Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension

The Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension crowns the fortified hill of Tsarevets, in the heart of the old capital Veliko Tarnovo. Here, in the 12th-14th centuries, stood the seat of the Bulgarian Patriarch and the spiritual centre of the Second Bulgarian Empire, until the fortress fell to the Ottomans in 1393. Today's church rises on the foundations of the medieval cathedral, which itself had been built over a late Roman-Byzantine basilica of the 5th-6th centuries.

What to see Reconstructed between 1978 and 1981, the cathedral impresses with its slender silhouette, visible across the whole town. The interior, however, is wholly unusual: instead of traditional frescoes, the artist Teofan Sokerov covered the walls with modernist murals, completed in 1985, depicting dramatic moments of medieval Bulgarian history — the rise and fall of Tarnovo — in an expressive, almost sombre style. It is precisely for this reason that the church was never re-consecrated and functions as a museum-monument rather than an active place of worship. For the visitor, the contrast between its Byzantine form and modern painting makes it one of the most memorable buildings in Bulgaria.

Practical The cathedral sits inside the Tsarevets architectural reserve; access is on foot, climbing up through the fortress from the main entrance in Veliko Tarnovo. As a museum-monument, the Tsarevets entrance ticket applies; still, respect the sacredness of the place, and wear comfortable shoes for the steep path. It is at its finest at sunset, especially on evenings with the "Sound and Light" show staged on the hill. Around you lie the entire medieval citadel, the old town and the banks of the Yantra River. The 4.6 rating reflects both its historical weight and the strong impression left by the murals.