacious campdécorandbedding.Bathrooms slightly relaxing placerunbytwoBrits,withcolourful, an unmissable pinkbuildingisafriendlyand ofsection Varosha, in thisoffbeat guesthouse and goodquality apartments. self-contained cated offthemainstreet, offers well-equipped centrallylo- (TheHouse), own flat?Kâshata Why hitthehotels whenyoucanhire your .hit.bg; plSlaveikov4;1-/2-personapt35/50lv,4-person80lv) the river and town. away fromthestreet have great viewsover value. Roomsare smallbutclean.Theones indifference,and acertain butisstillgood this gorgeous, centrallylocated villa, which 19; dfrom80lv,entire villa200lv) offers good Bulgarian cuisine. views. Thetraditional restaurant attached are individuallydecorated andoffer great hit-or-miss. be can pool andJacuzzi, andtheservice however, You payextraforthefitnesscentre, swimming view, the40lvsinglesare practicallybudget. travellers, ifyoudon’tmindhaving though no ern, well-kept roomsare pitched atbusiness from itslongcafépatioandrooms.Itsmod- Stambolov, withviewsof thetownandriver onul has aphenomenallocationonthebluff yearsEight inthemaking,newBolyarski Stefan Stambolov53a;s/d70/120lv,apt180-220lv; and isafriendly, quiet place. furnishings. Ithasasmallcaféatreception has attractive roomswithhandsomewood Villa TashkovVilla Boliari Hotel Pink Bakery Flats Kâshata Private Hotel-Mehana Gurko Hotel-Mehana Bolyarski Hotel

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( % 601 362; www.the-pink-bakery.com; 601 362;www.the-pink-bakery.com; 635 801;www.tashkoff.com; ulGurko 606 002; www.boliarihotel.com; ul 606 002;www.boliarihotel.com; 613 200; www.bolyarski.com; ul 613 200;www.bolyarski.com;

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by understated, black-and-white décorwith Velchev (the‘maninblack’),ischaracterised chic newboutique hotel, runbysuave Ivan tress, theTsarevets withitsfriendly delights s/d 90/110lv; Reception isatul service. 13. Stambolisky are fullyequipped,andthere’s adailycleaning can berented inpartorfull.Therooms Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels races overlooking the river and gorge. and cafés;foratmosphere, withter- trythose Veliko Târnovo has somegoodrestaurants Eating (they claim)Bulgaria’s biggest Jacuzzi. spatreatmentsinclude apool,sauna, and 10-minute walkfromtheoldtown.Facilities located onasidestreet nearthepost office, a Western chain)(part of awaits.It’s theBest ally certifiedluxury,Târnovo’s Hotel Premier cravingFor those thesafety of internation- Sava Penev 1;s/d140/200lv,ste240-480lv; There’s alsoanartgallery and casino. and attractsbusinessconferences, though. fireplaces. It lackstheintimacyof smallerplaces sumptuously decorated; somesuites have even isexcellent androomsare destinations. Service place isoneof Târnovo’s smartest top-end 2;s/d/ste98/138/170lv) Opalchanska restaurant aswell. cons andmodernart.There’s abreezy garden spotless rooms,somequite large, withallmod and from theoldtown.Ithasfriendlyservice onlya10-minute isnevertheless Centre, walk Marno PolePark andtheTouristInformation The new-townAllegro,located between /alegro; ulTodorSvetoslav15;s/d82-95/109-123lv; Allegro Hotel TOP END cuisine and imaginative minimalist cool. offers ) ( right restaurant panorama. Thehotel’s poshdownstairs bar- Hill andthetownof Târnovo –anunmatched fortress, Hill,Sveta Arbanasi,Trapezitsa Gora drink ontherooftop patiooffers viewsof the location 25mfromTsarevets Fortress, anda the occasionalsplashof red. Ithasanenviable 4;s100-110lv,d130-160lv) .com; ulTodorLefterov discounts. multiday internet andminibars. Askwith, TVs, about well-kept andcomfortable, rooms service Hotel Tsarevets Hotel Grand Hotel YantraGrand Hotel o Hotel Premier Hotel Hotel Studio Hotel pai

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) ) down themostpopularplaceintownfor Stambolov 79;mains5-10lv; 3am) nice viewsfrom the terrace. Târnovo’s busiestandfriendliestcafés,with side of theHotel this isoneof Trapezitsa, of heated sand. a diminutive copperpot run acrossabasin appealingly prepared theold-school way,in is theplacetogoforreal Turkishcoffee – traditional furnishings intheoldmarket h Shekerdzinitsa Drinking arrive. Dress up. bluefish orBlackSea and wildberriessauce beforeeven the baked camembertinalmond back-lit, well-equippedbar,winningyouover Studio ( left ) haselegantblackdécoranda This newgourmeteatery attheboutiqueHotel 4;mains7-12lv; hotel-vt.com; ulTodorLefterov formal. comically isgenerally sometimes good,though service quality.The good value,consideringthehigh pizzas and(atlunchtime) delicioussoups.It’s meat dishes,baked-pot specials,nourishing in Bulgarian)hasagreat menuof inventive (as theimpossible-to-pronouncenamemeans both localsandforeigners, the‘LuckyMan’ bistro feel andfriendly, gorgeous staff. beside thepopularPepy’s hasamore Bar snug dishes are onoffer. location,right Asecond and more obscure andMexican Chinese mixed grills Bulgariancuisine,Serbian salads, outdoor balconywithexcellentviews.Massive Scream DanceClub,thisspaciousplacehasan 5-9 lv; hearty Bulgarian specialities. Gurko ( opposite ) hastraditionaldécorand 5-8 lv) cooking. with great viewsandtraditional,good-value Another dramaticlocationisfoundhere, the morningtillnight. from mealordessert place foracoffee, light large outsideterrace makes thisapopular o Ulitsata Studio Hotel Restaurant o Pizza&Grill Ego Gurko Hotel-Mehana Starata Mehana Stratilat 9am-6pm Tue-Sun) If youwere anexpat inTârnovo, Pepy’s Thetraditional h 9am-midnight)

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( h ( 627 838;ulGurko33;mains % % 11am-1am) 600 656;ulStefan 604 010;www.studio of theHotel h Hands Toone h 9am-11pm) The 177 10am-

CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA tell you what’s on. ( The TouristInformationCentre p171 ) can breezy balconyoverlooking the gorge. atthiscentralcafé,whichthe evening hasa over acoffee and lads andshort-skirted girlsisnamedforthe road, ulStambolov. Onand behind itisthe veersRakovski upwards from themain opposite theHotelRoughly Bolyarski, ul Shopping DramaticTheatre Kisimov heavy-duty entertainment during term. where manystudentsreside andthus alsooffers mall, thenewtown,little-visited bytourists,is the easiestwaytoget there.) Inadditiontothe bowlingalleyandcasino.a nightclub, is (A taxi Mallping centre, ( Central right ), which alsohas Arena unless there’s a weekend crowd. its large empty centraldancefloor,itcanseem has bothitssupporters anddetractors. With This newclubplayinghip-hopandtechno crowd withhip-hopand music. house ranean bar-verging-on-club caters toayoung h studenty. equally clubs, Scream more isslightly tasteless but 17; music weekends withhouse and dancing. American whisky,andisespeciallypopularon 4am) the rest of the year. university studentsfleshouttheclubsduring descends, whilethetown’s20,000vivacious ence, whenthebackpacker round; insummer,there’s abigforeign pres- Veliko Târnovo’s nightlife isbuzzingyear- Entertainment with local students. and TICisabitgimmicky,butusuallylively lar, bigBritish-style pubnearthepostoffice with subdued style. places; it’sjustacosy,chilled-out nightspot putonairs likebar doesn’t themore studenty wellbeyourlocal.Thedark-lit,popular might 178 Jack City Pub For aspotof theatre, trythe Club Deep Café The latest Hollywoodfilmsare onat Bally DanceClub Scream Aqua Café h 8am-1am) Thispumpingstudentclubforknavish CENTRAL BULGARIA••Veliko Târnovo (tickets 6lv; (tickets 10pm-4am)

( ( % %

( % Thissmall,eccentricallylitsubter- 0885565666; ul Hristo Botev 2; Botev 0885565666; ulHristo 0887203016; ul Magistraka 5; 0887203016; ulMagistraka

( % 637 824; ul Hristo Botev 15) Botev 637 824;ulHristo h Another of Târnovo’s popular 623 567;ulNezavisimost3)

10am-midnight) slatka ( %

( % 321 645;ulNezavisimost23;

( 0897938266; ulNezavisimost % (sweet) untillate in (sweet) 623 526;ulVasil Levski) in thenewshop- internationale Thispopu- h Konstantin h Lounge 8pm-5am) Cinema Cinema 10pm- .

sign outfrontreading ‘hand-madejewelry’, go there, alongulVasil There’s also a Levski. 10,12,14,70and110 Bulgaria. Localbuses fromelsewheremain terminus in forbuses while you browse. so youcanwatch painting himpainstakingly The shopdoublesasKrasimir’sworkshop, are anotherexcellenttake-home memento. Târnovo (20lv),displayedoutsidetheshop inksketchesallowed again.Hisdetailed of old the fallof communism,when religious artwas Krasimir Ivanov paintingiconssince hasbeen DiadoNikola;icons60-400lv; & ulKapitan fromthemany or choose unique necklaces. glass andsilver beads.Buythembythepiece, colouredand thewallslinedwithbrightly 7pm) couple of themanyunique shops around. and English. Thefollowingtwoare onlya each shop inthe nent mapsignpoststhenameandlocationof of Varosha just above it. the equallyappealingoldresidential quarter great placeforshopping, or justastroll,asis It’sa houses. ing BulgarianNationalRevival jewellery andartare inappeal- alsohoused of antiques,ous bookshopsandpurveyors theirtradeshere.still practise Thenumer- potters andgunsmiths, among otherartisans, toric centre of craftsmanship;blacksmiths, lv, two hours, seven daily), Burgaslv, twohours, (14lv, seven (6lv,twohours, daily),Sliven eight Ruse (4 daily), Kazanlâk (5lv,2½hours, five daily), hourly), aswell Elena(2lv,30minutes, six Gabrovo (3.50lv, 40minutes, half- serve buses office left-luggage 74) tion out of thecentre. serve Two busstations Veliko Târnovo, both BUS Getting There&Away outside of Sofia. most modernshopping centre tobefound 18; .mallvt.eu; ulOborishte 7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat) 2; www.gorgona-shop.com; ulZelenka gear, you’llwanttovisit Samovodska CharshiyaComplex Samovodska isabout4kmfromthecentre andisthe The eastside Icons KrasimirIvanov zaManasta Magazin For camping,climbing,skiingandbiking At thebeginningof apromi- ulRakovski,

You’llrecognise thiscosyshopfromthe (Zapad busstation;

( Central Mall Mall Central charshiya h Pâtnicheski Prevozi bus sta- Prevozi Pâtnicheski % (ul Giorgi Momarchev 14; (ul GiorgiMomarchev h

7.30am-4.30pm) (

% . 640 908; ul Nikola Gabrovski 640 908;ulNikolaGabrovski 10am-8pm) 0885060544; cnr ul Rakovski 0885060544; cnrulRakovski Gorgona , inbothBulgarian

( lonelyplanet.com , thetown’shis- % h isBulgaria’s . Fromhere, 674 040;www h 10am-1pm & 2-

( % 10am-7pm) 601 400; h 9am-

( hours) (6lv, andPleven two hours). Troyan (4lv,twohours), Karlovo (7lv,four four hours, serve fourdaily).Dailybuses four hours, fourdaily)andPlovdiv (14lv, lonelyplanet.com ets, visit international ordomestictick- To reserve International 8 lvto 9 lv. or bybus10fromthecentre. Taxis costabout 14 fromthePâtnicheski Prevozi bus station, the market alongulVasil bus bytaking Levski, Târnovo bycatching aminibusfrom opposite Shumen (7lv, four hours). (7lv,fourhours), and10to Zagora to Stara hours). There are alsosix dailyconnections three (6lv,two daily)and11trainstoRuse daily)andVarnaeight (9.10lv,fourhours, to/from Sofia, (10lv,five viaPleven, hours, Sofiatween andVarna andhasdailyservices 8.5km fromtown,isalongthemainlinebe- should costaround3lvto 5 lv. centre. tothecentre fromthestation Ataxi 10,12,14,70and110gotothe tion, buses Oryakhovitsa. FromtheVeliko Târnovo sta- to Târnovo’s atGorna othertrainstation, (change atTsareva Livada)andregular trains daily). There are five dailytrainstoGabrovo three daily)andSofia (12.80lv,4½hours, six hours, three daily),Varna (11.80lv,five hours, three hours, sixdaily),Burgas (11.40lv,five Sliven (7lv, two hours). Trainsalsoserve (4.80lv, (10.10 lv,five hours) Zagora viaStara west of town,runsthree dailytrainstoPlovdiv The TRAIN three-hour trip to . from where make three dailyminibuses the hours). two andonetoShumenAlbena andBalchik (8lv, hours), onetoKavarna (15lv,4½hours) via toDobrichplus twodailybuses (13lv,four 3½ hours) andVarna (15lv,four hours), 564; ulIvaylo2) Shumen (5lv, also serve three hours). lv, 3½hours). Fromhere, dailybuses several ies of Varna (11lv,fourhours) andBurgas (14 cit- Sofia (11lv,fourhours) andtheBlackSea % You canget fromVeliko tothisstation trainstation Gorna Oryakhovitsa Under theHotel Etâr, To reach Romaniabybus,gofirst toRuse, The somewhatmore central 620 014; ul Hristo Botev) Botev) 620 014;ulHristo Veliko Târnovo trainstation Veliko Târnovo Rila Bureau Rila has hourly buses toSofia hashourlybuses (15lv, CENTRALBULGARIA••AroundVeliko Târnovo

( % has many daily buses to has manydailybuses 622 042;ul Tsar 2a; Kaloyan Etap Adress ( %

