St. Dimitrii of Basarbovo Monastery

Begin your day trip to Veliko Tarnovo with a departure from your hotel in Bucharest in the morning. You will drive south, crossing the Danube River which separates Romania from Bulgaria. First stop will be Basarabov Monastery, the only monastery in Bulgaria carved in the rock and inhabited since its establishment. It is so named because of its proximity to the town of Basarbovo, and dedicated to St. Dimitri of Basarabov, a resident of the monastery in the 17th century.

Tsarevets

Not far from Basarabov Monastery is the charming medieval city,Veliko Tarnovo,often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", located on the Yantra River and is famously known as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. You will walk on the cobbled streets in the historical quarter of Samovodskata Charshiya and up on the hill, you will discover the fortress of Tsarevets, settled in the 4th century, surrounded by thick walls. It became famous after the Second Bulgarian Empire established the capital at Veliko Tarnovo, often being compared to Rome or Constantinople in greatness. 400 residential buildings, over 22 churches and 4 monasteries where discovered on site.