Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria

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Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria Page 67

by Lonely Planet


  Sammy's BarBAR

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0885233387; ul Nezavisimost; h11am-3am)

  The lofty views from this bar and beer garden are as refreshing as the selection of herb-garnished lemonades (2.80 lv). So it's no wonder that Sammy's, just off busy ul Nezavisimost, has become a trusted local haunt.

  ShekerdzinitsaCAFE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; ul Giorgi Momarchev 13; h9am-6pm Tue-Sun)

  Centuries of Veliko Târnovo history can be tasted in the Turkish 'sand coffee' at this characterful little cafe near the old-market neighbourhood. Most tempting of all are takeaway treats such as sticks of lokum (rose-scented sweets with pistachios), hen-shaped lollipops and halva (blocks of honey-flavoured semolina).

  Cafe ProvenceCAFE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0876223882; ul Stefan Stambolov 36; h10am-10pm)

  Retreat from the bustle of the city's main drag into this calming cafe, where satiny chairs and distressed furnishings evoke a salon feel. Hot drinks and gateaus fit the loose French theme, with occasional Bulgarian twists such as the 'Rose de Provence', a coffee swirled with local rose oil (2.80 lv).

  Tequila BarBAR

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; ul Stefan Stambolov 30; h3pm-late)

  Overlooking the main street, and around the corner from Samovodska Charshiya, Tequila Bar is a festively painted, as-fun-as-you'd-expect student bar with good cocktails and cheap beer.

  3Entertainment

  Melon Live Music ClubLIVE MUSIC

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %062-603 439; bul Nezavisimost 21; h6pm-2am)

  Popular spot for live music, from rock and R&B to Latin jazz. Admission to live events is around 4 lv or 5 lv.

  Club JackCLUB

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.jack-club.com; ul Magistraka 5; h10pm-4am)

  This house and dance-music club draws a young, well-dressed crowd at weekends with its popular formula of themed nights, cocktail promotions and local DJs. The student-dominated crowd means it usually hibernates outside university term time.

  7Shopping

  oSamovodska CharshiyaARTS & CRAFTS

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; ul Rakovski)

  Veliko Târnovo's historic quarter is a true centre of craftsmanship, with genuine blacksmiths, potters and cutlers, among other artisans, still practising their trades here. Wander the cobblestone streets to discover bookshops and purveyors of antiques, jewellery and art, housed in appealing National Revival houses.

  Galeria ManyaARTS & CRAFTS

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0886432861; ul Rakovski 12; h10am-6pm)

  Hirsute costumes and scowling wooden masks startle passers-by from the window of this folk store in the thick of Samovodska Charshiya. The shop specialises in ornaments and costumes relating to kukeri processions, an end-of-winter tradition in which evil spirits are banished by shaggy-costumed dancers.

  Book CaveBOOKS

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0898229910; www.bulgarianbuddies.com; ul Opalchenska 9; h10am-1pm & 1.30-5pm Mon-Sat)

  A sturdy favourite among locals, expats and tourists, this bookstore at the bottom of the Varosha district is run by an enormously helpful owner and is the city's best place to buy, exchange or donate secondhand books. In winter it's closed on Monday and Tuesday.

  Icons Krasimir IvanovARTS & CRAFTS

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0885060544; cnr ul Rakovski & ul Kapitan Diado Nikola; h10am-7pm)

  Lovely hand-painted icons (60 lv to 400 lv) by elder artist Krasimir Ivanov, and detailed ink sketches of old Târnovo (20 lv), are sold at this store-workshop.

  8Information

  Foreign-exchange offices and ATMs are plentiful on the main drag and in the shopping mall.

  Hospital Stefan CherkezovHOSPITAL

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %062-626 841; ul Nish 1)

  Modern hospital with an emergency room and English-speaking doctors.

  Tourist Information CentreTOURIST INFORMATION

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %062-622 148; www.velikoturnovo.info; ul Hristo Botev 5; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat Apr-Oct, Mon-Fri Nov-Mar)

  Helpful English-speaking staff offering local info and advice.

  8Getting There & Away

  Bus

  The most central bus terminal is Hotel Etar Bus Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.etapgroup.com; ul Ivailo 2), served by hourly buses to Sofia (20 lv, three to 3½ hours) and Varna (20 lv, 3½ hours). There are also two daily buses to Dobrich (20 lv, four hours), two to Kavarna (21 lv, 4½ hours) via Albena, and services to Shumen (13 lv, two hours, seven daily). The station is just south of the tourist information centre.