620 065) Yug busstation

( % 826 118)

, 1.5km ( % 630 ,

historic monastery-village withsomelovely by theinfamous Turkish Arbanasi wasmostlydestroyed 1798, however, summer getaway fortheOttomanelite. In andIndia, andthevillage becamea traders didbusiness farandwide,withGreece, and it exempt Localartisans from taxation. bequeathed ittoason-in-lawin1538, making bit of SüleymanI luckwhenOttomanSultan Arbanasienjoyeda often called ‘Arvanauts’), Albanianswerethe 15thcentury(medieval protected cultural monuments. homes andmonasteries here are state- and leafysurroundings.Nearly90churches, far frombeingoverrun, withabucolicair have goneupinrecent years, Arbanasiisstill opulentvillasforwealthySofiansAlthough hearty cuisine,horseback ridingandhiking. architecture, traditionalaccommodation and % Arbanasi AROUND VELIKOTÂRNOVO per day,includinginsurance,but not petrol). forthebestoffersCentre (usuallyaround40lv places furtherafieldis more feasible. or chartering them(fornegotiablerates) to rates) forlocaldestinationssuch asArbanasi, offered. (atfixed Hiringtaxis meteredservices advantagebetter of taking off thefree pick-up in such a neighbourhood, therefore, you’re narrowness of thestreets. inahostel Ifstaying old quarters, especiallyVarosha, duetothe 1-3.30 lv) the centralareas –try Târnovo. and enjoyable forgetting aroundin Veliko Most peoplewillfindwalkingbothsufficient Getting Around car, sleeper 14 hours). Gorna Oryakhovitsa (41.95lv,63.42lvwith in northernGreece trainfrom viaanevening at 7.55pm.Youcanalsoreach Thessaloniki car,11hours)(35.85 lv,62.32lvwithsleeper train fromTârnovo Turkey toIstanbul, goes tinuing northfromthere at12.22pm.Anight stopping atGornaOryakhovitsa andcon- leaves Veliko Târnovo at10.42am, trainstation to Bucharest (22.93lv,sixhours) inRomania the TouristInformationCentre. Adailytrain h Just 4kmfromVeliko Târnovo, Arbanasi isa Founded byChristiansfromAlbania in For carrental, askattheTouristInformation 062 /pop1500 8am-noon &1-4.30pmMon-Fri) –butsometimesrefuse todrive inthe

Taxis are goodforzippingaround Арбанаси Toptaxi kurdjali , located behind

( % gangs. 631 111;fares

179 CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA church, the in Arbanasi. Thevillage’s oldest remaining lent Turkish rulers condonedchurch-building want tofirst get thebook visits. Atanytimeof theyear,youmayalso Department check first inVeliko Târnovo withthe 1October and31March.between Double- they’reto 6pmdaily,though usually closed ticket operatessame from9.30am (4lv).Each are allcoveredand onehouse-museum, bythe Arbanasi’s three major sites, two churches SIGHTS and local activities. town’s history,accommodationandeating, .arbanassi.org) ATM machine also stands. the centralsquare, where aUnicredit Bulbank most of theactioniscentred ononeortwo and anetworkof namelessstreets, though Relaxing Arbanasihasplentyof openspace ORIENTATION &INFORMATION 180 (3 lv)atabookstore in Târnovo. Târnovo (4km) Hotel (500m);Veliko To ArbanashkaSretsa 1 3 2 ARBANASI During the16thand 17thcenturies,benevo- The Arbanasimunicipal 6 SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Konstantsalieva House...... vt ooois oatr...A2 Sveta BogoroditsaMonastery..... Church ofSvetaArhangeli Sveti NikolaiMonastery...... Sveti DemetriusChurch...... Sveti AtanassiusChurch...... Hadjilieva House...... Mikhail&Gavril...... Arbanasi HorseBase...... Sveti GeorgiChurch...... Nativity Church...... CENTRAL BULGARIA••AroundVeliko Târnovo contains informationabout the contains AC

( Nativity Church % 062-349 460) 9 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 before off-season before off-season , boastsa stunning, 10 Arbanasi: AGuide B3 A2 C2 C1 B2 B2 C1 C3 D2 5 website To GornaOryakhovitsa(3km); 12 14 13 B Train Station(11km) Gorna Oryakhovitsa

Museums Museums (www 16 4 Hotel ArbanasiPalace...... Faklite...... oe iePlc raai...C1 Hotel WinePalaceArbanasi...... SLEEPING Bolyarska Kâshta Hotel Bohemi...... &Restaurant...... 18

to bere-opened soon, socheck whenyou’re inching every of spaceinthefive chambers; ings (created 1632and1649)cover- between kaleidoscopic frescoed interior, with paint- the with embroidery and more for sale. while theground floorhasasouvenir shop periodfurnituretains intheupstairs rooms, style. Itcon- in theBulgarianNationalRevival century school of woodcarving. byexpertsfromtheTryavna were alsocarved on asunnyday.Thewoodeniconostases areinterior israther dark,these bestviewed another fromBucharest inRomania. Sincethe inGreececluding onefromThessaloniki and church, impressive alsocontains frescoes, in- &Gavril Mikhail ated byeminentcarvers from Tryavna. cre-which alsoboastslavish woodiconostases thechurch,in some2000scenesthroughout 3500figuresmagnificent. Over are depicted isalso centraliconostasis the hand-carved The finalmajor site, thegorgeous, 17th- The 16th-century At thetimeof writinganotheruniquesite, Hadjilieva House Hadjilieva 19 11 8 Konstantsalieva House Konstantsalieva 2 3 7 15 14 13 12 11 17 , builtontheruinsof amedieval B2 B3 B2 C2 , was closed but scheduled , wasclosed 15 0.1miles 0 0200 m Rooms MehanaArbat...... (see17) u tp...... C2 Bus Stop...... TRANSPORT EATING Mehana Izvora...... Mehana Arbat...... Komplex Izvora...... Church of Sveta Arhangeli Arhangeli Church ofSveta , waslater rebuilt lonelyplanet.com D 19 18 17 16 1 B2 C2 B2 incl breakfast 48/68/108lv; Bogoroditsa Monastery ing monasteries: has a cemetery. Church Atanassius Church Demetrius Sveti there. Othersites includetheunsignposted Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels b sampled. be numerous exemplary Bulgarian winescan gests, therestaurant includes awinerywhere have spacious balconies.As the namesug- veniences andbathtubs.Many of therooms rooms, which comewithallmoderncon- considering theluxuryof thewell-appointed and well-kept grounds,offers excellentvalue pansive place,which hasanoutdoor pool as asmall swimming pool. views fromtheon-site restaurant patioaswell drive justbefore thecentre. There are good onasmalldirt off tional styleroomsisset s areBathrooms simple but modern. ered wood floors andtraditionalfurnishings. restaurant, have lovely doubleswithweath- Mehana Arbat( right ), justupstairs fromthe 35/45 lv) beyond thegarden,isplace to be. nottheonewithmodern-stylerooms house, with bathroominatraditionalvilla. Themain torches) offers huge andatmosphericrooms restaurants. the able; askattheshopsbusstoporin inwinter.close Private roomsare alsoavail- lookingforpeaceandquiet.Someplaces those and afew more lavish hotels, willappealto Târnovo, anditstraditionalguesthouses, Arbanasi ismuch quieter thanVeliko SLEEPING a ridingtournament each June. ( Centre p171 ) inVeliko Târnovo. Italsohosts costs, orconsulttheTouristInformation Phone toaskaboutcurrent programmesand riding tripsinthelushhillsaroundArbanasi. lage’s eastern guidedhorseback edge, does The ACTIVITIES open. Nikolai Monastery There are alsothree 17th-centurywork- Faklite Hotel WinePalace Arbanasi Hotel Hotel Sretsa Arbanashka Arbat Rooms Mehana ) This new guesthouse withcosy,tradi- Thisnewguesthouse Arbanasi HorseBase These newroomsoffered These bythecentral ( % 604 496;s/d20/32lv) , probably builtin1667,which

( Sveti Georgi Church Georgi Sveti %

( 650 345) pais

% , andthepretty ( %

( %

( 620 322) % 631 811;s/dinclbreakfast 623 668) . Allare usually

( 601 370;s/d48/88lv; CENTRALBULGARIA••AroundVeliko Târnovo % andthe Faklite (the 630 176;s/d/ste , onthevil- ) Thisex- , the Sveti Sveti Sveti Sveti Sveta Sveta 104/122-144/126-198 lv; Gorna Oryakhovitsa train station when full trainstation Gorna Oryakhovitsa posite themarket, departfor minibuses On ulVasil inVeliko Levski Târnovo, op- THERE &AWAYGETTING for drinksin the evening. There’s alsonowanewupstairs Vino Bar alities requiring 18hours of slowroasting. grilled meats,bothquickbites andspeci- cosy main-street the mostatmosphericplaceintown, this there are customers.enough provided if (atnoextracost)intheevening pool andplayground,folkmusicis this populartavern. Italsohasaswimming century, well-decked-out residence houses Izvora Mehana EATING suites are more aesthetically pleasing. thenicewood-floored However, standard. tre, asthedoubleroomsare however, just paying foraccoutrements such asaspacen- which are fascinatingforchildren. You’re and pensof odour-bearing farmanimals, andbarbecue,swimmingpool den setting sprawls toincludeahotel, 100/140 lv,ste180-280lv; Zhivkov. Todor grand residence of formercommunistleader nal creation –itwasoriginallybuiltasthe rooms, isnodoubtwhatinspired itsorigi- the restaurant balcony,andfrommanyof the over thevalleytowardsVeliko Târnovo from rinth of marblehalls.Thestunning viewout endlesslaby- interior withaseemingly star the ArbanasiPalace hasafive- nevertheless somewhat grey andbattered ontheoutside, fireplace. crackling The large apartments’amenitiesincludea on offer placeinthecentre. atthisestablished d/apt 65/90lv) Church. Demetrius gurgling water. Thehotel overlooks theSt the rooms,creating thesoothingsoundof feeds terracedden. Afountain poolsalong hotel offers spaciousroomsandalovely gar- metres fromthesquare andbusstop,this s/d/aptinclbreakfast 50/65/90lv) .boliarska.com; Mehana Arbat Mehana ArbanasiPalace Hotel Bohemi Hotel Komplex Izvora Bolyarska Kâshta&Restaurant Bolyarska Small but comfortable roomsare Smallbutcomfortable

(

%

( ( % %

( % 627 917;mains6-8lv) mehana 631 811;mains6-9lv) 620 484;www.arbanassivt.hit.bg; pais 601 205; www.izvora.hit.bg; s/d 601 205;www.izvora.hit.bg; pas

( % serves excellent serves mehana 630 176;s/d/ste77- ( %

) The Izvora ) 620 484;www Looking A17th- Probably withgar- Only

181 CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA Monastery of theTransfiguration,is lo- west of Veliko Târnovo, and are accessible vide more details and/or maps. ( Tourist Information Office p171 ) canpro- posted fromEmenvillage. Veliko Târnovo’s main attractionatEmen.Thetrail issign- in aloopandaroundthecanyon, isthe Waterfall alsoincludesthe10m-high serve of butterflies, fish,birdsandbats.There- here forspecies existasaprotected reserve kind inBulgaria. Some25hectares of land Negovanka River, istheonlyoneof its The 3km-long Emen Târnovo costsabout 6 lv oneway. fromVelikoshady, uphill3kmwalk.Ataxi Fromhere,the roadheadedtoRuse. it’sa monastery. Itwillleave youataturn-off on by the rascally monks. plum brandyinthecourtyardbeingmade hear!) theenormousbarrels of fermenting very (and worthwhile. Youmayalsosee age-blackened frescoes, makingavisithere uptheremainingunderway hasbrightened ( Museum p174 ), arestoration programnow now inVeliko Târnovo’s Archaeological Zograf.Whilethebestare nowned Zahari painted 1849and1851bythere- between The monastery’s churches boastmurals thebuilding. and miraculouslyjustmissed massive rocksthattumbleddownthehill the sidesof themainchurch youwillsee nal site, but later damaged bylandslides.To rebuilt in1825,about 500mfromtheorigi- by theTurksinlate 14thcentury,itwas fers views.Despite beingdestroyed fantastic Bulgaria’s fourthlargest monastery andof- Veliko Târnovo. Originallybuiltin1360,it’s cated inaforest high about7kmnorthof Monastir Preobrazhenski Monastery Preobrazhenski will take you back. about 5lvto6oneway.Taxis inArbanasi the village. fromVeliko A taxi Târnovo costs along theway,andwalk(about700m)to toArbanasi attheturn-off not, disembark Arbanasi.If it’s possibletodetourthrough 30 minutes).(about every Ask thedriver if 182 Emen village andthe canyon are 25km Bus 10fromVeliko Târnovo pastthe goes Hiking the CENTRAL BULGARIA••DryanovoMonastery Емен , atitsbest in spring. Negovanka Ecotrail Negovanka Emen Canyon ( % 623 076) , alongthe , which runs Momin Skok , orthe ifr you. inform or therelevant inVelikothe touristoffice Târnovo ( p171 ) as archaeological workisongoing;either in advancetoensure thesite willbeopen, summer,checkwalk totheruins.Inhigh Nikyup; fromthere it’sa4kmsignposted and askthedriver to tostopattheturn-off routeBy bus,take thesame (towardsRuse), inparts. isrough This accessroad,however, totheleft(west)afterturn-off about20km. andtake thesignpostednorth towardsRuse buffs. archaeology both isthusrecommendedsite andmuseum for visiting (p174); Museum Archaeological best findsare inVeliko housed Târnovo’s ures were looted longago , someof the and thetownhall.Whilemanylocaltreas- clude streets, towers, gates, thecitysquare sive century, thisformer Roman cityhas exten- but destroyedbytheSlavs inthelate 6th Built inAD102underEmperorTrayan, Никополис Nikopolis-ad-Istrum at8.30am bus station and 6pm. which leaves Târnovo’s Pâtnicheski Prevozi by thebusfromVeliko Târnovo toPavlikeni, is a available, butcallinadvancejustto be sure. tors. Accommodation (see opposite ) isusually for friendlinessand are happy tochat withvisi- with a villagers’ hopelessbravery iscommemorated out, burningtheplacedownyetagain. The won some ninedays.TheTurkseventually against theTurks,for made avaliantlaststand Turkish War(1877–78),more than100locals duringthe andhismen.Later, Levski, Russo- totherevolutionary leader,Vasilsanctuary Like manyothermonasteries, itprovided times overseveral aperiodof about500years. stroyed bytheTurksandrebuilt byBulgarians has aturbulenthistory.Itwasalternately de- from thetownof Dryanovo (Dry- about6km tucked beneathlimestonecliffs monastery Originally datingfromthe12thcentury,this % If drivingfromVeliko Târnovo, head Inside the KomplexVodopadi ( opposite ) The monksof Dryanovo have areputation 0676 ruins Historical Historical Museum mausoleum

