Bucharest to Ivanovo Churches and Veliko Tarnovo: Day trip

Beginning in the 12th century, hermits began carving cells and churches into the exposed rock faces overlooking the Rusenski Lom River. By the time of the Ottoman Empire’s conquest of Bulgaria in the late 14th century, the complex had grown to include around 40 churches among a total of around 300 cave sites. While most are not preserved today, the surviving churches are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the artistry of their medieval murals. Of the 5 remaining churches on the UNESCO list, only one is open to the public. A staircase or more meandering trail brings visitors to the ‘Buried Church’, where even after several centuries the frescoes are still clear vibrant. Here visitors have the opportunity to admire the frescoes, including the Last Supper, for their age and artistry. Please note: the Churches are open April 1 and November 30, every day, from 9:00 am and 6:00 pm.

The hilltops overlooking an idyllic river-bend have been settled since around 3,000 BC. In the 12th century, after two local brothers battled the Byzantine Empire, the establishing the Second Bulgarian Empire, and made Veliko Tarnovo its capital. Today, visitors can still walk along the medieval parapets of Tsaravets Fortress to the top of the hill, where they are rewarded with stunning views of the city and its river-bend, and modernist murals in the Church of the Ascension. A walk through the Old Town fully immerses visitors in the town’s rich history, exemplified by the 19th century Bulgarian Revivalist architecture. The city’s Archaeological Museum houses the region’s history from prehistoric times through the Middle Ages, including one of the world’s oldest gold treasures, which dates from the 4th millennium BC.