Veliko Tarnovo. 20th April 2024
I needed to write down and remember the name of this place. Just because I'd never heard of it till now doesn't mean it wasn't … or, indeed, isn't an important place. VT, as the local folk call it, is an ancient city which was once the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. So, of course, there's an imposing hilltop fortress standing over all
We didn't go up there; it wasn't on the tour, and it looked like rather an exhausting climb up from the ticket booth. So we had a look around the picturesque Old Town instead. We did some window shopping at the traditional craft shops, and came upon a sort of piazza which offered some excellent views of the town and the surrounding countryside.
I don't propose to go into the history of Bulgaria in any depth. I trust you'll forgive me for applying the old saying that 'a little inaccuracy saves a world of explanation'.
Briefly, the Byzantine Empire, which had replaced the First Bulgarian Empire imposed a heavy tax on the Bulgarians, to which the Bulgarians took exception. So, a revolution, led by two brothers, Asen and Peter, displaced the Byzantines, and established the Second Bulgarian Empire.
From a terrace in the Old Town, there's a view looking down to some striking murals, below which is a memorial statue to commemorate Asen and Peter, and the countryside beyond.
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