(admission 4lv; ( % - 5253; admissionfree; ад authority inthe monastery grounds. - Иструм

( h %

( % 8am-6pm) 2097; admission 3lv; lonelyplanet.com 062-624 474) h thatin- 7am-8pm) an -ovo), can ,

well-marked, and circularpaththatstarts nearby caves, includingBacho Kiro,and immediately. Downstairs are artefacts from macabre collection of skullsdrawsattention Uprising andtheRusso-TurkishWar. The Sat &Sun) h Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels period homes, stonebridges andcobblestone thanks to EUlargesse. The National Revival– Târnovo) impressively has been renovated draw, Tryavna (40kmsouthwest of Veliko Once justaday tripandnowatourist % TRYAVNA parking costs 2 lv. where you’llhave towalkthelast1.5km.Car monastery (4kmsouthof Dryanovo), from Gabrovo canleave youattheturn-off tothe travellingBuses Veliko between Târnovo and Getting There&Away grilled meats and salads. before the cave good entrance,anddoes about300m cliffs, between wooded setting 1am) the monastery. Many of themhave balconiesoverlooking tery, offers smallbutcleanrooms. several tothemonas- This place,virtuallyattached ( Simple roomsare offered inthe Sleeping &Eating range localrock-climbingand caving trips. the the trailleadingto the cave. the monastery, of about 50mfromthestart Dupka, which isinthewoodsjustbehind KirocaveBacho orattheMehana Mecha hilly forests. Tofindthetrailhead,askat lush, through about fourhours, andpasses finishes nearthemonastery. Thehike takes aren’t really necessary. lit cave, andguidedtours are offered, though during thePalaeolithic era. Itisalong,well- h long lushforestpath leadsthrough tothe1200m- icons. some % Mehana Andyka Mehana Komplex Vodopadi The Hikers willenjoythe From thebridge nearthecarpark,a400m 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, 10am-4pmNov-Mar) 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, 0677 /pop12,200 9am-noon & 12.30-3.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.45am-3.45pm 9am-noon &12.30-3.30pmMon-Fri, 5253; perpersonwithshared bathroom 10 lv) Thisrelaxing restaurant hasalovely Bacho Kiro Tourist Society Tourist Bacho Kiro Bacho Kiro cave Bacho Kiro tourist office tourist , devoted mostlytothe1876 April, devoted ТРЯВНА

( %

( %

2230; mains5-9lv; ( % ( 2106) % Dryanovo Ecotrail Dryanovo 2314; d/apt40/50lv) 2332; admission3lv; inDryanovo or

( CENTRALBULGARIA••Tryavna % 2332) , inhabited monastery canar- . h 9am- , a

park and head right (stillalongulAngelpark andheadright arrange rooms. private office building;canhelpwithbusandtrainschedules, 22; Kânchev municipality building. 22) Thebestplacetochangemoney;there’s also an ATM. internet café. built in 1814 inNational Revival–period toplKapitanKânchev) DyadoNikola. First Tryavna duringthe Russo-Turkish War. andtheliberationoftionary heroKânchev, exhibits aboutrevolu- in 1805,itcontains sion 2lv; House-Museum is the Further ontheright features some beautifuliconsandcarvings. 2.30-5.30pm) Church toreachKânchev theimpressive alongulAngelline) andthenturnright headeast(awayfromthetrain bus station, allof Tryavna’s Fromthe fice tosee sights. A two-tothree-hour walkingtourwillsuf- office Tourist Centre Internet DCK Bank PostBank Bulgarian Information around this square. an ATM andsomerestaurants, are located including square). Thetown’sfew services, or opposite theHotel Tryavna onthemain tion oratshops (either onulAngel Kânchev, localmapseitheratTryavnaGet trainsta- theoldtown.main roadrunningthrough apart andwestof ulAngel the Kânchev, are andtrainstation The busstation 100m Orientation their national heritage. eager aspectof tocontinuethisimportant ing stillexists,attended byyoungBulgarians town;aschool forwoodcarv- ply amuseum and churches, Tryavna has not becomesim- despiteHowever, itsplethora of exhibitions thatexisted duringOttomantimes. carving eminent Tryavna school of religious wood- for itscraftsmanship,andparticularlythe Tryavnafloodlit atnight. ismostfamous ofthe sight themainchurch selectively streets are allaestheticallyappealing,asis Sights Walk over thebridge, pasttheshady

(ul Angel Kânchev 128; (ul AngelKânchev h (Municipal Bldg)ATM (Municipal only,onthesideof h ontheleft.Completed in1852,it 8am-6pm Apr-Oct, to5pmNov-Mar) 8am-6pm Apr-Oct, ( 9am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Fri) Inthepost 9am-noon &2-5pmMon-Fri) %

(ul Angel Kânchev 15)Thelocal (ulAngelKânchev ( % 2247; www.tryavna.bg; ulAngel (Post Office Bldg, ul Angel Kânchev Bldg,ulAngelKânchev (PostOffice 2278; ul Angel Kânchev 39;admis- 2278; ulAngelKânchev h 7.30am-12.30pm & Angel Kânchev Angel Kânchev St Georgi St Georgi . Built

183 CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA Petko Slaveikov and his sonPencho, re- /student 2/1lv; Michael’s Church Michael’s the square istheslate-roofed /student 2/1lv; h Museum signposted fromul PR Slaveikov. isbeyondthetrainline, and The museum erstwhile collectionsof famouslocalfamilies. overcontains 160religious iconsfromthe admission 2lv; ond, larger icons andantique copper implements. aswell Tryavna school of woodcarving, It features somesuperbexamplesof the unique theintriguingandgarden alsocontains Completed in1808,thiswalledhomewith House Daskalov blestone streets. Ontheleft-handsideis PR Slaveikov, oneof Bulgaria’snicestcob- Bulgarian icon painting. mission 1lv; Its school woodcarvings. rebuilt in1819,itboastsintricate Tryavna BurntdownbytheTurksbutlit atnight. Tryavna’s oldestchurch, which ismagically SchoolofPainting Museum fullyrestoredbeen the andhouses town’s oldschool. Builtin1836,it’snow hour. Facing thissquare is clock tower style, thislarge square isdominated bya 184 Back onthisstreet,Back the inaformerchapel,Housed Tryavna’s sec- Across thestone International Woodcarving Competition.DetailsareInternational availablefromthetouristofficeinTryavna. Woodcarving arranged throughthetouristoffice( p183 ). Every even-numbered year,theschoolalsohosts fered totourists. Coursesforone/two/three days(sixhoursperday)cost35/60/80lv,andcanbe &IconPaintingwhich isalsohometotheMuseumofWoodcarving ( below ). HouseinTryavna,Some ofthemostbeautifulexhibitsinclude‘sunceiling’insideDaskalov of ornate anddetailedflowermotifs thatbecameknownastheTryavnaschoolofwoodcarving. frames, icons,friezes, doorsandcrosses. Each designwasindividual,butmostincludedthetype , Turkey andmodern-dayIran. were andcarvers sought afterArbanasi andRila, bybuilders and houseownersasfaraway trees. fromTryavnawere usedtodecorate Manycarvings monasteries inGabrovo, Veliko Târnovo, quantity ofits often intricately chiselledfromlocalwalnut,birch,poplarandoakwoodcarvings, During theBulgarianNationalRevivalperiod,Tryavnabecamerenowned forthequalityand WOODCARVING 8am-noon &1-6pmWed-Sun) CENTRAL BULGARIA••Tryavna In anattempt toresurrect thetradition, are of- courses intheTryavnaschoolofwoodcarving By theearly19thcentury,over 40workshopsinTryavnawere churningoutwoodencradles,

Museum of Woodcarving &IconPainting ofWoodcarving Museum ( % h (1844)thatchimes loudlyonthe h Museum ofIcons Museum h 2166; ulPRSlaveikov50; admission2lv; h 9am-5pm)

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9am-6pm Apr-Oct, to5pmNov-Mar) 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, % 9am-7pm) (admission free; 2166; ulPRSlaveikov27a;adult illustrates thehistoryof Arch Bridge . Alsooverlooking ( Museum ofIcons Museum % isdedicated to

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diagonally opposite the Starata Loza,thisdiagonally opposite theStarata /seasons; ul Kâncho Skorchev 11;s/d/ste38/56/90lv; /seasons; ulKânchoSkorchev of historicTryavna, theZografoccupies PR Slaveikov1;s/d/apt38/56/90lv; old bridge, andheadup and right. drinks.Crossthetrackspast for evening and there’s arestaurant andoutdoordeck Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels kinds of menu of inventive Bulgarian fare, plus27 casks stickingout of thewalls)andhasabig onthe interior, wine décor (woodcarvings The OldVinefeatures eccentrictraditional homemade Bulgarian cooking. ceilings,andagoodrange ofand carved haswornwoodenfloors house Revival–style pheric restaurant inanimposingNational mains5-8lv; Kânchev; areliable range ofserves Bulgarian staples. themainsquare nameisjustoff same and traditional-style restaurant inthehotel of the English. in meals are nottooexpensive andthemenuis a woodendoor. isexcellent,the Theservice classy placeisuninvitinglylocated behind Gostilintsa Eating &Drinking restaurant is attached. feature abalconywithgreat views.Agood The roomsare spacious,andmostdoubles hills andbestreached orprivate car. bytaxi three-star placeissouthof amidst town,set s/dinclbreakfast 40/60lv) .digsys.bg; ulKaleto; this family-runplace,most with balconies. 40/55 lv) guests. for organise walkingtours inthenearbyhills hill.Theprofessionalto beatthesteep staff toget you’llneed uptherethough bycar breezy, spaciousroomsare thebestintown, a large andJacuzzi. outdoorpool,sauna The pis slightly rise on weekends. expect. Internet provided iscable. Note rates wouldleadyoutothan thebuildingitself morevalue, though indifferently modern mehana an oldbuildingcomplete withatraditional Zograf Inn Starata Loza Kut Tryavienski Restaurant Zograf Mehana Ralitsa Hotel Seasons Hotel Hotel FamilyHotel Cleanandsmartroomsare foundat . Theroomsare spotlessandgood rakia ) (ul PRSlaveikov35;mains5-7lv) Tryavna’s luxuryoptionincludes

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three daily buses serve Varna, serve three dailybuses Sliven, Burgas, and hasabreezy terrace for summer dining. good traditional-styleBulgarianspecialities, tavern does acrossfromtheHotel Balkan than many provincial hotels. clean butunexcitingroomsthatare stillbetter Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels stream running through the complex. of theworkshops are powered by water from a thantoshopat Etâr.worse Intriguingly, some of youcoulddo bygonedays intheBalkans, and ifyou’re lookingtotake homeamemento cious, butthere are qualitygoodsproduced, ters, weavers andmore. True,it’sallabit pre- hatters, jewellers, leatherworkers, millers, pot- cobblers,cartwrights, furriers, glassworkers, theworkshopsofstyle buildingshouse bakers, Etâr’s 19th-century NationalRevival–period tree-lined spotalongtheGabrovo–Shipka road. ina7-hectare, allbyitself narrow lanes.It’sset nearly 50shopsandworkshops clustered along h Museum Village Cumulatively knownasthe craftsmen atwork.Italsooffers nearbyhiking. ping, orjustwanderingandwatching the southeast of Gabrovo isafunplaceforshop- This complexof just8km traditionalartisans % ETÂR however. infrequent, tobothtownsare Kazanlâk line. Services trains onaspurtrackof theVeliko Târnovo– minutes) and Kazanlâk (5lv, 1½ hours). atShipkatains Pass forShipka village (2lv,50 Monastery; 4lv,onehour),crossingthemoun- Tryavna andVeliko Târnovo (viatheDryanovo 3½ hours, alsoleave daily).Buses hourlyfor toSofia (9lv, andthere’sto , aservice (10 lv,three hours). Five go orsixdailybuses (8lv,twohours) andPlovdiv Zagora Stara From the Getting There&Away bridge along ul Aprilovska. 6-9 lv) the more expensive including River Yantra, restaurants hasseveral andcafés, Bulgarian foodaswell as pizza. and decentItalian does side theHotel Balkan The Old Gabrovo, ontheeastern sideof the Gusto Pizza&Grill Lovetsa Tri 8.30am-6pm) 066 . Cafés lineulDyustabanov andthefoot- . Cafés ЕТЪР train station bus station Restaurant Cafe VMRO Cafe Restaurant (ul Emanuil Manolov 14;mains5-7lv) (ul EmanuilManolov , the market complex contains , themarket complexcontains (

% 801 831;www.etar.hit.bg; admission7 lv;

