Participants from five countries are arriving in Veliko Tarnovo for the seventh edition of the International Festival of Historical Restorations “Medieval Tarnovgrad” this weekend.
From June 24 to 26 at the Tsarevets Fortress they will recreate the everyday life, arts and military skills of Bulgaria, Byzantium and Europe from the XII-XIV centuries. Reconstructions on “Tsar Ivan Alexander – Love and Diplomacy” will include over 180 participants.
The Veliko Tarnovo entrepreneur Sabin Bijev, tempted by the history and his love for the Tsarevets fortress and his hometown, made a unique book about the emblematic fortress. The work on it takes him several years long research and the latest computer technology, but the author is satisfied, because every future reader will be able to get an idea of the brilliance of the authentic Tsarevets and the Patriarchal complex.
The 56-year-old traveler Forest Mallard has started shooting 19 videos that will promote Veliko Tarnovo around the world. The first five are already available and are dedicated to the Stambolov Bridge, the House with the monkey, the Monument “Assenevtsi”, Mother Bulgaria War Memorial and the Monument of Vasil Levski.
Forest Mallard will stay in Veliko Tarnovo for a month and will be immersed in the history of the city. Videos about a number of other historical landmarks in the old capital are to be shot. Tsarevets, the monument “Velchova Zavera”, the performance “Sound and Light”, the Archaeological Museum, the Patriarchate, the Sarafkin House and many others will be presented.
Forest first came to Veliko Tarnovo in 2016 and immediately fell in love with the city. The landscape, the architecture, the monuments, the medieval ruins and the vast history were unexpected and fascinating. It seems that the whole tourist marketing for Bulgaria directed him to Plovdiv and Sofia, but as a person who loves history, Forest was struck by the fortresses of Veliko Tarnovo and Kardzhali and the natural wonders of Belogradchik.
A special space for shooting with a traditional Bulgarian bow is available to visitors of the Tsarevets fortress as the newest tourist attraction in the old capital. The idea came from Angalot Enminas from Tarnovo, who organises various games and tournaments and is the creator of the room of mysteries – Logiscape. The medieval shooting range is located near the palace and it is a part of a joint initiative with the Archaeological Museum to create many attractions on the hill.
The creator’s idea is for people to get inspired and entertained. He wants to give the visitors an opportunity to feel part of the atmosphere of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, without claiming absolute historical authenticity.
Free sightseeing tour is being organized by the Regional History Museum the reason being the Independence Day, 22 September and the 830th anniversary of the Uprising of Asenevtsi. The Along the footsteps of the Bulgarian state tour will happen on 22nd September and will include key sites related to the history of the Veliko Tarnovo.
The tour starts at 2 pm from the Church of St Demetrius of Thessaloniki. People can join the walk at any point. The tour will be guided.
After the walk the Prison Museum and the Museum of Contemporary History can be visited for free; the last hour for admission being 5 pm.
Other sites that will be free to visit throughout the day are the Tsarevets Fortress and Holy Forty Martyrs Church.
Free guided walking tour:
2 pm Church of St Demetrius of Thessaloniki
2.30 pm Holy Forty Martyrs Church.
3 pm Church of Ss. Peter and Paul
3.30 – 4 pm Through the small gate at Tsarevets Fortress to the Pyramid Monument
Images: Internet