Veliko Turnovo's main attraction is the medieval city built into the hills above the Yantra River gorge. The three fortified hills — Tsarevets, Trapezitsa, and Devingrad — each carry medieval ruins, and the old quarters of Varusha and Asenov have preserved 19th-century houses, craft workshops, and frescoed churches. The town is also an excellent base for monastery circuits in the surrounding Yantra valley.