Arbanasi's Angels and Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria

August 2011
It was the 13th  day of my Uniworld Riverboat Cruise and the last day we would call the River Princess home  (though we still had a couple of days in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bucharest before the trip ended).  We had had several long, hot days of intense traveling.  While many of our group chose to spend the day resting or visiting Rousse,  I chose an optional all-day trip to two delightful hilly towns in north central Bulgaria:  Veliko Turnovo and Arbanasi.  We exchanged the hot, humid air of the river for pleasant mountain breezes.  They say Arbanasi has the purest air in Bulgaria.

Veliko Turnovo is considered one of Bulgaria's most beautiful cities as tall, narrow houses rise up the cliffs above the meandering Yantra River.  It was the proud capital of the mighty Second Bulgarian Kingdom ( 1185-1393 ).   Today it is a charming city on the top of the hills with a university, museums, churches, and an active nightlife.  It was a quiet town, though, when we visited and wandered the medieval Samovodene Market Street, filled with interesting artisan craft shops.  This was once the market  area of  the busy medieval capital.

The most dominant feature of the town is the restored walls of the Fortress of Tsarevets (City of Tsars).  The cliff, almost surrounded by the Yantra River,  was used as a natural defense since the 4th millennium BC (that's a long time ago).  Tsar Petur started the wall when he made this city his capital.  The fortress once contained 400+ structures, including the Royal Palace, houses for aristocrats, several churches,  the tower Patriarchate, and the defenses.



The walls include the outreaching, square-like Tower of Baldwin where the Latin Emperor Boudouin I of Constantinople died in prison after being defeated by the Bulgarian King Kaloyan.  (The defeated Emperor's name sounded familiar, and I discovered he was a very distant relative to my family.)  The buildings of  Tsarevets were destroyed during the Ottoman conquest of 1393 (some have been recently rebuilt).  Appropriately, after 480 years of Ottoman rule, the newly liberated Bulgaria held  its first National Assembly here in 1879.  Another nearby hill has the remains of 17 medieval churches.

The nearby town of Arbanasi, with its views of the valley, fresh air, and charm, has become a favorite place for Bulgaria's well-to-do citizens.  It was granted relative autonomy and special economic privileges by the Ottomans, as it protected the pass to the stronghold Veliko Turnovo.  There are still buildings from the Ottoman era--such as the 17th century

Konstantsliev House with its indoor toilet (a closet with a hole in the floor near the kitchen that went to the pig sty underneath--I don't even want to think about the mix of smells).  There was also an interesting "maternity room" where the woman and her babe would stay for several weeks? or months? (I didn't put it in my notes) isolated from the rest of the family.  There were double doors to the room so the servant could leave the meals, laundry, etc. in between and the mother could retrieve them without contact.  It was part of a religious tradition, but was also supposed to protect the mother and babe from diseases and give them time to bond.  I will let current moms comment on those pros and cons.

It was here that I became acquainted with the exquisite Bulgarian rose oil (Julia always said they had the first and best of most everything-- see Vidin post).  It is not far from here that some of the most fragrant roses in the world are grown and handpicked at 3 am, when the dew is still on the petals, to be turned into an oil that, by weight, is more precious than gold.  Bulgarian rose oil is used as an ingredient in some of the most expensive perfumes.  And, of course, in the town's shops, one could buy rose soaps, lotions, lip gloss, perfumes, etc.   They did have a lovely fragrance.


But one of the highlights of my entire trip was to be found in the small chapel of the Saint Archangel Michael and Gabriel Church.  There were seven Orthodox Christian churches that were allowed to be built in Arbanasi during the Ottoman era.  Those that remain have unimpressive and low exteriors.  The Ottomans didn't seem to care what they put inside, but they were not allowed steeples or prominent domes.  So the Christians dug them deep and hid the domes under ordinary roofs.  The interiors were completely covered in beautiful religious paintings.  After we had entered the small Michael and Gabriel church, two women and a man entered in their robes and gave a 20 minute concert.  It was a moment I shall never forget:  the intimate acoustics, angelic voices, and inspirational paintings combined to create a richly spiritual moment.

We then visited the Bishopric Nativity Church whose  countless frescos likewise  brought the spirit of adoration.  I had not anticipated such a deep spiritual experience on a hill top in Bulgaria.


At the Payak Mehana  Restaurant, we enjoyed lovely gardens and country artifacts (yes, Julia also claimed the Bulgarians invented the bagpipe, though my Scottish ancestors would probably disagree).  We were each greeted by the host with the traditional bread breaking and had a fabulous meal with entertainment by local folk dancers. (see video clips for Vidin).  What a magnificent final day in Bulgaria!  I was so glad I made the journey and returned refreshed  for the Captain's Dinner.

Neither the CD from the church singers (appropriately called: Angelic Voices) nor the scanned interior postcards do justice to the music or art work, but they will hopefully will give you a glimmer of the beauty I experienced.

Click link below for the slideshow:
Arbanasi and Veliko Turnovo
Music:  Angelic Voices, Pokayaniya