The old part of the city is situated on the three hills , Trapezitsa, and Sveta Gora, rising amidst the meanders of the. On Tsarevets are the palaces of the Bulgarian emperors and the Patriarchate, the , and also a number of administrative and residential edifices surrounded by thick walls. Trapezitsa is known for its many churches and as the former main residence of the nobility. During the , the city was among the main European centres of culture and gave its name to the , , and to literature. Veliko Tarnovo is an important administrative, economic, educational, and cultural centre of. This also helps distinguish it from the town of. Map of the town Location Veliko Tarnovo has an area of 30. The area which is assigned to the town is 30,379 km². It is located on the river. The city has always had a strategic position. It is located on main roads which connect West Balkans with and East Europe with Middle East. In the East and North-East the town borders with the Arbanassi Bardo. North — with the Orlovets locality, to the west with the Kozludzha locality and to the south with the area Dalga laka. Relief The relief of the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo is diverse — plain-hilly and mountainous. It is situated at 208 m above sea level. Hydrography The water catchment area of the river is 7862 km². There are several springs in the area of the town. The main drinking source is the Yovkovtsi hydro power plant. Soils They predominate chernozem and gray forest soils at the south part. Repellents are also distributed — hummus-carbonate soils. Area There are places around the city that keep their names for many years. Sini Vir is located to the west of the Cholakovci neighborhood in the Yantra River valley outside the city. Dervent is located in the Yantra River Gorge, near the Preobrazhenie Monastery. The Hill Golemyat duvar Big Fort with the highest peak 363 m. It is located between Veliko Tarnovo and the village. Hills Veliko Tarnovo is situated on several hills. The Tsarevets, Trapezitsa, Momina krepost were the main centers of kings and boyars during the Second Bulgarian State, when the town was capital. Mount Athos was a spiritual and literary center, and part of it today is the Rectorate of Veliko Tarnovo University. The Garga Bair hill lies north of Trapezitsa. On the Orlovets hill are the Varusha neighborhood and the Akatsion and Kartala districts, the highest point is 241 m above sea level. The Troshana Hill is located south of Mount Athos and west of the Motela dam, and Veliko Tarnovo Hills is being built on it. Climate Veliko Tarnovo has a Dfa , according to the , experiencing warm summers and cold, snowy winters. The highest recorded temperature was 41. Climate data for Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria 1961—1990, records 1926—1970 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C °F 20. There are woods of coniferous vegetation. They predominate fir tree, , , , and other. Near the river, the springs and the marshlands are seen:, and others. Over 25 types of mushrooms are encountered:, , , and others. Fauna The territory of the region has a rich variety of the animal world — 350 species of birds and 35 species of animals. Mammals include , Fox, , , ,. Birds include:, , , , , , and others. Over 180 species of insects are encountered: , , and others. There are also reptiles:, , and others. Local fish include , , ,. Veliko Tarnovo in 1885 Veliko Tarnovo, originally Tarnovgrad Търновград , grew quickly to become the strongest Bulgarian fortification of the between the 12th and 14th centuries and the most important political, economic, cultural and religious centre of the empire. In the 14th century, as the weakened, Tarnovo claimed to be the , based on its preeminent cultural influence in Eastern Europe. As the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, Tarnovo was a quasi-cosmopolitan city, with many foreign merchants and envoys. The discovery of three heads of statuettes indicates there may have also been a Catholic church. Ottoman rule Veliko Tarnovo's Cathedral of the Birth of the Theotokos, completed 1844 and reconstructed 1913 The political upsurge and spiritual development of Tarnovo were halted when the captured the city on 17 July 1393. Three years later, the Ottomans conquered the entire Bulgarian Empire. Bulgarian resistance against remained centred in Tarnovo then known as Tırnova until the end of the 17th century. Two major anti-Ottoman uprisings — in and in — started in the city. Tarnovo was consecutively a district capital in the , in the , and finally in the. Constituent Assembly of Bulgaria in 1879 Tarnovgrad, along with the rest of present-day Bulgaria, remained under Ottoman rule until the 19th century, when national identity and culture reasserted themselves as a strengthening resistance movement. The goal of the establishment of an and nation motivated the 1875 and 1876 uprisings in the town. On 23 April 1876, the marked the beginning of the end of the Ottoman occupation. It was soon followed by the Russo-Turkish War 1877—1878. Third Bulgarian State On 7 July 1877, Russian general liberated Veliko Tarnovo, ending the 480-year rule of the Ottoman Empire. In 1878, the created a Principality of Bulgaria between the and the range, with its seat at the old Bulgarian capital of Veliko Tarnovo. On 17 April 1879, the first National Assembly convened in Veliko Turnovo to ratify the state's first constitution, known as the , resulting in the transfer of Parliament from Tarnovgrad to , which today remains the Bulgarian capital. In deference to the city's past, , chose the in Veliko Tarnovo as the place to declare the complete independence of Bulgaria on 5 October 1908. In 1965, the city, then officially known as Tarnovo, was renamed Veliko Tarnovo Great Tarnovo to commemorate its rich history and importance. People's Republic of Bulgaria Samovodska charshya street During rule, the town underwent considerable changes, with some 10,000 of its population thought to have become members of the Bulgarian Communist Party BCP by the end of the 1940s. A number of its churches and private enterprises were