Stone houses
Fortress-like.
Mark Ahsmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mark Ahsmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mark Ahsmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mark Ahsmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Iliana Teneva — CC BY-SA 4.0
Arbanasi is a small village on a high plateau above Veliko Tarnovo, with old fortress-like stone houses behind tall walls and wooden gates, cobbled lanes among gardens and roses, and wide views over the valley and the town. It lies at 400 m, four kilometres from Veliko Tarnovo. It is known for its many historic monuments, including 17th- and 18th-century churches and Bulgarian National Revival houses, which have made it a popular destination. Its name comes from an old Bulgarian word for «Albanian». Only about 300 people live here today. You wander the lanes between the stone houses, visit the Konstantsaliev House museum, see the village's old churches from outside, then stand at the edge of the plateau to watch the sun set over the valley and Tsarevets fortress in the distance. The village has small hotels and traditional restaurants serving Bulgarian food in the gardens of old houses. It is about 5 km in a straight line northeast of Veliko Tarnovo.
Fortress-like.
At sunset.
And roses.
Plateau between Veliko Tarnovo and Gorna Oryahovitsa
Yes, minutes by car.
One and a half to three hours.