The old city is situated on three hills tsarevets trapezitsa and sveta gora raising amidst the meanders of the yantra tsarevets housed the palaces of the bulgarian emperors and the patriarchate as well as a number of administrative and residential edifices surrounded by thick walls trapezitsa was known for its many churches and as the main residence of the nobility in the middle ages it was among the main european centres of culture and gave its name to the tarnovo artistic school of archi