The rebuilt church
Showing the original form of the hill's churches.
Izvora — CC0 · MrPanyGoff — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iliana Teneva — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kandi — Public domain
Trapezitsa is Veliko Tarnovo's second hill, facing Tsarevets across the river, and it was the capital's **aristocratic quarter**: the nobility and the clergy lived here rather than the tsars. The number that distinguishes it: **more than twenty churches** have been uncovered on this hill in a small area, some with wall paintings and mosaic floors. That density is exceptional and shows how rich its inhabitants were — nearly every noble family built its own church. Excavation has continued for decades, and parts of the walls and one complete church have been rebuilt to show the original form. The site is less complete than Tsarevets and far less crowded. A **funicular** climbs to it from the foot of the hill, which makes it easier to reach than Tsarevets despite the gradient. **Check that the funicular is running** before going, as it sometimes stops.
Showing the original form of the hill's churches.
Climbing the hill directly from its foot.
Trapezitsa hill, Veliko Tarnovo
Tsarevets FortressTsarevets is a hill the river Yantra wraps on three sides in an almost complete 7 minutes walk4.8
The Patriarchal Cathedral of the AscensionA church on the summit of Tsarevets hill in Veliko Tarnovo, on the site of the p8 minutes walk4.7
The Asen Dynasty MonumentA monumental sculpture on a bend of the Yantra river in Veliko Tarnovo, raised i11 minutes walk4.9
The Stambolov BridgeA stone bridge over the Yantra river in Veliko Tarnovo, built in the late ninete12 minutes walk4.8**A full day is enough for the town, two if you want a trip out of it.** Day one: Tsarevets in the morning, about two hours, then **Samovodska Charshia** — the craftsmen's street where potters, coppersmiths and knife-makers still work in small shops — then the old town with its houses hung above the river, then Trapezitsa. Day two a trip: **Arbanasi**, five kilometres away, a village of fortified stone houses and churches painted wall to wall; or the **Preobrazhenski monastery**; or Devetashka Cave and the Krushuna falls further out. The town is small and walks entirely.