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Strannopriemnitsa Inn Strannopriemnitsa ( % ( % 805 566;ulStefanKaradzha) 827 127;plGarov) CENTRALBULGARIA••Etâr Etâr Ethnographic Etâr Ethnographic Thisplacein- (mains 3-5lv) (mains has This and ting enhances theoverall Etâr experience. restaurants, butthefoodisgood andtheset- chargesRenaissance more thanmostvillage due toitslocation withinthecomplex, overlookoutdoor tables the grass and trees. andthe isgood,however, food. Theservice antlers)mounted deer hasbetter décorthan ing lodge–style of theHotel thishunt- Strannopriemnitsa, Strannopriemnitsa Restaurant Eating balconies. Breakfast is3 lv extra. cious roomsthatboastshinybathroomsand place offers thebestvaluearound,withspa- complex). the with views(of thelessinteresting partof singles are tiny.Thedoubleshave balconies complex, thishotel isdecentvalue,though 36/60 lv) Strannopriemnitsa Hotel Gabrovo. in ( consult the hutsshouldvolve first inmountain sleeping planningmorethose extensive hikes thatin- Etâr andreturn there afterwards. However, done asdayhikes, allowingyoutoparkat required tohike them.Sometrailscanbe nearby some15different the details trailsthrough site theentrancetoethnographicvillage around Etâr. Alarge oppo- mapstanding hiking the fun here. aswanderingaimlessly ispartofnecessary it’snotreally Etârmap,though a detailed Gabrovo andsometimeselsewhere) includes as locally-made dance andmusic,playedoninstrumentssuch person (minimumof five people). areor German) available foranother7lvper quired, andguidedtours (inEnglish, French A multi-entry,one-dayticket isusuallyre- the farsouthernside,nearlarge carpark. the centraladministrationbuilding,oron Sleeping % side (neartheHotel at Strannopriemnitsa), Renaissance TavernRenaissance Perla Hotel Domino’s Fair Day Besides themarket, there’sBesides alsoexcellent Enter thecomplex eitheronthenorthern 808 857; www.ppbulgarka.nug.bg; ul Minzuhar 1) ulMinzuhar 808 857;www.ppbulgarka.nug.bg; tobehadinthelush,hillyforests Atthenorthern(Gabrovo) endof the Bulgarka NaturalPark Bulgarka (14October)features traditional

Bulgarka NaturalPark Directorate Bulgarka ( % Gabrovo kavals mehana 801 984;d42lv)

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CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA photogenic symbolof the town. and thecovered bridge over theriver isthe structuresRevival–period have restored, been old quarter of Varosha, over 150National Osêm River, 35kmsouth of Inthe Pleven. well-restored traditionalvillage alongthe ited by foreign travellers, Lovech isaquiet, Popular withweekending localsbutlessvis- % LOVECH places). other Târnovo, ArbanasiorDryanovo (among can alsobedoneasadaytripfromVeliko bussing viaGabrovo. Ifyou’re driving,Etâr to Tryavna (about20lv)saves the troubleof costs about7lvoneway.FromEtâr,ataxi 2km toreach Etâr. fromGabrovo Ataxi fromhere,and bailattheturn-off; walk catch the hourlyGabrovo–Kazanlâk bus, ul Aprilov (2lv,15minutes). Alternatively, From Gabrovo, 1,7or8from take buses Getting There&Away ing colourful range of includ- traditionalsweets, nitsa pies,whilethe speciality) andcheese way food,such asglazed 188 The complex’slittlebakery basictakea- sells Cherni OsêmtoHizhaAmbaritsa to theTroyanandApriltsiregions. Troyan Balkan Botev (further twotothree hours). (further Botev Sliven toHizhaKarandila Monastery PassShipka toShipka Karlovo toHizhaHubavets Gabrovo toHizhaUzana MonasteryEtâr toSokolski Dryanovo Ecotrail buy the of thetrans-European E3trek. The text inPerry’s bookisdetailed,butthemaps are poor,so ofNesebârontheBlackSea coast –ispart and finishesatEmineCape, about20kmnortheast trek acrosstheentire range. This atBerkovitsa, trek neartheborderwithSerbia, –whichstarts of Bulgaria’smajorrivers. The highestpointis ofKarlovo.Mt Botev (2376m),north length ofthecountry.Nearly30peaksare over 2000mhighandthemountainsfeed one-third 11,500 sqkm(about10%ofBulgaria)and,atcloseto550kmlong,itextends almosttheentire compared andPirin withtheRila high, particularly Mountains. Nonethelessitisvast,covering With anaverage heightoflittlemore than700m,the Stara Planina(OldMountain)rangeisnot HIKING INTHE STARA PLANINA 068 /pop41,050 lokum (sweet shop)offers (sweet atempting andvery CENTRAL BULGARIA••Lovech Some ofthemore interesting trails: alongmarked hikes The MountainsofBulgaria ЛОВЕЧ (Turkish delight) (Turkish delight) and halvas. Stara Planina map,availablefromthetouristofficeinGabrovo ( p186 ), isdetailed,butspecific Fourhours;see p183 . map, published by Kartografia andavailableatbookshopsinSofia. The map,publishedbyKartografia Fourhours. simit Three hours. Two hours, or continue to Hizha Vasil Levski (anothertwotothree Vasil hours)andMt Twohours,orcontinuetoHizha Levski One hour, then continue to twotothree hours–steep). (extra Onehour,thencontinuetoShipka byJulianPerry describesthestrenuous 25-day(650kmto700km) buns(alocal Fourhours. Twohours. sladkar- along ulBulgariatoreach themoderntown, with fire asthesurreptitious headquarters reach precariously itspeak,though playing itwouldOttoman occupation,however, BulgarianEmpire.Second Duringthe and Romaneras,againduringthe post andtradecentre duringtheThracian original wooden design.Arts andcraftsshops, restored twicesince, itonceagainfeatures its such structure. Builtin1872,andcompletely most Just pasttheHotel Lovech isthe Sights footbridge andnearby vehicle bridge. ings, andtheHotel Lovech, tothecovered pastcolourful, renovatedturn right build- Dimitrov. Alternatively, toreach theoldtown, surroundthemainsquare,and postoffice pl where thebanks,foreign exchange offices to the Shishkov, andfollow thesigns veer totheright orwalkalongulTsachoEither take ataxi fromthecentreenough todissuade walking. areThe adjacentbusandtrainstations far Orientation &Information Committee duringthe mid-19th century. Revolutionaryof theBulgarianCentral Lovech out- wassignificantasamilitary (covered only footbridge) –theBalkans’ centrum . Attheroad’send,turnleft lonelyplanet.com pokritiyat pokritiyat Another riverfront hotel, thewell-furnished 3 lv; more renovated homes NationalRevival uphill about100mtothe cobblestoned ulHristoIvanov Golemia and astern and otherBulgarian artists exhibited. h Art Gallery square beyond thebridge bringsyoutothe as wellcafés,are foundwithin.Passing the Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels live music, is attached. bridge. Adecentrestaurant, often featuring issignpostedOasis 100mfrom thevehicle is awell-runand friendly place. admirably renovated, hasbeen standby and In Lovech centre bythefootbridge, thisold nourishing meals. evening breakfast inthegardenandoffer who serve ofenhanced bythehospitality theowners, equipped roomslendafeeling of cosiness, so.and deservedly Itsfive spaciousandwell- renovated hotel ontheriver isvery popular, /ste/apt inclbreakfast 30/40/50/60lv; notterriblythough atmospheric, rooms. on Varosha’s square hasgoodrates andfine, 10;s/d24/36lv) Todor Kirkov Tsariana Hotel Sleeping leading to Church is therenovated Byzantine revered revolutionary. Another50muphill Fri) Museum available. are explanations inEnglish, French orGerman with full of wine-makingequipment.Leaflets exhibits andperiodfurniture, plusacellar fascinating 19th-century buildingscontain Museum Varosha, it’sa10-to15-minute uphill walk. the fortress, which isfuntoexplore. From Empire wassigned.There are great viewsfrom lead tothecreation Bulgarian of theSecond old town.Here thetreaty withtheTurksthat free; Extensive ruinsof the Hotel Lovech Hotel From thechurch, followthesteps past About 50mfurtherup,the From neartheartgallery,follow contains extensive contains displaysaboutthe Hotel Oasis Hotel Varosha 2003 Hotel 9am-noon &1-6pmMon-Sat) h h , which isnot always open. 8am-noon &2-5pmMon-Sat) 8am-6pm)

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( 23 937; ul Vasil Levski 9;admissionfree;23 937;ulVasil Levski % are visiblefromallover the 26 239;ulNVDrasov17; s/d30/50lv) 600 995; [email protected]; pl 600 995;[email protected]; 604 717; ul Târgovska 12;s/d30/46 lv) 604 717;ulTârgovska

( Therefurbished Tsariana % , where lilacs blossom 22 277;ulIvanDrasov23;s/d , withworksbylocal Hisar Fortress Hisar p CENTRALBULGARIA••Troyan Sveta Bogoroditsa Sveta . Thetwomid- stands. h Ethnographical ) This recently 9am-5pm Mon- Vasil Levski Vasil Levski (admission

the Stara PlaninatoShipkathe Stara (10lv,2½hours, (7 lv,twohours); more frequent cross buses Teteven (6lv,1¾hours) andVeliko Târnovo six hours), Sliven (19lv,fourtofive hours), Burgas (22lv, serve 7pm. Three dailybuses Troyan(4lv,45minutes) from7amto serve museum in Troyan, or bought inTroyan, orbought museum at Oreshak. craftscanbe admiredthese atthecharming ofwork andparticularly pottery. Examples it becamefamous for metal- woodcarving, period, during theBulgarian NationalRevival Troyan strategically significant.Much later, Planina lent Stara hiking paths. Karlovo. tosomeexcel- Troyan’salsoclose the TroyanMonastery, Oreshak, Lovech and to theplace,itmakes forseeing agoodbase there’spopulation. Although not much else cafés. There’s alsoanotable Pomak Muslim laxed atmosphere well-frequented andseveral The grand,Soviet-era mainsquare hasare- air.faded townwithcrisp,cleanmountain nearby monastery, isalaid-back, slightly Troyan, associated mostlywithitsfamous % TROYAN to Veliko Târnovo, among other places). railway hubof (toget GornaOryakhovitsa latter, change forSofia andtheimportant (2.80lv,1hour);fromthe hour) andLevski bothTroyan(2.40lv,one daily trainsserve northern Bulgaria,via Bryag. (11lv,three hours) in serve daily buses lv, three hours, sixdaily),andoneortwo Sofia (14 serve (5 lv,onehour).Dailybuses alsoleavefour daily).Buses hourlyforPleven four daily)andKazanlâk (12lv,3½hours, From the Getting There&Away bridge. covered hole, Power’sIrish Pub,islocated nearthe Kirkov inVarosha. Apopularnewwatering the loudlive musicduring the evenings. Billaya isequallyatmospheric,ifyoudon’tmind Up thecobbledstreet fromtheGallereya, the and very food. tasty hana beside theeponymousArtGallery,this Gallereya Mehana Eating Millennia ago,theThraciansfirst made From the are andbrasseries foundonplTodor Cafés Billaya Mehana 0670 /pop23,100 features a large courtyard, good service features alarge courtyard,goodservice bus station ТРОЯН train station (ul Vasil Levski; mains4-7lv) (ul Vasil Levski;

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CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA Under renovation atthe timeof research mail.bg; Park Kâpincho;s/d30/40lv) from the bus station or from thebusstation town centre. laxed Taxis setting. tothehotel costabout2lv town, offers cleananddecent roomsinare- Panorama, located inthehillside parkabove 50 lv per double). facilities, sittingroomandbathroom (40lvto fers apartmentsincentral Troyanwithkitchen per person, usuallywithbreakfast. It also of- such asOreshak ( opposite ), forabout15lv homes inTroyanaswellnearbyvillages, The touristoffice canarrange roomsinprivate Sleeping &Eating able forlocaltours and speak French, orEnglish, are German avail- town of Chiflik.Guides(40lvperday),who to TroyanMonastery ( right ) andthenearby designated mountain-bike routes, including tain bikes centre, which alsoassists withrenting local villages canbearranged bythetourist Horseriding Activities cost, isalsoworth a look. ing as somearchaeological artefacts. Theadjoin- work, weaving, pottery andceramics,aswell metal- exhibiting localtextiles, woodcarving, 5pm Mon-Fri) Arts The impressive Sights from about 40lv per day. such riding,aswellcarrental ashorse dation, provide maps,and winter) 5pm Mon-Fri 133; ulVasilyahoo.com; Levski The Troyan Information north of thesquare andhugs the river. narrow mainroad,ulVasil starts Levski, Troyan’s mainsquare, plVûzhrazhdane. The Kartsov,walk alongthemall,ulGeneral to reach thecentre. Fromhere, and turnright Stoyanov to the footbridge alongulZahari Osâm River bywalking300moverBely crossthe From thebusandtrainstations, Orientation 190 Hotel Nunki Hotel Panorama Hotel

History History Museum ( % CENTRAL BULGARIA••AroundTroyan 62 063;plVûzhrazhdane;admission2lv; (perhour/day1/8lv);there are five by the bridge comprises 10halls bythebridge comprises (15lvperperson perhour)at tourist office tourist

( can findprivate accommo- % Museum of Folk Craft &Applied ofFolkCraft Museum ( , includedintheadmission % 622 160; ul Minko Radkovski) 622 160;ulMinko 622 930;hotelpanoramatr@ h hikes

( %

arrange activities, 8am-8pm summer,9am- The renovated 35 064;infotroyan@ . h moun- 9am-

