Veliko Turnovo
• The old Bulgarian capital of Veliko
Turnovo, the residence of the Second
Bulgarian Kingdom (1187-1393),the city
in which 22 tsars in succession bore the
scepter of authority, was situated on
three
hills:
Tzarevetz, Trapezitza and Sveta Gora.
• Tzarevetz is a naturally inaccessible
fortress where the royal palace, the
patriarchal church and the multitude of
smaller
cross-domed
churches
once stood. The outer walls of the
fortress have been restored and all the
archaeological findings
inside are
displayed intact and exhibited as they
were discovered. Central among them
are the ruins of the royal palace with
the Baldwin Tower and the patriarch's
church. Many churches have been
preserved as monuments of the early
medieval
architecture
and
painting.