The Tsarevets Fortress is one of the biggest attractions in Bulgaria. As you wander through the old town the fortress will come into view, sitting majestically upon Tsarevets hill. The fortress was first constructed by the Byzantines between the 5th and 7th centuries AD. Throughout the following centuries it was destroyed and rebuilt. The fortress reaching its peak in the 13th century when Tarnovgrad became the capital of the second empire of Bulgaria, before being destroyed again by the Turks in 1393.

Today not much remains of the fortress other than the patriarch’s complex and the Baldwin Tower. The patriarch’s complex, which is also known as the Church of the Blessed was built in approximately 1235. Today the church has been extensively restored and now contains some remarkable modern murals depicting some of Bulgaria’s history. It is well worth the hike up to the Church of the Blesses, if not only to appreciate the views of the old town from here. Leaflets can collected from the Tourist Information Centre in VT that will provide further historical details of the Tsarevets Fortress.