Monastery, take thehourlybusforCherny Chiflik (2.60lv,50minutes). ForTroyan Threeserve nections toPleven. dailybuses 45 minutes, hourly)have immediate con- Lovech passing through 2pm; buses (2lv, Sofia (7lv,three hours), atdaily busserves From theTroyan Getting There&Away pl Vûzhrazhdane. found onthecornerof ulVasil and Levski relatively(though expensive) meat dishes. someinventivewhen it’scold.Italsodoes or ashot of thevery strongTroyanbrandy coffee ontheterrace whenit’swarmout, relaxing viewsof theriver, isagoodbetfor andwithlocated behindthefolkmuseum 7-12 lv; archery and shooting. It canarrange activitiessuch ashorse-riding, including tworestaurants andaspacentre. Troyan Plazahasalltheexpected amenities, pi .com; ulPRSlaveykov54;s/d/steinclbreakfast 70/90/110lv; office. tourist Monastery), about100macrossfromthe bridge (fromwhere theroadleadstoTroyan of food.TheNunkiisatthestart tasty the The hotel’s restaurant offers goodvalueand furnished, withgood,modernbathrooms. tobelarge,promise quietandtraditionally (but duetore-open soon),theroomshere the 16th and 18thcenturies, butmostof to- vived bytheTurks between numerous attacks in anhour or two. of centralBulgaria, itcannevertheless be seen period.OneofNational Revival thehighlights as theleading mural artistof the Bulgarian Zograf,regardedBulgarian master Zahari frescoes, paintedpowerful andsearching by Bachkovo ( p153 outforits ). Troyanstands video 15lv; third-largest Only 10kmsoutheastof TroyanisBulgaria’s Troyan Monastery AROUND TROYAN travel by train. a spurtracksouthof Lovech, complicating past).Troyanisattheendof right bus goes atthegatesOsâm andask todisembark (the A coupleof cafésandpizzaplacesare also Antik Café Troyan PlazaHotel Some of this16th-centurymonastery sur- ) h Troyan’s classiestplace,thefour-star h 7am-midnight)

( 6am-10pm) % monastery Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels 60 910;PloshtadVûzhrazhdane;mains busstation ( , after Rila( p117 ) and % Thiscafé-restaurant,

(admission free, photos5lv, 64 399;www.troyanplaza

( % 62 172) , one hand-carved wood altar andiconostasis, woodaltar hand-carved The church ispoorlylit, exceptfortherows Zograf.were painted inthe1840sbyZahari ing, so it’s hard to see the detail of thedetail thefrescoes ing, soit’shardtosee of oldladiesvisit- candleslitmostlybydevout ing muralsinsidethe day’s monastery dates to1835.Allof thestrik- Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels two totake youback to Troyan. drivers willagree toreturn inanhouror costs about7lvfor aone-waytrip.Mosttaxi from centralTroyantothemonastery A taxi Cherni Osêm stopsatthemonastery gates. Every Troyan and hour,abusbetween THERE&AWAYGETTING lowed atmosphere of the monastery. really enhancethehal- pop playingdoesn’t and themodernBulgarian though, rough, canbeabit next tothemonastery. Service h popularity, so book ahead. lv), reflecting themonastery’s increasing Rooms are basicbutexpensive (doubles60 ( it. around souvenir shopsandartgalleriesare gathered getting there, cafés,restaurants, andseveral famous RilaMonastery ( p117 it’s ), though the gate can open it. atthereceptionlocked, officeinside butstaff the 3rdfloor. doorisusually Themuseum in thesmall,separate Turks in1876.Thishistoryishighlighted themselves totake uparmsagainstthe at themonastery andurged themonks Vasil formedandtrainedinsurgents Levski, August). (15 monastery celebrationson inpublicduringtheannual Virgin, onlyseen isthelegendarythough, Three-Handed Holy fromTryavna. formost, Thehighlight carvers crafted inthemid-19thcenturybymaster Bulgarian ecclesiastical imagination. sinners inhellaptlyillustratingthevividold fire-breathing dragonanddemonictorture of andhell,withtheseven-headed apocalypse the backwall.TheydepictJudgmentDay, of Zograf’sfrescoes, are however, outsideon them upishappilyunderway.Thevery best restorationinside, though worktobrighten % Monastirska Bara Monastirska atthe Monk Nektarii Troyan Monastery isnotastouristy The 19th-centuryrevolutionary leader, The monastery isalsorenowned forits 8am-midnight) 0896668015) isadecentandcheap handlesroombookings.

( % museum Church oftheHolyVirgin 0888798591; mains2-5lv; CENTRALBULGARIA••Koprivshtitsa Virgin Mary’s Day Mary’s Virgin reception officereception (admission 4lv)

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being too precious forits own good. from oldlocals keep Koprivshtitsa bemused of thelanesafter therain, andthegarrulous, themuddiness in agiantopen-air museum, of tour groupsaddto thegentrified being sense way, too. busloadsof And, whiletheinevitable aromanticgeta- ence, makingKoprivshtitsa restaurants, mostloadedwithtraditionalambi- or traditional homesfunctionasguesthouses children toscamperaroundin.Someof the lanes, it’salsoavery safe andfunplacefor isfilledwithrambling, overgrownshti-tsa) ments from yesteryear. fascinating collectionsof décor andimple- churches containing andhouse-museums government decree, someof themrestored and historicalsignificanceare protected by brook. Nearly400buildingsof architectural and bridges thatarcgently over alovely period architecture, cobblestonestreets, let filledwithBulgarianNationalRevival– ham- perfectly –anddeliberately –preserved wooded hills Karlovobetween andSofia, isa This uniquemuseum-village, nestledin % KOPRIVSHTITSA Monastery. and stopsatOreshak andtheTroyan forCherniOsêm,Troyan busstation at meals, though additional cost. of traditionalcan cookuplarge servings breakfast. Someof private homesalso these rooms forabout 20 lvperperson including Troyan (see opposite ) canarrange private the TroyanMonastery. in Thetouristoffice and isnotfar(4km)bybusoronfootfrom scenic, accommodationoptiontoTroyan, Plum Brandy over againduringthe is heldatthecomplex.Thevillage bubbles annualfairinmid-AugustThe week-long cally madesouvenirs atreasonable prices. Planina region forbuyingauthentic,lo- It’sthebestplaceinStara metalwork. pottery, ceramics,weaving, and woodcarving embroidery, This complexdisplaysandsells Complex Crafts home of the Only 6kmsoutheastof Troyanis Oreshak, Oreshak Because much of (Ko- Koprivshtitsa Because An hourlybus(2lv,20minutes) leaves Oreshak offers analternative, andmore 07184 /pop2900 Орешак (late September). National Fair and Exhibition of Arts & National Fair andExhibitionofArts

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. - CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA Turks, manyof merchants Koprivshtitsa’s tuit office. tourist local festivals isavailable here, oratthe orcultural events ( Heroes Internet Club Heroes Internet Centre Cultural Hadzhi NenchoPalaveev Karavelov. Lyuben located acrossfromthetownhallonul andtelephoneThe postoffice centre are 20 AprilonulHadzhi Nencho Palaveev. themainsquare,off nexttotheMehana exchange. There isanOBB ATM Bank right town’s onlybank.IthasanATM andmoney (nexttothebusstop)is DSK Bank Information above the square. aresites andmuseums inthesmallstreets Information Centre. Mostof thehistorical square, theTourist pl 20 April,which houses toreach(keeping itonyourright) themain From thebusstop,walkalongriver Orientation reserve’. ‘historical lage andlater, in1971,a atown-museum, unist Bulgariangovernment declared thevil- unchanged tothisday.In1952,thecomm- for thecities,leaving thevillage essentially redoubtsand intellectuals lefttheirmountain April Uprising Mausoleum. lage’s mainsquare, dominated bythe1876 haslentitsnametothevil- foolhardy, event dating from1813.Thisnoble, ifsomewhat Bridge (alsocalledKableshkov Bridge), itself the tinybridge nowknownastheKalachev ing againsttheTurkson20April1876,from some sources)proclaimedthenationalupris- Kableshkov (orGeorgi Tihanek, accordingto astheplacewherehistory, however, Todor coming almostasbigSofia wasat the time. reachedsubsequently about12,000–thusbe- during themid-19thcentury.Thepopulation wasrebuilt1793, 1804and1809,Koprivshtitsa merchant Sacked classarose. bybrigandsin thelocaleconomy,andawealthy developed Veliko Târnovo. Sheep, cattleandgoatherding theTurkishinvasionof fleeing cial stations the 14thcenturybyBulgariansof variousso- attheendof wasfirstKoprivshtitsa settled History 192 hr 1.50lv; % After 1878 andindependencefromthe Koprivshtitsa ismostfamousinBulgarian Koprivshtitsa 2034; ulHadzhiNencho Palaveev 78)Information on CENTRAL BULGARIA •• Koprivshtitsa CENTRAL BULGARIA••Koprivshtitsa h 9am-midnight) (ulHadzhiNenchoPalaveev; per

Dimcho Debelyanov (1887–1916), agreat merchant who waskilledinthelineof duty 5.30pm Wed-Mon) 1810 and 1835. buildingswereseparate constructed between produced isamongtheexhibits.Thethree newspapersseditious of Karavelov’s were Committee. Aprintingpress where various Revolutionary man of theBulgarianCentral and . He wasalsothefirst chair- inRussia,Serbia lutionary groupsbased who worked forexpatriate Bulgarianrevo- Karavelov (1834–79),ajournalistandprinter pied bytheparents of theeminentLyuben Palaveev 39; most of also themuseums tickets.sell the hillfromTouristInformationCentre; the souvenir twodoors shopKupchinitsa up (adults/students5/3lv)isavailableseums at Sunday). Acombinedticket forallsixmu- Tuesday (alloperate Wednesdaythrough which some are eitheronMondayor closed of boastssixhouse-museums, Koprivshtitsa HOUSE-MUSEUMS and canorganise accommodation. private building onthemainsquare, provideslocalinformation centre, asmallmaroon This veryhelpfulandfriendly pl20April; .koprivshtitsa.info; InformationCentre Tourist Bgrdcn (p194). Bogorodichno in thegroundsof theChurch of Uspenie ceilings low.Debelyanov’s grave can beseen expected periodfurniture isscarce andthe ous displaysabout Debelyanov, butthe featureshouse apretty garden andnumer- tragically dyinginWWI.Built 1830, the worksbefore whopennedoutstanding poet 6; els, are also on display. were duringOslekov’s bought extensive trav- someof which woodcarvings, ence. Several paintings andjewelleryaddtotheexperi- ings, collectionsof 19th-centurycostumes, ceil- colouredbrightly walls.Woodcarved spacious interior, stylish furniture and withatriple-archedKoprivshtitsa, entrance, architectureNational Revival–period in is arguably thebestexampleof Bulgarian 1853and1856, wasbuiltbetween House during the1876AprilUprising.Oslekov Sights h Oslekov House Oslekov House Karavelov Debelyanov 9.30am-5.30pm Tue-Sun) h

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193

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large and well-kept rooms. in agarden,theAstra isapopularplacewith s/d 36/50lv) an drink. evening overlooking thebacklawnisagreat placefor furnished andcolourful.Theupstairs balcony rooms, which are nevertheless traditionally courtyardhasonlyafewinside anenclosed withgarden pheric placeintown,thishouse 5; d/tr/apt40/50/60lv) also hasa nice garden. are Rates goodvalue,andit fessional service. amount of class,withspotlessroomsandpro- is 5 lv extra. laxing andhasaworkingfireplace. Breakfast and anapartment;thecommonroomisre- modernrooms cosy newplacehastwobright, square insidethe facing courtyard. just acrossthebridge leadingfromthemain stove extending fromfloortoceiling.Find it orbitahuge,tables column-like traditional floors. There’s acircularroomwhere even ornate painted wallsandheavy, wornwood 100 people,allinawarren of hallsgracedwith meal.Managementevening itcanseat says pheric –andinexpensive – placeforahearty dating from1852isawonderfully atmos- traditional restaurant inamansion housed 2.50-6 lv; Dyado Liben Eating Hadzhi NenchoPalaveev 11;s/d45/60lv) and well furnished. lovely views,andtheroomsare comfortable the Panorama isavery goodoption.Ithas 45/60/80 lv) Hotel Astra Hotel Panorama Hotel Kâshta Trayanov Hotel Hotel Kalina Hotel h Although it’s400mfromthecentre, Although Thethree-star Kalina hasacertain 11am-midnight) ( %

( ( % 2109; ulHadzhiNenchoPalaveev 47;mains % Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels (

% 2364; [email protected];ul Perhaps themostatmos- 2032; ulHadzhiNenchoPalaveev 15; 2035; ul Georgi Benkovski 40;s/d/f Benkovski 2035; ulGeorgi Astonishingly big, this ( % 3750; ulGereniloto Set beautifully Set the opposite bankof theriver isgoodforan tion, thiscosylittletavern isanicechoice for by traditional Bulgarian music. Veliko Târnovo accompanied area isserved, departs. RenownedTargovista winefromthe hasTurkish(it even coffee) before yourbus mealoraquickbreakfasta traditionalevening Palaveev 56;mains4-6lv) lonelyplanet.com when held upside down. as well delicious localblueberry andstrawberryjam, brella atthebeginningof the square; she sells woman usuallyfound underaslantingum- door. next felt-cloth products,some of which are sold 4pm Mon-Sat) Craft Shop display insideLyutov ( House p193 ). Atthe a felt-cloth carpetorbag; examplesare on cific mementoof snatch up Koprivshtitsa, square are fairlygeneric. Ifyouwantaspe- The souvenir shopssurroundingthemain Shopping ter) inan attractive back courtyard. fish. Diningisenjoyedindoors or(much bet- dishes, aswelldeliciouslydonefreshwater fers ashort menuof traditionalKoprivshtitsa of- totheTouristInformationCentre, close the edge of thesquare of nameand thesame 5-7 lv; kiselo mlyako the sourness, very thick,village-fresh by localstrawberryjamand,ifyoucanhandle great breakfast nook,withcrepes accompanied pop blares from theTV. TheNazdrave isalsoa loud anddecidedlynon-traditionalBulgarian terrace –better thansittingindoors whenthe meal,andhasarelaxingevening summertime Nencho Palaveev 53;mains4-7lv) the other places. food isdecent,butnotasgoodsomeof main square, totheshadypark.The close Borove ishiddenalongalanewaynearthe best placeforasummertimedrink,theStarite small hotel too.attached, for alfresco dining.Foodisgoodandthere’s a stop, theChuchura’s terrace makes afinespot 4-7 lv) Pod StarataKrusha Nazdrave Restaurant Nazdrave Borove Starite Mehana Chuchura Keep aneyeoutforNeliKeremicheva, the 20April Mehana Anotherrestaurant over thebus near h 8am-midnight)

