Tsarevets Fortress

For more than two centuries Tsarevgrad Turnov was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. The place where the most important decisions for the state were taken in political, cultural, religious and administrative terms. The metropolitan city spreads over the fortified towers of Tsarevets, Trapezitsa, Momina Fortress, the Yantra River slopes and its terraces. The strategic position of the Tsarevets hill, as well as my natural inaccessibility, predetermine here the seat of the supreme government of the state.

Tsarevets had a complex fortification system that provided the safety of those living in the fortress. The main entrance is from the west. It is protected by four consecutive gates with twisting towers. In front of the first bridge there was a wooden rolling bridge. The barracks were located near the innermost gate at the very beginning of the fortress.

There are two main ensembles of Tsarevets. The Patriarch and the Royal Palace. Patriarchate - the place where all the administrative management of the church life took place. The Patriarchal Complex occupied an area of ​​2413 sq.m. It contained the library, the script, the housing and service rooms of the patriarch, his companions, the monks' cells. The temple "Ascension of the Lord" today proudly raises the image of the highest part of Tsarevets. It was in the courtyard of the patriarchal complex. The relics of St. Michael the Warrior, as well as the patriarchs Joakim I, Makarius and Joakim III, canonized by the Bulgarian church for saints. As we strolled around the temple, the bells hovered angelic voices. The frescoes inside the temple are made by the artist Theophan Sokerov. The large-scale compositions represent important personalities and the most important moments of the Bulgarian medieval history.

Working hours:

April to October: 8:00 to 19:00

November-March: 9:00 to 17:00

Visitors' entry is suspended 1 hour before the end of opening hours.