Fortress & castleNorthern Bulgaria & the Danube

Trapezitsa, the Medieval Hill Fortress of Veliko Tarnovo

Trapezitsa is a hill in Veliko Tarnovo, almost encircled by the Yantra River, that was the second most important citadel of the medieval Bulgarian capital after Tsarevets. Today it is an archaeological site with the ruins of many churches, parts of the fortress wall and a restored south tower. It makes a fine, quieter counterpart to Tsarevets.

A thick wall once ringed this hill, and inside it stood boyars' homes and dozens of richly decorated churches. For centuries it held the relics of St John of Rila.

WhereVeliko Tarnovo, north-western bank of the Yantra River, across from Tsarevets

TypeMedieval hill fortress and archaeological site with church ruins

Best forHistory and archaeology fans, and visitors who like to walk among ruins

Getting thereIn Veliko Tarnovo itself, on a hill around which the Yantra winds

The history of Trapezitsa

People settled this hill very early. The first fortified settlement dates from the late Chalcolithic, around 4200-4000 BCE, and a Thracian settlement stood here in the Bronze Age, in the thirteenth to twelfth centuries BCE, and again in the Early Iron Age. Bulgarian sources add that under Byzantine rule the hill was inhabited by the trapezites, guardians of mountain passes, one of several theories about where its name comes from.

The first traces of the medieval defences date from the 1160s to 1180s. The main fortifications were raised in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, when Tarnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire and Trapezitsa was the second most important citadel of the city, after Tsarevets. The hill is a natural fortress, circled on three sides by the Yantra and rising about 81 metres above the river. A thick wall of crushed stone, up to six metres high, surrounded the plateau, which measures roughly 470 by 300 metres, and the fortress had four entrances. The main gate lay on the south side and was linked to Tsarevets by a bridge over the river, opposite the Holy Forty Martyrs Church; a road cut into the rock led up to it.

Trapezitsa was a place of nobles and relics. In 1195 Tsar Ivan Asen I had the relics of St John of Rila brought to a church built for them on the hill, and a monastery grew up around it. Bulgarian sources say the relics were kept in Veliko Tarnovo until 1469, when they were moved to the Rila Monastery. Tsar Kaloyan placed the relics of St Gabriel of Lesnovo in the Church of the Holy Apostles on Trapezitsa. Medieval biographies of St John of Rila call the place “the glorious city of Trapezitsa”, and the homes of boyars stood among its many churches.

Excavations have uncovered the foundations of seventeen churches. They were richly decorated, with pilasters, niches, blind arches, coloured slabs and rows of green or yellow glazed ceramic discs, and with mosaics and murals inside. The earliest, church no. 16, dates from around the turn of the tenth and eleventh centuries, while church no. 5, from the time of the Asen dynasty, is the only one with mosaic decoration. Churches 2, 7 and 14 are called tomb churches because of the burials found in them, and churches 6, 11, 13 and 14 are known as royal churches because of the royal figures in their frescoes. The largest, church no. 8, is known as the church of Ivan Rilski.

Interest in the ruins arose in the nineteenth century, though the Ottoman authorities banned digging in 1856. The first serious excavations followed the Liberation, led by Marin Drinov and Vasil Beron; Beron continued in 1884 after the Tarnovo Archaeological Society was founded, and the French archaeologist Georges Sor dug here in 1900. In 1910 the archaeologist Karel Shkorpil published the first overall plan of the remains. New excavations ran from 2008 to 2015, and in the same years the south tower was restored and some churches were partly reconstructed.

Curious facts about Trapezitsa

The name may come from the Bulgarian word for a table, from the trapezium shape of the plateau, or from the trapezites, soldiers who guarded the passes.
The foundations of seventeen churches have been found on the hill, many once decorated with murals, mosaics and glazed ceramic plates.
In 1195 the relics of St John of Rila were placed in a church on the hill and stayed in Veliko Tarnovo until 1469, when they were moved to the Rila Monastery.
A local legend says that a mint stood near the south entrance, and that when the Ottomans came, its machines and raw gold were hidden in a secret underground chamber sealed with a stone slab.
The first overall plan of the ruins was drawn by Karel Shkorpil and published in 1910, together with his plan of Tsarevets.
A street in the centre of Sofia is named after Trapezitsa.

Tours near Trapezitsa

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

ATV/QUAD Off-Road Tour in Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanasi

★ 5 (61 reviews) · 1.5 h

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Admission Ticket to Illusions in Museum in Veliko Turnovo

★ 4.8 (41 reviews) · 1 h

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Interactive Presentation about Bulgarian Poets

★ 5 (19 reviews) · 40 min

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Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanasi day tour from Sofia with pickup

★ 4.9 (19 reviews) · 10 h

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Visiting Trapezitsa: what to expect

The hill is in Veliko Tarnovo on the Yantra River, across from Tsarevets; check the current opening hours and visiting conditions before you go.
Look for the stretches of fortress wall, the restored south tower and the foundations of the churches, some of them with traces of decoration.
The slopes are steep and the cliffs make some parts hard to reach, so wear sturdy shoes.
The Holy Forty Martyrs Church, from which a bridge once crossed to Tsarevets, is about 1 km away, as are Baldwin's Tower and the Church of St Demetrius of Thessaloniki; all have pages on this site.
The Transfiguration Monastery, about 4 km away, is a natural addition to a day in Veliko Tarnovo.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Trapezitsa is

Photos of Trapezitsa

Questions

What is Trapezitsa in Veliko Tarnovo?

Trapezitsa is a medieval fortress on a hill in Veliko Tarnovo, the second most important citadel of the Bulgarian capital after Tsarevets. It is now an archaeological site with the ruins of many churches.

Where is Trapezitsa and how does it relate to Tsarevets?

It stands on the opposite bank of the Yantra from Tsarevets, in Veliko Tarnovo. In the Middle Ages a bridge over the river linked its main gate with Tsarevets.

How old is Trapezitsa?

People lived on the hill as early as the late Chalcolithic, around 4200-4000 BCE. The medieval defences began in the twelfth century and were mostly built in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

What is the story of St John of Rila's relics on Trapezitsa?

In 1195 Tsar Ivan Asen I had the relics placed in a church on the hill. Bulgarian sources say they stayed in Veliko Tarnovo until 1469, when they were moved to the Rila Monastery.

What can you see on Trapezitsa today?

You can see parts of the fortress wall, the restored south tower and the foundations of the excavated churches. Some of the churches have been partly reconstructed.

What else is worth seeing near Trapezitsa?

Baldwin's Tower, the Church of St Demetrius of Thessaloniki and the Holy Forty Martyrs Church are about 1 km away. The Transfiguration Monastery is about 4 km away.