  Two non-central bus stations also serve Veliko Târnovo, with a broader range of destinations and services. Zapad Bus Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %062-640 908, 062-620 014; ul Nikola Gabrovski 74), about 3km southwest of the tourist information centre, is the main intercity one. Local buses 10, 12, 14, 70 and 110 go there, along ul Vasil Levski. There’s also a left-luggage office. Closer to the centre is Yug Bus Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %062-620 014; ul Hristo Botev 74), 700m south of the tourist information centre.

  For online information and to book advance bus tickets (with discounts), search http://busticket.bg and http://online.union-ivkoni.com.

  Destination Cost (lv) Duration (hr) Frequency (daily)

  Burgas (from Zapad) 18-25 4 4

  Karlovo (from Zapad) 19 4 1

  Kazanlâk (from Zapad) 9 2½ 5

  Pleven (from Zapad) 14 2 1

  Plovdiv (from Zapad) 19 4 4

  Ruse (from Yug or Zapad) 8-12 2 6

  Shumen (from Yug) 13 3 6

  Sliven (from Zapad) 8 2 7

  Sofia (from Yug) 22 4 regularly

  Troyan (from Zapad) 10 2 1

  Varna (from Yug) 21 4 regularly

  To reach Romania by bus, go first to Ruse: from its main bus station, five daily minibuses make the three-hour trip to Bucharest.

  Train

  Check train schedules with the tourist information centre, or on www.bdz.bg, as Veliko Târnovo's two main train stations are located 10km apart. Irregular trains link the two stations (1.50 lv, 20 minutes, nine daily).

  The slightly more walkable of the two is Veliko Târnovo Train Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; %062-620 065), 1.5km west of town (though staff can be unhelpful).

  From Veliko Târnovo Train Station, there is one daily direct train to Plovdiv (12 lv, 4½ hours); alternatively, travel via Stara Zagora (6.50 lv, three hours, five daily), which adds an hour to the total journey time. You can reach Sliven (9 lv, 3½ to four hours, four daily) via Tulovo or Dabovo. For the coast, there is one direct service to Varna (14 lv, four hours). For Burgas you'll need to travel via Dabovo, or via Stara Zagora and Karnobat. Day-trip destinations such as Tryavna (3 lv, one hour, eight daily) and Dryanovo (2.10 lv, 30 minutes, nine daily) are also reachable from this station. Buses 10, 12, 14, 70 and 110 connect the train station to the centre of town. Alternatively, take a taxi (3 lv to 6 lv).

  Gorna Oryakhovitsa train station (%062-826 118), 8.5km northeast of town, is along the main line between Sofia and Varna. There are daily services to/from Sofia (14.60 lv, four to five hours, eight daily), some via Tulovo or Mezdra. Direct trains also reach Varna (13 lv, 3½ to four hours, five daily) and Ruse (7 lv, two to 2½ hours, seven daily). There are also daily connections to Stara Zagora (7.40 lv, three hours, four daily) and Shumen (8.40 lv, two to 2½ hours, eight daily).

  From Veliko Târnovo, minibuses wait opposite the market along ul Vasil Levski to get to this train station. Taxis cost about 12 lv to 15 lv.

  8Getting Around

  Walking is ideal for seeing Târnovo. Taxis are good for zipping around the central areas (charging day/night 0.70/0.80 lv per kilometre), but sometimes refuse to drive in the old quarters, especially Varosha, due to the narrow streets. Take advantage of any free pick-up services offered by your accommodation.

  If driving, be warned that traffic along the town's central road is always sluggish and parking can be painful. Paid parking is available on pl Slaveikov and at a couple of sites near the fortress. A more distant car park, and some unpaid street parking,
can be found near the industrial zone, north of Varosha.

  For car rental (from 45 lv per day), ask at the tourist information centre for the best offers, or enquire with Motoroads.

  Around Veliko Târnovo

  Preobrazhenski Monastery

  Preobrazhenski MonasteryMONASTERY

  (Transfiguration Monastery; church admission 2 lv; h7am-7pm)

  Outstanding clifftop views compete with murals by renowned painter Zahari Zograf at this serene monastery, 7km north of Veliko Târnovo. It was officially founded in 1360, though its origins extend 200 years earlier. Like many Bulgarian monasteries, it was destroyed under Ottoman rule. Rebuilt in 1825, its Zograf murals (painted 1849–51) include a wheel of life and menacing scenes between demons and sinners. It was spared annihilation by a 1991 landslide (note the boulders either side of the church).

