Travel Bulgaria - Old Bulgarian Capitals

PLISKA This is the Slavic name the Proto-Bulgarians gave to the first capital of their new state. Reviving the traditions of their predecessors, they erected a monumental and austere city. Remains of the most impressive buildings have survived until the present: the Large Basilica, the palaces and Throne Room from the second half of the 9-th century. Pliska is now a National Archeological Reserve.

VELIKI PRESLAV Built over nearly three decades by Tsar Simeon, the second Bulgarian capital was designed to correspond to the prosperity and upsurge of the Bulgarian state, the conversion to Christianity, the creation of the Slav script and culture. As in Pliska, two fortress walls surrounded the city. With its splendour and ornate decorations, the inner city, housing the palace complex and the famous Golden Church, demonstrates the power and confidence of the Bulgarian rulers. The nearby Patleina monastery, part of the Veliki Preslav National Archeological Reserve, was a center for writers of the famous Preslav school of literature and the place where the unique painted “Preslav ceramics” were crafted.
The Second Bulgarian Capital Veliki Preslav

VELIKO TURNOVO The capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire ( 1185 - 1393). If you should happen to visit this unusual city whose stone houses seem perched one above the other on the steep bank of the Yantra river, you will first be taken to see Tsarevets - the place of the patriarchal church and royal palaces, the hill where Baldwin's Tower still rises, linked with the legend of the Latin Emperor Baldwin I of Flanders who was captured by Tsar Kaloyan. Then you will be shown another hill Trapezitsa - where the foundations of 17 mediaeval churches were discovered. You will marvel and enthuse over the Bulgarian National Revival period architectural ensembles on Gurko Street, the old Nikoli Inn and the St. Constantine and Helena Church. The original Samovodene Market has been brought back to life and, as in olden times, skillful craftsmen fashion and sell exquisite objects in the small restored workshops. At night, proud Tsarevets lends the natural decor to a fantastic sound-and-sight spectacle.
The Capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire Veliko Tarnovo

SOFIA Born 7 000 years ago and preserving unique architectural monuments, the Bulgarian capital today is a genuine treasure trove for those who value antiquities, blending harmoniously with the city’s modern appearance. Even the briefest of sightseeing tours will definitely include the St. George Rotunda (4th c. AD) - a fine monument of Roman architecture, the St. Sophia early Christian basilica (6th c. AD) which gave the city its name and is eternalized in its coat of arms, and the Alexander Nevsky Memorial Cathedral with its golden domes, impressive interior, exquisite murals, icons and colourful mosaics. Like any modern European capital, Sofia is the country's main political, social and business center, the hub of an active cultural life.
Sofia - the Church "St. Sophia"

[ Back to top of the page ]