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pl 20 April; mains pl 20April; h ovcho ovcho The 10am- and the park. onto bulIvanVazov toreach thetowncentre Thenturnright ing theruinsonyour right. leav-down tothemain road,ulHristoBotev, walk(300m)From thebus/train stations, Orientation &Information is fortheindolent spa therapy. the major reason tovisittoday,asitwasthen, ruins fromthedaysof ancientRome,though Themainstreetto yourself. hassomeunique iting inwinter meansyouwillhave theplace hood. Sinceit’smostlyvisited insummer,vis- ensured town’sliveli- mountain thissleepy the popularityof todayhas springseven these water springshere, tocure said manyailments; Diocletian. Altogether, there are 22mineral- named Diokletianopolis,after theEmperor since Romantimes,whenitwas to fameever mainclaim (alsoknownasHisarya) Hisar’s Therapeutic mineralspringshave been % HISAR bus leaves atamore reasonable 2pm. noteHowever, thatonSundaysthePlovdiv departs atasimilarlyungodlyhour(6.30am). while thebustoPlovdiv (7lv,twohours, daily) (7 lv,twohours), thefirst leaving at6.45am, busroutes.distance Five gotoSofia dailybuses andlong- times, aswellconnectingbuses the littlebusstophasaposted listof train (11 lv, five hours). country. There’s alsoadailytraintoBurgas in Karlovo forPlovdiv andotherpointsinthe daily) andconnectionscanbemadethere or fromSofia (5lv,2½hours, four are services walk the8kmtotown. Good luck! left tosoldieronthenarrowmainroadand phone coverage inthisremote area, you’re tion masters have nophone. Withnomobile are andtheincredibly notaxis, unhelpfulsta- knowntohappen,therecome, ashasbeen iftheshuttlebusdoesn’t ing ones.However, outgo- sengers tomeet fromKoprivshtitsa incomingtrains,whilebringingpas- to meet are buses utes). theoretically These timetabled ashuttle bus(1lv,15min- thus necessitating issome9kmnorthofstation thevillage itself, bypublictransport.Thetrain poorly served rather seems tourist destination,Koprivshtitsa Especially consideringitssignificanceasa Getting There&Away Alternatively, inthecentre of Koprivshtitsa If youdodecidetocomebytrain,there 0337 /pop10,000 ХИСАР

195 CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA s/d 98/118lv; have accesstothepool and spa complex. modern rooms,the othermore basic.Both one fullyrefurbished withairconandsmart Ithas twobuildings, and roundtotheright. further downtheroadfromHotel Hisar twomainhotels alittle Hisar’s istheAugusta, Gurko3;s78-98lv,d88-138lv; General Both are tothe close mineral springs. look forthesign(inEnglish) toHotel Augusta. main roadfromthebusandtrainstations; about700malongthe Gurko, which starts Both hotels are about 1kmdownbulGeneral Sleeping &Eating inspired to give you. tions, ointmentsorunguentsthedoctoris treatment required, andincludeanymedica- from 30lvforminutes, dependingonthe with‘headphysicians’costConsultations such as aromatherapy andhydrotherapy. cal centres a the mainroadthrough pretty courtyard. cated andisaccessiblefrom pastthe postoffice, islo- engaging. Thepoorlysignposted museum agricultural andweaving equipmentare more plays about traditionalregional costumes and tos of earlyexcavations. Nevertheless, thedis- would have originallyappeared, andsomepho- tures ascalemodelof thecitywallsas they 8;admission2lv; dwellings. some clude portionsof anamphitheatre, baths and ruins, which youcanwanderforfree, in- centre unfenced from themainroad.These named roadsheadingtowardsthetown short walkfromthebusand train stations. Bulgaria alone. isa Themostvisited section age fromSlavic raiders, wholeftthispartof baths frominvaders, thewallsescapeddam- a 30-hectare spanof thetownanditsmineral Roman ruinsinallof Bulgaria. Builttoprotect thick, andare someof thebest-preserved Byzantines, are over andupto3m 5mhigh Hisar’s Sights an internet caféonbul Gurko.General andbulIvanVazov,ul HristoBotev andthere’s 196 The More Roman ruinsare foundalongun- withATMA DSKBank isonthe cornerof Both hotels listed belowhave Hotel Hisar Hotel Augusta Hotel CENTRAL BULGARIA •• Karlovo CENTRAL BULGARIA••Karlovo Archaeological Museum Archaeological Roman walls , offering allsortsof treatments, pais

( % ( % 62 717; fax 62 634; bul General Gurko; 62 717;fax634;bulGeneral 63 821;www.augustaspa.com; bul , later fortifiedbythe h ) Thepost-renovation 8am-noon &1-5pm) pis

( % balneologi- 62 012;ul Oneof ) fea- or the General Gurko;trythe General through andstop through in Hisar. on Friday,SaturdayandSunday)alsopass and (3lv,1½hours, twodaily Karlovobetween (2lv,40minutes, hourly) lv, three hours, three daily).Regularbuses lv, twohours, onedaily)andGabrovo (10 (12 lv,3½hours, fourdaily)viaKazanlâk (7 three hours, three daily)andVeliko Târnovo and there are otherconnectionstoSofia (13lv, gotoKarlovodaily buses (2lv,30minutes) ( and The adjoiningtrainstation Getting There&Away another popular place. windmill. Chinar,nearthetown’schurch, is grills inarusticcourtyard,decorated byafaux Botev) (ul Hristo hearty, home-style several stay pod naem Gurko(lookforthesignsreadingbul General complex. balneological andfitnesscentre,sauna aswellamodern restaurants,several agreat outdoorpool,a get rooms, youhandsome,well-maintained have butprices attheHisar risen, indeed three roadsgoupthe hill; thecentralone, ul crossthesmallparktowherethe trainstation, of which are From thebusandtrainstations. Karlovo sprawlsacrossalonghill, atthebase Orientation &Information architecture. classic the town’splacidatmosphere, churches and least) visitors willberathermore inspired by where inKarlovo, most(non-Bulgarian, at this historiclinkisevery- 1870s. Although the revolution againsttheTurksinearly the birthplaceof Vasil the leaderof Levski, antiquated churches; it’salsovenerated as of architecture NationalRevival–era and townfull just anotherappealingmountain andKazanlâk,from Koprivshtitsa isnot equidistantof Planina roughly theStara Historic Karlovo, nestledinthefoothills % KARLOVO withPlovdivHisar (2.10lv, 30 minutes). to Karlovo, dailytrainsconnect butseveral % There are no direct train services from Hisar There fromHisar are nodirect trainservices thegoodrestaurants inbothhotels, Besides Private roomsare generally available on 0335 /pop24,680 62 069) National bothhave regional connections.Six КАРЛОВО serves upexcellentBulgarian serves

(bul General Gurko) (bul General ). Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels Evropa mehanas . Also,the

(bul General Gurko) (bul General bus station linebul Tsesar

lonelyplanet.com Museum Opposite, thesimilarly coloured intricate woodeniconostases.that contains (admission free; to themarvellous again, andright by hispeers). Turnright, adopted nicknameof ‘lion’given tohim picting himwithalion(areference tothe in agrand man isimmortalised first atplVasil where thegreat Levski, ing upulVasil topl20Yuli.Stop Levski Karlovo’sYou cansee bywalk- main sights Sights &Activities ul Vasil Levski. fices andinternet centres atthetopendof yellowish blockof flatsandto the right. the three pastthe roadsfromthetrainstation, square, pl 20 Yuli. tery later on.Itstretches for2kmtothetown Vasil becomesthetown’smainar- Levski, There are foreign several exchange of- isabout 100muptheleftofThe busstation put it – thus making himarevolutionaryput it–thusmaking inthetruestsense. well have soughttocontinuehisquesthelpfree ‘otherenslaved nations’,ashehimselfonce of theFrench Revolution.Hadhelived toseealiberated Bulgaria,the‘apostleoffreedom’ might equality andfraternity forall(even thenon-Bulgarians inBulgaria),asexemplified intherhetoric on 19February 1873. However, on27December1872,hewascaptured bytheTurks inLovech, andhangedinSofia journey tosave theorganisation’s documentsbefore theycouldfallintothehandsofTurks. freedom fighters wasbased.As thenumberofarrests adesperate multiplied,Levski undertook revolutionary networks,especially inLovech, where theclandestinepoliticalleadershipof aTurkishthe autumnof1872,provoking crackdowndesignedtounravel thewell-concealed communicate withthedifferent committee members. as StaraZagora,Sliven andLovech. remote Often, monasteries were usedtoconcealrebels or the Bulgariancountrysidecontinuously,establishingrevolutionary committees inplacessuch conspiratorialtravels inRomaniaandIstanbul. further before undertaking whereKarlovo, hebrieflyjoinedthelegion ofyetanotherrevered guerrilla, LyubenKaravelov, tionary, Panaiot Hitov. Inthesummer ofthesameyearLevski wasdispatchedbyHitovbackto the youngLevski moved toBucharest three yearslater, where heconspired withanotherrevolu- led byGeorgi In1864,heformallyquitfrommonasticlife. Rakovski. After variousmisadventures Zagora, butin1862moved toBelgrade,ridinganuncle’shorse,jointheanti-Turkish rebellion ‘Levski’ (from theBulgarianwordforlion)byhispeers. asamonkinStara Hestudiedandworked rule.ance toOttoman the countryas‘theapostleoffreedom’ forhiscontributionstoorganising thenationalresist- graces myriadstreets instatuesandmuseumsthroughout andsquares, andwhoisimmortalised The mostrevered personinmodernBulgarianhistorymaywellbe Vasil Levski, whosename VASIL LEVSKI Vasil Levski’s dream forafree Bulgariawas,interestingly enough,fuelledbytheidealsofliberty, Against Levski’s orders,enterprising postalcourierin fighters decidedtorobanOttoman From 1869untilhisbetrayalbyacomradetotheTurks three yearslater, Levski travelled Vasil Ivanov andgiven Kunchevwasbornon18July1837inKarlovo, thenomdeguerre

( % 4728; ul Vûzrozhdenska 4;admission0.50 lv; 4728; ulVûzrozhdenska h CENTRALBULGARIA••Karlovo 7am-7pm) Sveta Bogoroditsa Church Sveta , apinkstructure statue History History de-

tours.com; village) Vasil Levski of are offered byRichard andDeborahAdams ing, culturaltrips and rock climbingtrips 2.50 lv per person. Bulgarian. AguidedtourinEnglish costs while listening religious totaped chants in hair alockofwhere Levski’s youcansee caretaker to show youthemodernshrine, withexplanationsinEnglish. AskLevski the exhibits about several courtyard contains 57;admission1lv; Kartzov Museum 300m, pastthe town square, thenheadleft(west)forabout occupation. Continueupthemallto Mosque andclosed thedisused contains displays. ethnological h Fri) . This set of. Thisset roomsaroundacobblestone Guided nature tours, walking, paraglid- Further upulVasil asmallpark Levski, Bulgarian Mountain Bulgarian Tours 9am-noon &1-5pmTue-Sun) , builtin1485duringtheOttoman

( % 3489; www.vlevskimuseum-bg.org; ul Gen ulGen 3489; www.vlevskimuseum-bg.org; clock tower h , which is based inthe , which isbased 8.30am-1pm &2-5pmMon- features significant (www.bulgarianmountain

, tothe Vasil Levski Vasil Levski Kurshum

197 CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA small, family-runplacenexttoapopular scruffiness wherescruffiness hole-in-the-wall eateries active nightlife, considering thetown’sgeneral gle amicably.It’s a placewithsurprisingly various ethnicand religious groupscommin- ertheless afascinating townwhere Bulgaria’s aroundtheedges,A bitrough Kazanlâk isnev- % KAZANLÂK but thebusisfarquicker and more frequent. daily trainsalsogotoPlovdiv (3lv,twohours), continues toBurgas (10.30lv,fourhours). Six hours) stopatKarlovo. Theexpress fromSofia and Sliven. FromSofia, twotrains(6.30lv,2¼ Sofiabetween andBurgas, goingviaKazanlâk not farfromtheVasil Museum. Levski from Plovdiv (4lv,onehour)stopsinKarlovo, daily). About hour,abustravelling every toor and Veliko Târnovo (12.50lv,2½hours, two part forSofia (10lv,three hours, twodaily) de- (2lv,30minutes), Hisar andseveral serve From the Getting There&Away fare. home-cooked mains4-7lv) (ul EvlogiGeorgiev; nearplSvetiOver Nikolai, amention. side of thesquare alsodeserving mains 4-6lv) Sherev Hotel, withthe and cafés;thebestare oneithersideof the 20Yulihas numerousrestaurantsPloshtad Eating in general it’snot great value. The unrenovated roomsare run-down,and theSherevtaurants, issomewhatoverpriced. ing thesquare anditspopularcafésres- Enjoying Karlovo’s bestlocation,overlook- numbers or ask around. ers. Sinceit’snotobvious, followthestreet roomsandfriendlyown- has fourcomfortable Another smallfamily-runhotel, theHemus it’s still great value. and tidy.Theyshare abathroom;nevertheless lunchspot offers tworooms–basic,butclean FaniHotel Sleeping southeast of Karlovo. village of Vasil a10-minute drive Levski, 198 Sherev Hotel Sherev Hemus Hotel The tidy 0431 /pop52,680 CENTRAL BULGARIA •• Kazanlâk CENTRAL BULGARIA••Kazanlâk

bus station (ul Vasil Levski 73;rperperson10lv) (ul Vasil Levski bar-restaurant ontheopposite train station КАЗАНЛЪК (

( % % 93 380;pl20Yuli; s30-40lv,d60-115lv) 94 597; ul Vasil Levski 87;s/d12/16lv) 94 597;ulVasil Levski (

