Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hotel Hisar $$$
( 62 717; ul General Gurko; s/d 100/125 lv; )
The post-renovation prices at
the Hisar have risen, but get you handsome, well-maintained rooms, several restaurants, a
great outdoor pool, a sauna and fitness centre, plus the modern balneological complex.
HOTEL
Getting There & Away
The train station and
bus station
( 62 069)
are adjacent. Six daily buses serve Karlovo
(4 lv, 30 minutes), while three serve Sofia (21 lv, three hours). Buses also go to Veliko
Târnovo (22 lv, 3½ hours, four daily) via Kazanlâk (14 lv, two hours, one daily). Several
daily trains connect Hisar with Plovdiv (3.80 lv, 30 minutes).
From the bus and train stations, walk (300m) to the main road, ul Hristo Botev, leaving
the ruins on your right. Then turn right onto bul Ivan Vazov to reach the centre and park.
Karlovo
0335 / POP 22,931
Historic Karlovo, nestled in the foothills of the Stara Planina roughly equidistant from
Koprivshtitsa and Kazanlâk, is not just another appealing mountain town full of National
Revival architecture and antiquated churches; it's also venerated as the birthplace of Vasil
Levski, the leader of the revolution against the Turks in the early 1870s. Although this
historic link is everywhere in Karlovo, most (non-Bulgarian, at least) visitors will be
rather more inspired by the town's placid atmosphere, churches and classic architecture.
Sights & Activities
Karlovo's main sights are accessed by walking up ul Vasil Levski to pl 20 Yuli. Stop first
at pl Vasil Levski, where the revolutionary's
statue
depicts him with a lion (his nickname
among rebel peers). Turn right two times for
Sveta Bogoroditsa Church
(admission free;
7am-7pm)
with intricate wooden iconostases. Opposite, the similarly coloured
History
Museum
( 4728; ul Vûzrozhdenska 4; admission 0.50 lv; 9am-noon & 1-5pm Tue-
Sun)
features ethnological displays.
