Veliko Turnovo Travel Forum

Hello,

My wife and I are planning to visit VT next september. Both of us are handicapped, and though we do not use wheelchairs, we do use canes and have difficulty walking long distances. What I would like to know, given these conditions, which sites can we expect to have difficulty accessing?

Thanks for your input.

Moshe

hi Moshe,

VT is a lovely place, but very, very hilly, with a lot of old, windy, cobblestone stone streets. I can't think of any place that didn't require at least a bit of a walk, and at least a bit of a hill.

I'm sure there are ways around it, but I don't think it will be an easy place for you. Of course, there are taxis, and some plazas, that shouldn't be too difficult for you.

We will have a car. Is it possible to get to the Tsaravets Fortress by car?

Of course you can drive up to the entrance, I don't know if you're allowed to drive all the way up the the rather long walk up to the fortress though...

bookmark

Well there is a few sites that the taxi's can not quite get to, but not for wanting or lack of trying- the main fortress is a LONG walk (1/2 kilometer, maybe a mile there and back if you walk around it). Most places can be reached by a taxii- average fare for one-way taxi to any local sites in the town area is around 2 leva from the center (about $1~$1.50 USA).

One thing to note, if you're older, BEFORE you go committing to a taxi ride to some historical site (such as Arbanassi monastary right up the hill from VT) take the taxi on a short distance- it makes a difference in the SHOCKS on the VEHICLES when they drive on cobbles- most of the taxi drivers are men, and a lot of them have "sport" suspensions on their cars- great for performance on smooth roads, but a NIGHTMARE on cobbles- it's like having NO shocks at ALL.

But for the most part, we're talking 5 minutes of bumps.

The only places that might be hard, that you'd want to see is...

1) Again, the Main fortree of VT- it's a walkway of cobbles- but it's not too far, and lots of taxi's if you get tired and want to go back- and some benches here and there or walls to sit on and look at the scenary as well.
2) some of the more obscure churches up on the hill- Taxi's can't get up the tiny cobble streets or they'll balk if you ask them (if they understand english- pretty rare!!!)...

Also, to note- a LOT of the sidewalks while NOT cobbles, are made up of uneven flagstones(like the garden stones for walking they sell in home improvement places in the USA).

I would only hessitate on the main fortress if I was organizing a tour for people with a cane- but again, there are benches and one can turn around if one is tired.

Outside of VT, in the monastaries, you can get to the FRONT GATES, but after that you have to walk in- many are paved though for access for the citizens who live there.

-JP
p.s. drop me a note if you have particular sites and I'll stop by next time I'm near them and take a look with your question in mind!

You can get inside the grounds of Tsarevets by car if you arrange it through the local tourist office. You can certainly drive into, and get around inside, the Sts Peter and Pavel monastery overlooking Lyaskovets. And you can get to the university, which has some nice views, and up to Arbanassi... I would expect to spend some cash on a reliable local guide, though, as doing all of this on your own might be quite difficult for a handicapped person. Accommodation for the handicapped is not routinely provided, and you'll need someone with a can-do attitude to run interference for you.