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199 19 B6 A6 B6 B4 22 CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA answer whatever questionsyou may have. are friendlyandspeakgoodEnglish andcan whowillguideyouaroundthefauxtomb staff opened up,which isprobably justaswell.The up the20lvrequired forgetting thereal thing h lica inthenearby thefull-scaletombrep-experience fromseeing funeral feast and chariot race. muralsthatfeatureseveral such events asa Thedomecontains 3rd and5thcenturiesBC. the cal of builtbytheThracians between those diameter, and covered byabeehive dometypi- battle scenes.Theburialchamber is12min (vaulted entrycorridor)isadoublefriezewith Unesco WorldHeritage site. Alongthe a bombshelter in1944,thetombisnowa ruler. Discovered duringtheconstructionof foraThracian built inthe4thcenturyBC very locked Ethnological Complex,isavery large and In hillyTyulbePark, justupfromtheKulata MUSEUM THRACIAN TOMBOFKAZANLÂK & Sights InformationCentre Tourist Telephone centre Post office Net Magic Exchange Magic Centre Internet PaganeAgence and ul Petko Stajnov. Shipchenski thesquare Polkthatrunsbetween 200 general informationabout the town. bitel.bg; ulIskra1)Assistswithhotels,excursionsand arranges hotel reservations and arranges hotelreservations local tours. staff; Travel agencywithFrench- andEnglish-speaking Considering that you get basically the same Considering thatyouget basicallythesame Kazanlâk’s sprawling Kazanlâk’s MARKET REACTIONS and asaddle forahorseyou don’town. so you’llhave tostandyourgroundwhenastubborn oldvillagecronetriestosellyou awhip curiosity, whetheror notyouspeakthelanguage,though ofcoursethebottomlineisselling – photogeniclocals.to immerseoneself withthemarvellously Visitors are greeted withfriendly nearby grillsandvendors bark outprices. sizzle on theirgoodsandbumpshouldersasbeef kebabs and Roma)cometogethertobarter chickens. manypeoples(Bulgarians,Turks, It’saraucous,dustyplacewhere Kazanlâk’s Pomaks wrenches andtraditionalmusictowooden winecaskopeners,red peppers,plastic tubsandlive tradition.Here youcanfindeverythinga centuries-oldBalkan fromhorseshoes,villagehoney, 10am-6pm) CENTRAL BULGARIA •• Kazanlâk CENTRAL BULGARIA••Kazanlâk For tourists, the market presents not only a unique shopping opportunity, butalsoaway presentsFor tourists,themarket notonlyauniqueshoppingopportunity, (pl Sevtopolis) UnderDEPOclothesshop. (plSevtopolis) (ul 23 Pehoten Shipchenski Polk) (ul 23Pehoten Shipchenski , most visitors choose not to cough , mostvisitors nottocough choose tomb (ul Otets Paisii) (ulOtets Underavideo-rental store. ( (ul Otets Paisii) (ulOtets Areliable exchange office. % Insidethepostoffice. museum

/fax 26900;ulPetko DPetkov) (admission 20lv; pazar ( (

% % (open market), particularly vibrantonTuesdays particularly (openmarket), alive andFridays,keeps 62 817;[email protected] 64 750; admission 2 lv; 64 750;admission2lv; h 10am-5pm) dromos , displays explain(inBulgarianonly)the300- rose tea, liquor rose or jam. be invited bythecaretaker some tosample andEnglish areGerman given, andyoumay style. Someexplanations in Revival–period merchant inBulgarianNational wealthy rose two-storey of House Hadzhi Eno,builtbya the rusticexhibits.Acourtyardleadsto agricultural implementsandcartsare among storey homeandwoodenshedswith peasant’s tasting 4lv; ( district, site of the (Tower) tomb, you’llfindtheappealingKulata Just downfromTyulbePark andtheThracian COMPLEX ETHNOLOGICAL KULATA 3 lv) is available. (inEnglishandFrench;A printed catalogue andVasilartists such asIvanMilev Barakov. byrenownedplayed, includingthose local helpful. is brochure (2lv)inEnglish, French orGerman left ). Allexplanationsare inBulgarian,sothe tombs, includingtheoneinTyulbePark (see excavations carriedoutatseveral Thracian including pottery, andtoolsfrom jewellery Fri) adult/student2/1lv; iMetodii; Sv Kiril The town’s ISKRA MUSEUM&ARTGALLERY picking their petals andprocessingtheoil. picking theirpetals year-old methodof cultivatingtheroses, mission free; this tiny Aromatic&MedicinalRoses, Plantshouses Institute for The grandlynamedResearch MUSEUM OFTHEROSES % Upstairs, numerouspaintingsare dis- displaysextensive archaeological finds 621 733; ul Knyaz Mirski; admission 3 lv, with rose-liquor admission3lv,withrose-liquor 621 733;ulKnyazMirski; h museum h 8am-noon &1-6pm) museum & art gallery museum &art 9am-5pm summer) ( % Kulata Ethnological Complex Kulata Ethnological 23 741;ulOsvobozhdenie;ad- . Areplica of aone- . Thephotosand lonelyplanet.com h

( 9am-6pm Mon- % 23 741;ul

lobby barandan adjacent restaurant. river. Ithas clean, modernandcosyrooms,a the hillof theThracianTomb,opposite the friendly newhotel islocated directly below Chavdar Vojvoda3;s/dinclbreakfast 40/54lv) tours (rates negotiable)are available inEnglish bus 3fromKazanlâk’s mainsquare. Guided Osvobozhdenie; (3lvoneway),or take ataxi is3kmnorthofmuseum thecentre upul shampoos, liqueurs, tea bagsandjams.The oils,perfumes, rose The attached shopsells Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels action, it’s unbeatable, asthehotelaction, it’s unbeatable, hasares- the mainsquare. to the Ifyouwanttobeclose andagreat locationon rooms, friendlystaff vated GrandHotel Kazanlâk haswell-done abv.bg; s/d55/80lv; plSevtopolis; Nikola Petkov; s/dinclbreakfast 48/54; all have good modern bathrooms. fridge andbalcony, ties such as fan, TV, placehasroomswithameni- this comfortable ofjust offtheroadbehindHouse Culture, andan standard high attractive restaurant. have Nevertheless,twee. itdoes roomsof a required tryingtobekind of forthose service haven’t yetrealised thetimes grumpystaff being somewhatcontrived, andthesome- has atraditionallookthatcomesacross as complex infrontof theChurch of Sveti Ilias 38;s/d38/46lv; -bg.com; ulKnyazMirskia rant is excellent. theytendthough tobesmall,andtherestau- ing ahead.Allroomsfeature bathrooms, The oneapartmentishuge, andworthbook- authentic 19th-centurywalledcompound. featuring woollenquilts, and overlooking an offers big,traditionallyfurnished rooms s/d/apt 20/25/40lv) Kâshta Hadzhi Eminova Sleeping to stop by. Friday, themarket’s busiestdays,make sure if youhappentobearoundonaTuesdayor characteristic shopping experience– Balkan placethatoffersdusty, all-purpose atruly boxed text, opposite ) isavery entertaining, Kazanlâk’s OPEN MARKET winter. in and French, butringfirst about opening times Grand Hotel Kazanlâk Grand Hotel Hotel TeresHotel Chiflika Hotel-Restaurant Complex Vesta pazar ( % This established guesthouse guesthouse Thisestablished

( % or open market (see the oropenmarket (see 64 272;www.hotelteres.com; ul 20 350;[email protected]; ul (

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( % 62 595;bulNikolaPetkov 22; ( % 63 210;hotel_kazanlak@ as CENTRALBULGARIA••Kazanlâk 21 411;www.chiflika pai ai Quietly set Quietlyset Thereno- ) ) ) This This mains 4-6lv; fast nookisthistinyhole-in-the-wallplace above thetownashortwalkfrom hotel of name, thiswell-regarded the same Petkov 22;mains4-7 lv) it. like and grills.It’snot gourmet,butthelocals frompizzatofish everything menu, serving on thesquare right taurant-pub hasabig clean, andthere’s also a bar. specialities.It’ssmartlyoutfitted and Balkan and get inline,choosing fromavarietyof most popularatlunch, whenyoutake atray run placeoff theothersideof thesquare is h and (andother)piesfromthe flaky cheese avarietyof opposite the openmarket, serving 0.80 lv; than the alternative. more that’scertainly is –though interesting perhaps moreseem happening thanitreally few, they’re alwayscrowded,makingthetown central square. Since thepopularplacesare mostly concentrated withinearshot of the Kazanlâk’s dining and nightlife sceneis Eating setting. natural very rooms,apooland comfortable It’srelaxing,from townbycarortaxi. with isbestreachedThracian Tomb,theZornitsa -bg.com; s/d/ste70/96/110lv; well regarded by locals, too. better-than-average breakfast forguests,is The adjoiningrestaurant, which offers a compulsivethose hoarders of hotel freebies. value fortheprice,loadedwithtoiletries cious suites are especiallyenticingandgreat classiest roomsincentralKazanlâk. Thespa- minute walkfromthemainsquare offers the This poshplaceonasidestreet justatwo- Stajnov 9;s/d/steinclbreakfast 70/96/110lv; be better elsewhere.off tres. whowantsomethingquietmight Those clubs andrestaurants are allwithinafew me- toitonthesquare,attached whileotherbars, Hollywood and thevery Bar popularCocktail thelate-night Panoramataurant, barupstairs, Hadzhi Eminova Kâshta Hadzhi Eminova Moskva Restaurant Asenova Banicharnitsa Violeta Zornitsa Hotel Palas Hotel New YorkPubPizza&Grill 7.30am-11.30pm) byurek h 6.30am-9.30pm) h familyof pastry. Balkan ( 10am-1am) % ( This very busy and efficiently Thisvery busyandefficiently 62 311;www.hotel-palas.com; ulPetko % Set inthecourtyardof the Set 63 939;fax652;www.zornica

(ul Sevtopolis 9;mains3-5lv; (ul Sevtopolis Thisvery popularres- Kazanlâk’s bestbreak-

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CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA Kotel and Medven. remote, townssuch butbeautifulmountain as It alsomakes fortripstorelatively agoodbase creasingly interesting accommodationscene. with ahandfulof andanin- uniquemuseums is stillalaid-back andauthenticsmallcity of advertising,somewhat acase false Sliven theso-called‘BlueRocks’, amountsto sight, Ottomans. Whilethemostfamous nearby againstthe role inthe19th-centurystruggle the mostwell-knownBulgariantowns forits of upto1000minheight, Sliven isoneof % SLIVEN it’satthe tional services; train station. for domestictrainsandtickets forallinterna- hours). five toVarnaalso three dailyservices (10.90 lv, Thereminutes are east of Zagora). Stara ing tochange trainsinTulovo (about 45 as forSliven, yousometimesenduphav- (9.60 lv,sixhours); note thatforthese, Târnovo (5.70lv,three hours) andRuse Kazanlâk (5.10lv,onehour),Velikoserve six trainsdepartdaily.Five trainsdailyalso eastwards toBurgas (7.60lv,twohours), (5.10 lv,twohours). Goingtheotherway, Sofia (10.30lv,fourhours), viaPlovdivserve thus hasmanyconnections.Sixdailytrains Sofiatrain linebetween andBurgas, and isonthemajor Zagora Stara bus station. Metodii afive-minute walkfrom the Kusev, located atthesouthernendof ulMitropolit such asAthens and . including international linestodestinations offer different pricesandfurtherdestinations, pots inBulgaria,numerousprivate companies centre. Zagora’s AsStara withallbigbusde- fromKazanlâkMinibuses willleave youin departs whenfull)fromthebusstation. Târnovo, orget adirect minibus(which enroute toVeliko through bus thatpasses hours, four daily). hours, fourdaily)andKotel (9.30lv,three three (7.10lv,five daily),Ruse hours, seven hours, five daily),Veliko Târnovo (10lv, toVarnaThere are alsoservices (8lv,five hour) andSliven (7lv,1¼hours, hourly). hours), Burgas (14.90lv,three hours, every four hours, hour),Plovdiv every (7lv,1½ 206 Sitting inasortof bowlaroundrockyhills Stara Zagora’s Stara For Kazanlâk (3lv,45minutes), catch a Rila Bureau Rila 044 /pop101,300 CENTRAL BULGARIA••Sliven СЛИВЕН

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C3 C2 A2 B1 A2 B1 C3 A2 B2 A3 A2 A2 A1 B2 CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA raoal clean. reasonably it’s theonlyreal budget optionintownand a neglected college dormitory.Nevertheless, somewhat musty,wornroomsthatfeel like inthecentrelooms high of townandoffers amenities. Theinfinitesimal pricedifference classy, clean-smellingroomswithall expected Palace isSliven’s bestbusinesshotel, offering next totheHotelRight Toma,theNational 29;s/d/ste/apt68/88/90/120 lv; ul Velikoknyazhevska English. speak are friendlyandsome butstaff way of services, street. It’sasmallplace,withoutmuch inthe large signloomingoverhead fromthemain tucked the intoasmallstreet; youwillsee not traditionalinanyway.Theentrance is abitcrampedand modern rooms,though far fromthecentre, theCredo hascleanand course) acarved wooden frame. bigbed,whichfrom thecomfortable, has(of dating fromthe18thcentury–bestadmired woodenceiling and asuperbhand-carved grace ing andwireless internet access.The all have showers, hydromassage aircondition- onthegroundfloor,butallarethose great and the upperfloorare more slightly spaciousthan inothers.and sumptuouscurtains Roomson some rooms’wallstoornate woodcarvings décor rangingfromantlers andbearskins on rooms, alldoneupintraditionalstyle,with This cosyandvery friendlyplacehasonlysix ated fromalavish 18th-centuryresidence. cre-the Toma,atrulyenchanting guesthouse isinstorewonderful surprise forguestsat 27;dinclbreakfast 50-60lv; ul Velikoknyazhevska 23/36 lv) Sliven Hotel Sleeping about hikingintheregion, see p210 . ( hikes, consultthelocal able at the chairlift. included inamaplessleaflet(1.50lv),avail- Information (inEnglish) about thetrails is the signposted caves bythe used lift, marked thehillsto trailsheadthrough alongtheroadtoBlueRockschair-set From theoft- informationcentreclosed HIKING 208 % o Hotel NationalPalace Hotel Credo Hotel For more general informationabout local /fax 22926;[email protected]) CENTRAL BULGARIA••Sliven isroom4,withanornate painted cupola Thisimposingcommunistthrowback Hotel Toma Hotel

