IMG_7546 - Veliki Tarnovo on the Yantra River was the capitol of the Second Bulgarian Empire from 1185 to 1393.
IMG_7547 - It is the official spiritual and historical capital of Bulgaria. All Bulgarians try to visit there during their lives.
IMG_7553 - Back out the well-protected access to the inner gate that we came in...
IMG_7554 - ...and the narrow ridge-top path to the outer gate and on to the town.
IMG_7556 - Across the Yantra River is the Trapezitsa fortress that originally had many (~18) churches and monasteries.
IMG_7563 - Back to Velchova Zavera Square and our hotel before we left for an afternoon in the town of Arbanasi.
IMG_7564 - Our Grand Hotel Yantra. Bulgarian Cyrillic letter sounds: Г=G, P=R, H=N, Д=D, X=H, Л=L, Я=Ya. The rest are like ours.
IMG_7567 - Arbanasi is a village, on a high plateau, beyond the Tsarevets Fortress from our hotel.
IMG_7568 - Arbanasi, meaning "Albanian", was first recorded in 1538, possibly settled by Albanians and Greeks from Epirus.
IMG_7569 - Local crafts
IMG_7570 - The Ottomans permitted this Bulgarian Orthodox church, but with only one room and no steeple or other high or obvious features.
IMG_7572 - Over the centuries the church was allowed to expand and now has beautiful artwork inside.