closed, while the major industries were nationalized. In the early 1950s, the town underwent an intensive process of urbanization, expanding to the west. Urbanization continued during the 1970s, as the engineering, electronic, medical, computer, and furniture industries expanded in the region, adding the neighborhoods of Akacia and Kartala to the town's landscape. Veliko Tarnovo today Castle Tsarevets Today, Veliko Tarnovo is the center of one of the largest urban areas in Bulgaria and is one of the few cities in the country with a growing population. It is a foremost educational and cultural center, and the home of two major universities and extensive artistic activity. The city is a leading tourist attraction, boasting a steady increase in visitors for the last two decades. During the same period, it has also consistently attracted foreign settlers, and today, the city and its surroundings have become the home of the largest foreign expat community in Bulgaria. Historical hill Trapezitsa According to the 2011 census, Veliko Tarnovo had a population of 68,783 as of February 2011, while the , including the villages, had 88,670. The number of residents of the city reached its peak in the period 1986—1991, when it exceeded 70,000. The following table presents the change of the population after 1887. Veliko Tarnovo Year 1887 1910 1934 1946 1956 1965 1975 1985 1992 2001 2005 2009 2011 2013 Population 11,314 12,469 13,963 16,223 24,648 37,337 56,664 69,173 67,644 66,897 66,145 67,099 68,783?? Highest number 69,173 in 1985 Sources: National Statistical Institute, citypopulation. The Faculty of Fine Arts building of Veliko Tarnovo has two universities, one of the biggest universities in and. The currently has around 18,000 students. Secondary education Veliko Tarnovo currently has four secondary schools: Secondary School Emiliyan Stanev main subject: foreign languages , Secondary School Vela Blagoeva main subject: informatics , Secondary School Georgi Sava Rakovski main subject: sports and Secondary School Vladimir Komarov. There are ten high schools: Vasil Drumev School of Natural Sciences and Math biology, chemistry, math , Professor Asen Zlatarov School foreign languages , Honorary Old School of Economics, St. Cyril and Methodius School of Humanities literature, history, Bulgarian language , computers, electronics , Kolyo Ficheto School of Building Construction buildings , Angel Popov School of Architecture and Surveying architecture, surveying , Professor Vasil Beron School of Tourism cooking, restaurant, hotel , Vocational School of Fashion Design sewing, design , and the American college, Arcus. The schools educate students from ages 6 to 14. The subjects are , , , , , music, art, and others. The most popular sports include , , and , among others. Beginning with their first class, children learn English, and after four years they can study languages such as Russian, French, German, and Italian. In Veliko Tornovo you can see fragments and foundations that are part of the architecture of the Second Bulgarian State. In the old part of the city and Asenova Mahala there can be seen Churches and houses that were dated through the Ottoman rule. In the whole old part, houses from the Renaissance era were built. Characteristic of them are the ornate elements. Baroque architecture can be seen in most of the public buildings built in the early 20th century. In the central and the new part there are public buildings and residential buildings built in Baroque, Stalin Baroque style and Modernist style. Media Newspapers The first newspaper in Tarnovo was printed during the middle of the 19th century. The most popular landmark is the historic hill Tsarevets, which held the capital of the. A number of other sites also attract tourists, including the historic hill Trapezitza, the Samovodskata Charshiya, numerous and Bulgarian churches, and the ancient Roman fortress of Nicopolis ad Istrum. Museums In the town are located the architectural reserves: Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Momina krepost. The Regional historical museum in the town were established in 1871. In the town are located the House Museum of the Bulgarian writers Petko Rachov Slaveykov and House Museum of the writer Emilian Stanev. Next to the Regional Library is located the Archaeological Museum. The most important traffic roads are South road junction constructed in 2000 and Western road junction constructed in 1978. The town has two bus stations. Rail transport Through passes the main railway -. The Central rail station was built in 1900. Bishop's bridge Bridges The Stambolov bridge is an arch bridge, designed by an Italian architect. Bishop's Vladishki's bridge is the oldest bridge, built around the 1800s in Asenova mahava Old town. The town is separated to 4 Industrial zones:Central, North, South and West. Plastic Veliko Tarnovo is the biggest producer of plastic bags in. Today it is called Bolyarka AD and is located in the Central industrial zone. It was a leading national brand in the 1960s and 1970s. The Pepsi soft drinks plant in the Central industrial zone produces drinks for and for export to the. Ivailo Stadium is the biggest football stadium in the town. The stadium is the home of all the sports teams in Veliko Tarnovo which are called Etar. Ground was broken for the stadium in 1957 and it was completed in 1958. It has been rebuilt in the 21st century and now has seats for 18,000. Veliko Tarnovo has teams in , , , , and other sports. The hall was completed on 15 November 1985. The hall has 1600 seats and courts for basketball and volleyball. Retrieved 19 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018. National Museum of History — Sofia, Bulgaria. Retrieved 9 March 2011. Sedlar 31 March 1994. East Central Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000—1500. University of Washington Press. Retrieved 9 March 2011. Religion in public life: Religion, morality and communication between peoples. Retrieved 19 March 2018. Archived from on 22 November 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2008. Archived from on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
