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Bulgaria'shistory is a rich one, speckled with fierce battles and great leadersand throughout the country there are places that have kept the spiritof those times. A preferred destination for retirees from the UK,Veliko Tarnovo is one such place - a place where modern time visitorscan submerge themselves in Bulgaria, as it was years and years ago, andalmost hear the echo of swords crossing.

By Petya Sabinova

Myfirst impression of Veliko Tarnovo, when I visited it more than adecade ago was that the whole city was made entirely out of hillocks. Iremember going up and up and up, only to reach a place where I had togo left and then up and up again. In reality, the city, placed in thefoothills of the Balkan in central Bulgaria, lies on three hills -Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora. Its picturesque nature, its feelfor history and the fact that it has always been a cradle of arts, hasmade Veliko Tarnovo a must-go spot not only for tourists but also forBulgarians who want to get back in touch with their roots.

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Thecity has witnessed a lot of the country's history, and it has kept manyrecords of the triumphs and tribulations in the fortresses, palaces andchurches, preserved for nine centuries. The Baldwin Tower still remindsBulgarians that their leaders once captured none other but the emperorof the Latin Empire, Baldwin of Flanders himself. Defeated byBulgaria's Tsar Kaloyan at the battle at Odrin in 1205, Baldwin spenthis last years locked in the tower, the legend says.

The mostimpressive historical remains are without a doubt at the Tsarevetshill, where the old fortress still looks unconquerable, although ithasn't had to prove the sturdiness of its walls in years. If you arelucky enough, you may even get to see the Lights and Sound show, heldon special occasions, that makes the glory of the old days come to lifeand moves even those who have never felt any connection with Bulgaria'shistory before.

Veliko Tarnovo's architecture is yet another ofthe reasons, why one shouldn't forget to make a stop in the city whilein Bulgaria. Excellent examples of the Bulgarian national revivalperiod still grace the streets and the architects' skills at findingthe right place for each house despite the unfavorable terrain amazeeven today. With their small wooden balconies, tiny windows, creepingvines and aromatic geraniums, the houses there look like they have beentaken out a fairy-tale. A tale of Bulgaria and its struggle to rebuilditself and find its national identity after five centuries under theOttoman rule.

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VelikoTarnovo may not be the most ancient Bulgarian city but it is, without adoubt the most Bulgarian city, brochures boast. And whoever wrote thatwas not far from the truth, as this city, a mixture of the modern-daystruggle to be more European and the legacy that has been piling up forcenturies, truly represents the country and its people.

Sofia News Agency