  Bus 10 from Veliko Târnovo passes the monastery; disembark at a turn-off on the road headed to Ruse. From here it’s a shady, uphill 3km walk. A taxi from Veliko Târnovo costs about 6 lv one way.

  If there's no one around, pop your 2 lv donation into the tin in the church.

  Emen Емен

  oEmen CanyonCANYON

  (Emenski Kanion)

  Thrashing beneath lofty limestone cliffs, the Negovanka River has sculpted deep creeks and pretty waterfalls in this captivating nature reserve, 22km west of Veliko Târnovo. For soaring views across Emen Canyon, hike the Negovanka Ecotrail along 90m-high bluffs. The trail begins with a steep clamber up rocky steps from Emen Cave (it’s safer not to enter) to a spectacular vantage point over the gorge. The path then weaves among tree-shaded clifftops before a muddy descent to a 10m-high waterfall.

  It takes about two hours to the waterfall and back. Don’t attempt the slippery trail after rainfall or in winter, and don’t step out on to the disastrously unmaintained wooden walkways and bridges; stick to the path.

  There is a narrow, cobblestone car park by the cave, but it’s better to leave your vehicle in Emen village’s central car park. From here, set out through Emen’s northeastern streets uphill towards the river. The trail is signposted from the Vishovgrad–Emen road, at the northern fringe of Emen, though signs can be hard to spot and read.

  WORTH A TRIP

  ARBANASI

  This hilltop getaway, 8km by road from Veliko Târnovo, has an agreeable mix of historical and outdoor activities. Nearly 90 of Arbanasi’s churches, monasteries and mansions are state-protected cultural monuments. Wealthy nobles who resided here during the Bulgarian Revival period have left behind heritage houses, now converted into museums or guesthouses.

  Walking trails and horse-riding excursions are popular ways to experience its leafy surrounds. Busloads of visitors arrive at weekends; stick around after sunset to enjoy excellent mehanas (taverns) and valley views without the crowds.

  The Nativity Church (Regional Museum of History; ul Rozhdestvo Hristovo; adult/student 6/2 lv; h9am-6pm Wed-Mon, noon-6pm Tue) is considered the main sight. The five chambers in Arbanasi's oldest surviving church are covered in kaleidoscopic frescoes (dating to between 1632 and 1649), featuring a pantheon of saints and moving depictions of Mary and Christ. Don't miss the wooden iconostasis, intricately carved by Tryavna-school artisans.

  Dark-eyed saints with gold haloes glower down from every painted arch inside the 16th-century Church of Sveti Arhangeli Mikhail & Gavril (ul Sofronii Vrachanski; adult/student 6/2 lv; h9am-6pm Tue-Sun, noon-6pm Mon), built over a ruined medieval building. The wooden iconostases were carved by Tryavna artisans.

  Be sure to stop by the 17th century Konstantsalieva House (cnr ul Kapitan Pavel Gramadov & ul George Kandilarov; adult/student 6/2 lv; h9am-6pm Tue-Sun, noon-6pm Mon) to learn how Arbanasi's well-heeled residents prospered during Bulgaria's National Revival period, sipping coffee from silver cups and donning fox-skin coats and silks to show up their neighbours at church.

  For activities, the Arbanasi Horse Base (%0898459880, 0886999449; h8am-noon & 1-6pm) offers guided horse-riding excursions in the lush hills around Arbanasi. Prices for short rides start at 25 lv.

  Stop for a meal at highly rated Sevastokrator (%062-655 553; www.sevastokrator.com; ul Sveti Nikola 13; mains 10-15 lv; h8am-10pm), whose terrace peers over some of the finest forest views in Arbanasi. The highlights here are beautifully executed 'stone kebabs', where juicy mushrooms, cabbage and pork are muddled together on a hot plate.

  Complex Bulgarka (%0889207020; www.hotelbulgarka.com; ul Konstantin Rusevich 4; apt incl breakfast 120-170 lv; paW) is a heritage hotel that's hosted rebels, refugee monks and even a Romanian prince over the centuries. Its three apartments are elegantly furnished with plump leather sofas and shiny bathrooms. The hosts happily help to organise fishing and horse-riding trips.