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( 624 056;fax625112;plHadzhiDimitâr;s/d % 625 080;ulPredel 1;d59lv) (

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% 623 333;www.hoteltoma.com; National Park Authority 662 929; www.nationalsl.bg; 662 929;www.nationalsl.bg; . For details . Fordetails haidouks ai coup de ai Not A ) . )

mains 8-14lv) popular placeforpizzaandtraditional to theHotel Sliven’s frontparking.It’sa ous Deboyaisvery central,located next mains 5-7lv; among salads, other fare. goodgrillsand is somewhatbland.Itdoes theinteriortion forsummerdining,though square, thisplacehasahuge outdoorsec- large andpopularrestaurant justoff the Maki Restaurant Eating Sliven’s outdoor attractions. withtransportandconcentratingon those and tennis courts.Thisisagoodoptionfor bathrooms. There isbothaswimmingpool character anddécor,alongwithexemplary phisticated, colourfulroomswithindividual 1km fromthechairlift, theImperiahasso- Some 3kmfromSliven’s centre andabout ul Panaiot d/ste/apt70/110/150lv; Hitov; were plansfora fitness centre. is anotherplus.Atthetimeof writing,there Fabrikadzhiyata ( below ), inacourtyardsetting Thewell-stockedthe elevators. restaurant, Pri opposite ways andrainbow-huedfloorlighting touches includecontemporary artinthehall- wanttogoforthelatter.means youmight Nice doublesandthemore between spaciousstudios century house nextdoor,which once belongedcentury house ofenough acrowd)inanatmospheric 18th- indoors, outdoorsseating and(when there’s gotten popchestnuts There’s onmostnights. features somewhatblandlive renditions of for- extensive range of goodBulgariandishes and of theHotel NationalPalace ( left an ) serves somewhat poshrestaurant inthecourtyard ally means‘atthemanufacturer’s place’, this enjoy a 10% discount. dance. Hoteltraditional Balkan Tomaguests ofers weaving inthethroes tables between Greek) anddin- musicperformednightly, are great, withlive Bulgarian(andsometimes mind,thefoodandatmospherenever expected could(orshould) beeaten –but ing partsof have never animalsyoumight of traditionalBulgarianspecialities,includ- the Hotel Toma hasatypicallylarge menu 27;mains5-7lv) zhevska dishes. Bulgarian Pri Fabrikadzhiyata Fabrikadzhiyata Pri Toma Restaurant Deboya Restaurant Imperia Hotel h With acuriousnamethatliter- 10am-midnight)

Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels (ul Tsar Osvoboditel;mains4-6lv) ( % This lively

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667 599; www.hotelimperia.net; 667 599;www.hotelimperia.net; % (

% ( % 0886836263; ulVelikoknya- 625 427;plHadzhiDimitâr; 662 929;ulKIrecheck 14; The fairlycavern- mehana pas outside A )

Getting There&Away roast lambbeing succulent. downright tively thefoodisgood,with steep, though Zheliakov. Therestaurant’s pricesare rela- to afamousrevival-period industrialist,Dobri lonelyplanet.com mid-1800s. Kotel was homefor126‘enlight- contracted tooutfittheOttoman armyinthe were localartisans payments because as tax the village fromonerous responsibilities such time,theTurks exempted Atthesame Beron. Vrachanski, andPetâr Georgi Rakovski ers andrevolutionaries, includingSafronii place of numerousBulgarianscholars, writ- your feet buoyant. thestonestokeep mossbetween just enough stoves inautumn,whiletheleafysquare has is permeated withthesmellof wood-burning den elders willgreet youwithasmileand where children scamperaboutandvillage discovered bytourism.It’safriendlyplace, ally hadthefortune(ormisfortune)of being forested road,Kotel hasnotre- mountain remote, 49km northeastof set Sliven ona revolutionary movement. somewhat Being strong linkstothe19th-centuryBulgarian averytown, though historicone,withits little Kotel isaquietandmodestmountain asifinabowlsurroundedbyrollingpeaks, Set % KOTEL isopen 8pm, thetrainstation all night. Unlike which atabout closes thebusstation, and Varna (8.40lv,fourhours, three daily). hours, three (10.90lv,seven daily) daily), Ruse five daily),Plovdiv (8.40lv,fourhours, three (5.10lv, two hours, Zagora six daily),Stara daily), Kazanlâkseven (4.80lv,twohours, hours, three daily),Burgas (5.40lv,1½hours, There are dailytrainstoSofia (11.90lv,5½ Sofia–Burgas alotof action. lineandsosees andPlovdiv,of onthebusy Zagora Stara (14lv, and onetoRuse four hours). toKazanlâktwo dailybuses (9lv,onehour), Sofia (16lv,five hours, 10daily).There are Târnovo (11lv,twohours, daily)and eight Velikothree hours). serve Regularbuses (7lv,onehour)andPlovdiv (9lv,Zagora gotoStara andminibuses many dailybuses Dimitâr) From thesmall Sliven’s Kotel isknownforhaving thebirth- been 0453 /pop7500 (goodday).Here air thecrispmountain , justpastthemassive BilaSupermarket, КОТЕЛ train station CENTRALBULGARIA••Kotel bus station

( % 622 614)

( % 662 629;ulHadzhi is,like those dobur square, isaquite large, almostGothic-looking 6.30pm) 8970) School ditional musicanddanceatthe bagpipe)andget(Balkan tuitionin othertra- tradition, youcanlearntoplaythe a more visceralconnectionwithBulgarian Hall,the Exhibition For isalsoworthapeek. admission 4lv; Ethnographic Museum mammothmausoleum. TheRakovski’s 19th-century revolutionary times,andGeorgi tral square, which presents items datingfrom % Museum History thebestbeing museums, also hasseveral the famedKotel styleof carpets.The town examplesof exhibitsandsells bus station, ( The Sights the smallGalata old town. on thelongulIzvorska, through which passes ( local attractions.Theofficial can provide informationandbrochures on cial HristinaDimitrova square; here English-speaking tourism offi- tre and shops. ATM, alow-costinternational telephone cen- minute walktothecentre, where there isan isafive- bussing it,thestation For those entry roads,drivers willfindpetrolstations. Approaching Kotel oneitherof thetwomain Orientation &Information architecture. Bulgarian pointon19th-century pastsaturation those just whyavisithere bearelief might for Lovech –which isperhaps orKoprivshtitsa andthetownisnotexactlylikehad passed were rebuilt, period theNationalRevival andchurches thehouses trict. Although Kotel, sparingonlythewesterndis- Galata colours: red, black,green and blue. The Kotel stylepredominantly features four made fromwoolinhomesonwoodenlooms. known foritscarpetsandrugs,which are % % ary activityfrom1877to1878.Kotel istoday eners’ active duringtheburst of revolution- The The pinkmunicipalbuildingisonthe On 15July1894,afire ravaged mostof 2549; admission4lv; 2334; ul Izvorska 14; 2334; ulIzvorska 2613; ul Izvorska 17) 2613; ulIzvorska , which sometimes holds recitals. Exhibition Hall of Carpets &Woodcarving Exhibition HallofCarpets

, located inaleafyarea near themain ( Church of Sveta Troiitsa Church ofSveta % 2215; [email protected]; ul Geori Zahariev 2, Zahariev 2215; [email protected]; ulGeori h

9am-6pm) (National Revival Kotel Enlighteners; (National Revival h , 500m northwest of the h

( % 9am-7pm) , about200mwestof 9am-6pm) ( 2315; ulAltûnlûStoyan5; % (

% 2030; [email protected]) information centre isfurtherwest , onthecen- 2430; Philip Kotev Kotev Philip h gayda 7.30am- 209

CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL CENTRAL BULGARIA the bestambienceinKotel isenjoyedatthis traditionally styledrooms,each withfire- dark-wood, comprisingseven guesthouse for passable a night. and hassimpleroomsthatare outdated but cated abitafter thetouristinformationcentre Run-down butvery cheap, theKotel islo- sometimes arrange private too.stays, can ormunicipalofficials The touristoffice the Private roomscanbefoundwherever yousee Sleeping withcold is afountain drinking water. quently asked bytourists.Outsidethechurch a Masonic symbol–aquestionshe isfre- eye inscribedontheoutsidewallcomprise denies thatthecurioustriangleandall-seeing paraphernalia. Thekindlycaretaker heatedly theusualreligiousicons andfrescoes, andsells structure builtin1871.Ithassomecompelling 210 Kotel Hotel Kotel Starata Vodenitsa Dimitrova at Kotel’s mysterious ancientThracian religion. Rocks ofKotel, andataplacecalledChobraTash,northeast ofKotel, closetothe 6kmnorth about a45-minute walkfromthevillagetogetthere. River) intowhichawispy tumbles7mdownfromthecliffswaterfall thatenclosethepool.It’s sublime age thatnowhasafew traditionalguesthousesandrestaurants tooffer. It’sbestknown forthe ofKotel,at Zlosten, issome242mdeep,thethird-deepestincountry. northeast distanceinBulgaria)andfeatures(the sixth-longest unusualstalagmite formations. Anothercave is withthousandsofbats. The so-called Zhelenich andZlosten alone. found 5kmwestofKotel ataplacecalled, sensiblyenough, golden eaglesandotherbirdsofprey soaroverhead. Cliffside nestingareas oftheseeaglesare groves ofsilver andoldwoodsof firsuniqueintheeastern Balkans, forests, streams andoccasionalmeadows. ning andtranquiljourney,where thenarrowroadissurroundedbyalmostuninterrupted thick mountain road,andnottheplainsroute thatrunssouthofthemountains. The formerisastun- becoming popularfortheirproximity tovariousuniqueandcaptivatingnaturalattractions. andMedven,Zheravna, Katunishte thoughsmallerandlessdeveloped thanKotel, are increasingly caving, hiking, bird-watching andotheroutdooractivities. Several villagesaroundit,suchas With itsmagnificentsettingamidstgorgeous mountainsandforests, Kotel isanidealbasefor WONDERS OFNATURE: UNEXPLORED TREASURES OFTHEKOTEL AREA stay podnaem CENTRAL BULGARIA••Kotel For more detailsaboutthenatural wondersofKotel andenvirons,askforthehelpful Hristina withtheancient ThracianUnusual rockformationslinked religion are foundatYablanovo, The however, mostaestheticallypleasingofalllocalattractions, isnearlittleMedven, avill- The Kotel area isalsovery richincaves, some14ofthembeinglocated inthearea between These richforests aroundKotel anditsvillagesare hometorare floraand fauna,including First ofall,ifcomingtoKotel fromSliven, sure make todrive abusthatfollowsthe ortake , achainofbizarre limestonerocksbelieved tohave inthe beenusedasasanctuary Siniya Vir

( % 2885; ul Izvorska 59;s/d12/24lv) 2885; ulIzvorska

sign in house windows. signinhouse (Blue Whirlpool), a crystal-clear pool of mountain water (part oftheMedvenska (BlueWhirlpool),acrystal-clearpoolof mountainwater (part ( % municipal headquarters 2360; d30lv) Eagle Cave Certainly Certainly Fairy Cave , 7kmwestofKotel, isnotforthesqueamish,filledasit

( % 14 clean, bright andmodernroomstwo 14 clean,bright around thecornerfrommainsquare has tified orrestored, theleftsideof thehouse against theTurks.Noneof beau- ithasbeen (b 1767),anobscure early freedom fighter original homeof Stojan Altanla Voyvoda intherough-hewn ramshackle café,based something really offbeat, check outthistiny, meat dishes are well represented. (mains4to7lv),whereVodenitsa Bulgarian best eatery beingthatatthehotel Starata Kotel hasadearthof restaurants, withthe Eating a casino attached. apartments. Somewhatimprobably, italsohas breakfast 40/60/100lv) too. locals, is abitawayfromthecentre butattracts the oldtownalongulKrumPetrov, theplace place anduniqueKotel rugs.Reached from 0453-2030; [email protected]) nearZhelenichcomprises3100mofgalleries Café AltanlaStoyan Café Kristal Hotel Eagle Rocks orlitsa

( % Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels This very newhotel tucked 2885; ul Izvorska 59;s/d/aptincl 2885; ulIzvorska (ul Izvorska 27; (ul Izvorska beeches,where majestic

. . h 9am-8pm) Urushki For last leaving Kotel at6pm.Note thatthere are gotoSlivenminibuses (5lv,onehour),the shots of ourful localcharacters drinkcoffee ordown thereright, are afew where smalltables col- scale.sometimes acatsittingonsaid Onthe thrown around,anold-fashioned scaleand shopwithvegetablesbeing nowarudimentary lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake two different routes fortravelling between little to manyplacesaroundBulgaria. Fromthe Despite itsremoteness, Kotel provides access Getting There&Away bus station rakia .

CENTRALBULGARIA••Kotel ( % 2052) , 13 daily buses and , 13dailybuses Ktlae villages. Kotel-area serve andminibuses hours). Numerousbuses (8 lv,twohours), (10lv,four andonetoRuse toShumen (7lv,twohours)buses andBurgas hours, twodaily).There are alsothree daily lv, fourhours, fourdaily)andSofia (20lv,five youcanalsoget toPlovdiv Zagora, (10 Stara buses will take. time. which Ask route individual thestaff is much more beautifulandtakes thesame Planina, orover which road, themountain on theplain,southof andparalleltotheStara the twoplaces,viaeithermainhighway Travelling fromKotel Sliven through and © LonelyPlanetPublications

211 CENTRAL BULGARIA BULGARIA CENTRAL