626 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp636–8 and pp639–41
The hilltop fortress of Tsarevets occupies
a commanding position on a rocky hill
that is almost completely encir cled by
the Yantra river. It was a sought-after
vantage point from the 4th millennium
BC and in 1186, Tsar Petûr made it the
cap ital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.
When the kingdom fell to the Ottomans
in 1393, Tsarevets was reduced to
rubble. Only a few buildings have been
completely restored. Below the walls of
Tsarevets and strad dling the banks of the
river, lies the Asenova Quarter. For
centu ries it was inhabited by a commu-
nity of artisans and clerics, but they left
after a devastating earthquake in 1913.
. Light Show
A fantastic light show,
with a sound track,
takes place almost
every night in sum-
mer. Waves of colour
light up the fortress,
and the spectacle
culmi nates with
fire works and
the ring ing
of bells.
0 metres0 yards5050STAR SIGHTS. Light Show
. Baldwin’s Tower
. Royal Palace
. Baldwin’s Tower
Named after Emperor
Baldwin of
Constantinople, who
was held here in the
13th century, this
tower guarded the
southernmost point
of the hilltop. Earlier,
it was known as the
Frenk Hisar Gate,
and defended the
merchants’ quarter.
Church of St George
Constructed in 1616, the church
contains badly damaged and
heavily restored frescoes of
Orthodox saints.Asenova Gate
Reconstructed in 1976,
this three-storey gate tower
was used by the inhabitants
of the Asenova Quarter.Main GateVeliko Turnovo: Tsarevets & Asenova Quarter
Царевец и Асенова Махала
The Church of the Dormition,
dedicated to the Dormition of the
Virgin, was built in 1923.
The Church of the Forty
Martyrs, built in 1230,
commemorates Ivan
Asen II’s victory over
the Byzantines.To Veliko
Tûrnovo