The Bishop’s Bridge

The Bishop’s Bridge in Veliko Tarnovo was built 250 years ago. It was raised over the Yantra River in 1774. The bridge connects the two biggest attractions of Veliko Tarnovo – the fortresses of Tsarevets and Trapezitsa. The bridge is located in the Assen’s neighbourhood, near the restored Shishmanov’s bath, the churches of St. Dimitar, „The Assumption of Virgin Mary“, „St. George“ and „The Great Lavra“, from which today is left only the church “St Forty Martyrs”. The name of the bridge comes from the proximity of the former Tarnovo bishopric, which was situated near the temple “St. St., Peter and Paul “.

And the fact that the construction of the bridge was financed by the bishops of Tarnovo. In fact, the facility is not entirely wooden and has stone foundations, but pedestrians walk on a wooden structure. The fixed boards are actually delivered today from Romania in 2012 and are illuminated at Dimitrovden after the repairing of the bridge. The facility remembers all the secrets of the Asenov’s district because it was the only road from Veliko Tarnovo to the village of Arbanassi. At the eastern end of the bridge, you can see the guard houses, whose towers in the past housed the guards of the Bridge. Beneath them, there were special rooms where the then customs officers, who controlled the duty, which was taken by the numerous traders for the goods they sold in Veliko Tarnovo, worked.

From the bridge is thrown the Holly Cross in Yantra river. According to the ox Bulgarian tradition, that lad who on January 6th enters the icy waters of the river and succeeds in catching the cross will be healthy throughout the following year. As you stroll along the Vladislav Bridge, turn the look down to see the huge fishes that swim in Yantra.