  Dryanovo Monastery

  A history of destruction and revolution, as dramatic as its cliff-backed location, entices visitors to Dryanovo Monastery (www.dryanovo.bg; h8am-8pm). Originally founded in the early 13th century, when relics of St Michael were transported from Batak, the complex was plundered by the Ottomans. It was rebuilt in the late 17th century at its present location, astride the gorge about 6km from Dryanovo village, sheltered by limestone bluffs. The highlight is its frescoed church, sporting a huge gold and red chandelier.

  History

  Revolutionary sentiment simmered within the monastery walls over the decades that followed its 17th-century rebuild. Key events of the 1876 April Uprising were plotted here and monks gave shelter to revolutionary fighters such as Vasil Levski. During the Russo-Turkish War (1877–8), more than 100 locals made a valiant last stand against the Turks for nine days. The Turks eventually won, burning the place down yet again. The villagers’ bravery is commemorated with a mausoleum in the monastery grounds.

  2Activities

  After taking in the monastery, hikers can explore the Dryanovo Ecotrail, a well-marked, circular path that starts and finishes near the monastery. The hike takes about four hours, and passes through lush, hilly forests.

  The Bacho Kiro Cave (adult/child 3/1 lv; h9am-6pm Apr-Oct, 10am-4pm Nov-Mar) became Bulgaria's first tourist cave way back in 1937, and today it's often twinned with a visit to the monastery. Entry is by semi-guided tour, which involves a little historic preamble (usually in Bulgarian only), after which you can take a short or long (25 minutes or one hour) walking route around the cave.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Komplex Drianovski ManastirHOTEL$

  (%0676-75 253; http://drianovski-manastir.com; r/apt 50/60 lv; a)

  Virtually attached to the Dryanovo Monastery, this small hotel complex has a wing of 11 clean rooms and three apartments above a simple mehana (tavern).

  Mehana AndykaBULGARIAN$$

  (%0676-72 230; www.andyka.com; mains 8-12 lv; h9am-midnight)

  This relaxing restaurant has a wooded setting between cliffs and next to the rushing river, about 300m before the Bacho Kiro Cave entrance. It serves soups from tripe to white bean, an extensive range of sausage and other meat hotpots, and salads galore.

  8Getting There & Away

  Buses from Veliko Târnovo to Gabrovo can leave you at the turn-off to the monastery (4km south of Dryanovo), from where you’ll have to walk the last 1.5km. Car parking costs 1 lv per hour.

  WORTH A TRIP

  NIKOPOLIS-AD-ISTRUM Никополис-Ад-Иструм

  The broken remains of a Roman 'victory city', built in AD 110, cover this isolated site, 20km north of Veliko Târnovo. The foundations of Nikopolis-ad-Istrum (adult/child 6/2 lv; h9am-6pm Apr-Oct, 10am-4pm Nov-Mar) were laid by Emperor Trajan after a successful battle against the Dacians. Destroyed by Slavs in the late 6th century, the city experienced a brief period of resettlement in the 9th century, after which it slumbered for centuries. Its ruins, including streets, towers, gates, a city square and town hall, were discovered in 1871.

  If driving from Veliko Târnovo, head north towards Ruse and take the signposted turn-off to the left (west) after about 20km. This access road is rough i
n parts.

  By bus, take the same northerly route and dismount at the turn-off to Nikyup; from there, it’s a 4km signposted walk. By taxi from Veliko Târnovo, the journey costs roughly 15 lv each way.

  Tryavna ТРЯВНА

  Pop 10,000

  Famous for its dexterous woodcarvers, whose work has graced churches and mansions across Bulgaria, Tryavna is a relaxing day trip from Veliko Târnovo or Kazanlâk (respectively, a 60- and 90-minute drive). Bulgaria’s 19th-century glory days come alive along Tryavna’s romantic bridges and cobbled streets, lined with National Revival–period homes. Amid tourists clinking glasses in numerous mehanas (taverns), Tryavna’s centuries-old woodcarving tradition lives on in the artisans who still train here.

  1Sights

  Restored period houses and churches, decorated with Tryavna's distinctive woodcarvings, are the main attractions in town. Tryavna's historic heart is pl Kapitan Dyado Nikola, dominated by a 21m-high clock tower (1814), with Roman-style stone Arch Bridge (1844) nearby. The bridge leads to ul PR Slaveikov, one of Bulgaria’s most pleasing cobblestone lanes, chock-full of house-museums and traditional mehanas (taverns).

 

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