Gettting right to the point: Veliko Tarnova was amazing starting with the "15 minute uphill walk" from the train station to city center. Several gorges, or is it the same gorge, slice the town about 7 different ways; officially, the Yantra River (Danube tributary) cuts the city into three hills. Every few meters one gets a different panoramic view.
One day we toured the city and the Tsarevets Medieval Fortifications which are very cool. We also found a family run restaurant that served up some good vegetarian Bulgarian dishes. We went back two more times. ;-)
The second day we walked a big 24 kilometer loop to the Preobrazhenski (Transfiguration) Monastery with many other day trippers, old and young; then to Holy Trinity Monastery which is in fact a nunnery where you pull a cord by the gate that rings a bell - a nun looks out the peephole and then lets you in - no talking, no picking flowers; and then the nearby town of Arbanassi that is almost completely gentrified - better called a resort - then straight down the hill to Tarnovo.
The 3rd day we made an excursion by train one hour south to Tryavna, known for its architecture and woodcarving. We made some friends on the train, visited an old church and an old house, and finally bought a few souvenirs in the very touristed town. Not so bad, a day trip to Tryavan means we get to spend another day in Veliko Tarnovo.
Day One.
John on the train to Veliko Tarnovo.
What a great city. Two days in row we picked up free beers (radlers - half beer, half grapefruit juice). And then drank them as we walked down the street.
Monument (that can be seen from almost any spot in town it seems) commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Bulgarians are very nationalistic (have national pride).
Back street architecture.
View to Tsarevets.
Tsarevets Cathedral.
Sun-Ling scales Baldwin's Tower.
View to Arbanassi The next day we would come charging down the trail beneath the power lines.
First visit to favorite VT restaurant: veggie clay pot gyuvech (L) and mish mash (R).
What a view!
Day Two.
Gaining elevation on the Red Stripe Trail on our way to Preobrazhenski Monastery.
Funky Bridge.
Getting out of a small gorge. Not as difficult as it may look. About fifteen ten-year-olds were right behind us. ;-)
Heading NORTH with the Yantra River and the RR tracks below to our right.
Among the wildflowers were many wild roses.
Church at Preobrazhenski Monastery.
View across the gorge to Holy Trinity Monastery perched below the cliffs.
A bit harder to follow the hiking signs when they are in cyrillic. This one points to Holy Trinity Monastery or transliterated to Latin letters MANASTIR SVETA TROITSA.
Crossing the Yantra River at the bottom of the gorge.
Holy Trinity.
Following the Red Stripe Trail up and out of the gorge.
More wild flowers.
Traditional house in Arbanassi.
Down the hill to Veliko Tarnovo.
Thistle!
The route.
And the reward: two shots of rakia and a bottle from the local brewery.
Beans and Shopska salad.
Day Three.
Morning fog.
Day trip to Tryavna: One of the 7 things you must do in Bulgaria is to eat pizza with ketchup (and mustard and mayo). Woohoo!
Tryavna: The old school.
The Daskalov House.
Tryavana streets and Clock Tower.
Wood Carver.
Church of Saint Archangel Mihael with stone roof.
Tryavna Station.
Typical V. Tarnovo architecture with overhangs and bricks.
Meal #3.
One day we toured the city and the Tsarevets Medieval Fortifications which are very cool. We also found a family run restaurant that served up some good vegetarian Bulgarian dishes. We went back two more times. ;-)
The second day we walked a big 24 kilometer loop to the Preobrazhenski (Transfiguration) Monastery with many other day trippers, old and young; then to Holy Trinity Monastery which is in fact a nunnery where you pull a cord by the gate that rings a bell - a nun looks out the peephole and then lets you in - no talking, no picking flowers; and then the nearby town of Arbanassi that is almost completely gentrified - better called a resort - then straight down the hill to Tarnovo.
The 3rd day we made an excursion by train one hour south to Tryavna, known for its architecture and woodcarving. We made some friends on the train, visited an old church and an old house, and finally bought a few souvenirs in the very touristed town. Not so bad, a day trip to Tryavan means we get to spend another day in Veliko Tarnovo.
Day One.
John on the train to Veliko Tarnovo.
What a great city. Two days in row we picked up free beers (radlers - half beer, half grapefruit juice). And then drank them as we walked down the street.
Monument (that can be seen from almost any spot in town it seems) commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Bulgarians are very nationalistic (have national pride).
Back street architecture.
View to Tsarevets.
Tsarevets Cathedral.
Sun-Ling scales Baldwin's Tower.
View to Arbanassi The next day we would come charging down the trail beneath the power lines.
First visit to favorite VT restaurant: veggie clay pot gyuvech (L) and mish mash (R).
What a view!
Day Two.
Gaining elevation on the Red Stripe Trail on our way to Preobrazhenski Monastery.
Funky Bridge.
Getting out of a small gorge. Not as difficult as it may look. About fifteen ten-year-olds were right behind us. ;-)
Heading NORTH with the Yantra River and the RR tracks below to our right.
Among the wildflowers were many wild roses.
Church at Preobrazhenski Monastery.
View across the gorge to Holy Trinity Monastery perched below the cliffs.
A bit harder to follow the hiking signs when they are in cyrillic. This one points to Holy Trinity Monastery or transliterated to Latin letters MANASTIR SVETA TROITSA.
Crossing the Yantra River at the bottom of the gorge.
Holy Trinity.
Following the Red Stripe Trail up and out of the gorge.
More wild flowers.
Traditional house in Arbanassi.
Down the hill to Veliko Tarnovo.
Thistle!
The route.
And the reward: two shots of rakia and a bottle from the local brewery.
Beans and Shopska salad.
Day Three.
Morning fog.
Day trip to Tryavna: One of the 7 things you must do in Bulgaria is to eat pizza with ketchup (and mustard and mayo). Woohoo!
Tryavna: The old school.
The Daskalov House.
Tryavana streets and Clock Tower.
Wood Carver.
Church of Saint Archangel Mihael with stone roof.
Tryavna Station.
Typical V. Tarnovo architecture with overhangs and bricks.
Meal #3.
2 comments:
Your hike track looks like a GPS track. Are you carrying a GPS? Or does your notebook have a built-in GPS?
@Ed, our 7" Nexus has GPS. We are using Oruxmaps and hiking maps from http://www.openandromaps.org/en/. We seem to do more hiking because when you have the GPS, you just want to hike all the trails, haha.
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