Gorna Oryahovitsa tourist info and hotels

In the 3rd-4th century a.d. there was a fortress called Ryahovetz, around which a settlement was formed. In 1870 the settlement was called after the fortress – Gorna Oriahovitsa and is still known in this way.
The town of Gorna Oriahovitsa is situated in the North-Eastern part of Bulgaria, near Veliko Turnovo. The town is lying at the foot of the Arbanashka Mountain, near the Yantra River. Averagely, it is located at 218m elevation.
The climate in the area is moderately continental and the average temperature is 12,5°C. The soil in the area is suitable for agriculture as it has alluvial meadow characteristics. The town itself is situated between the Yantra and Rossitsa Rivers. The underground waters, used in the industry, come from 6-12m depth and most of the irrigation comes from Rossitza River.
Gorna Oriahovitza is among the biggest railway junctions in Bulgaria. The railway station itself is also among the biggest ones, with 4 different sub-stations – for passengers, for loading, for distributing and for containing. There are 5 different directions you can take from the station in Gorna Oriahovitza.

The natural life in the area is highly varied. Only five kilometers away from Gorna Oriahovitsa you can find Bojur Polyana. In this protected site you can see the rare peony which is also a symbol of the town. Gorna Oriahovitsa is also surrounded from one side by the Kamaka Forest Park. There you can see the rare imperial eagle (Kartal), an image of which was found on old coins in the Ryahovets Fortress. You can also see black stork nesting in the summer, or swans in the Yantra River in the winter.
For the nature lovers, Gorna Oriahovitsa has many hiking trails. One of the most famous trails goes through the Monastery of Sveti Prorok Ilia, Bojur Hut, Sveta Troitsa Monastery and back to the Bojur Hut. Another one includes the Historical Museum, the Ruahovets Fortress, the Monastery of Sveti Prorok Ilia and the sanctuary of the Mother Goddess in the Kamaka area. There is also a cycling trail from the Churukovets area to the Bojur Hut.

There are also some beautiful eco-trails, where you will find gorgeous landscape, some interesting nature phenomena and animals. One of them is the Kamaka trail, which goes through the Churukovets area, Mravunyaka, the Kamaka rock, Suhata River, Syuleiman Cheshma and Bojur Hut. From it you can see a gorgeous panoramic view of the town and its surroundings. Another eco-trail starts from the near village of Pravda and passes along the Yantra River, Staroto Selo, Ashava and Cherven Bryag.
You can find many perfect fishing spots along the Yantra and Rossitsa Rivers, especially near the villages of Vurbitsa, Krusheto and Draganovo.
If you are into hunting you should go in the Kortena Hunting Reserve, between the villages of Draganovo and Strelets, which is part of the State Game-breeding Station of Bolyarka.
In case you don’t want to spend all the nights in Gorna Oriahovitsa, you can also find lodging in the Bojur Hut, which is situated five kilometers away from the town, in the Kamaka Forest Park. You can reach it on foot or by car.
An interesting attraction is the Ryahovets Fortress, built between III and IV century by the Roman Emperor Aurelius III. The place became a very important defense fort during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (XII-XIV century). It was also the biggest fortress in Medieval Bulgaria with 3 gates. The legend goes that there is even a secret underground passage leading to the fortress in Veliko Turnovo.
There is another old fortress – Kaleto – close to the Gorski Goren Trambesh village.
Also a place of interest is the Patriarch Monastery of Sveta Troitsa, only 8 kilometers away from the town. It was founded by Teodosii Tarnovski in XIV century and in 1375 in the place Evtimii received the highest title –Patriarch of the Bulgarians. During the Ottoman rule it declined, but was renovated in 1847 and its church was built and painted respectively by the Bulgarian masters Kolyo Ficheto and Zaharii Zograf.
Gorna Oriahovitsa annually hosts the National Assembly of the one hundred years old Community centers in Bulgaria. If you like art, you should also visit the Exhibition Hall, where there are always some interesting displays by Bulgarian artists. In the town is also held the Zhivopisatira fair for satiric painting, which is also very popular.