Bulgaria's Veliko Tarnovo to Apply for UNESCO World Heritage

The town of Veliko Tarnovo is to apply for the inclusion of its natural and historic landmarks into the UNESCO World Heritage list.

It will seek to place there its famous hills, where monuments dating centuries back can be seen, and the meanders of the Yantra river running through the town.

Six Middle-Age churches and village of Arbanasi, a popular tourist destinations, are to be proposed as a "group of monuments".

Officials hope the move could also draw funds to conserve significant cultural and natural venues.

With its name translated as "Great Tarnovo", it was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396).