Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Statue of the Buddha in the main temple
Gadaladeniya Viharaya
McClellan Falls
McClellan Falls
Kraken Habitat
Skye Textile Mill
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Caru' cu Bere
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Inside the Rothko Chapel
These Monuments Showcase the Beauty of Brutalism
about 12 hours ago
Aerial view of Pulau Tiga
The Original ‘Survivor’ Island Changed Television Forever
1 day ago
Obscura Day Summer 2025: Roaming among Assateague's feral island ponies
1 day ago
The main reading room of the Athenaeum.
Obscura Day Summer 2025: Literary Landmarks Across Providence
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Bulgaria Veliko Tarnovo Interhotel Veliko Tarnovo
Interhotel Veliko Tarnovo is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

AO Edited

Interhotel Veliko Tarnovo

A decaying, yet still functioning, work of communist architecture.

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Added By
Graham Walker
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  grahamstewartwalker / Atlas Obscura User
  grahamstewartwalker / Atlas Obscura User
  grahamstewartwalker / Atlas Obscura User
  grahamstewartwalker / Atlas Obscura User
May 2023   DMStephenson / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Interhotel Veliko Tarnovo stands near the center of the Bulgarian town of Veliko Tarnovo. Standing out amongst the more traditional buildings, this could be described as an outstanding example of 1980s communist architecture, or otherwise as an eyesore that should be demolished. As an example of its popularity, the hotel has been featured on a number of online forums and blogs with regards to its distinctive take on brutalist structure.

Construction on the hotel began in 1967, but the project was not completed until 1981. Difficult terrain, unplanned changes in materials, and a change in management were among the setbacks that this monumental architectural project faced. 

The hotel was rather extravagant back in its heyday, housing a swimming pool and riverside nightclub. Unfortunately, it appears that these have been closed and decaying for a number of years now. In 2017, the hotel business went bankrupt and after concerns that the building may be left derelict, a new owner took over. Time will tell over whether the condition of the hotel will be able to return to its glory days.

Reviews online give some idea of the current state of the hotel. Despite still welcoming guests, it appears that the building is semi-abandoned. Perhaps this is what makes the hotel stand out though, as it allows visitors to step back in time.

Related Tags

Hotels Architecture Communist Architecture Brutalism

Know Before You Go

There is adequate parking on the streets around the hotel. You can get a great view of the hotel and its architecture from Asen’s Monument which lies across the river, also well worth a visit if in the area. Read reviews online before booking a stay, they are variable..

Community Contributors

Added By

grahamstewartwalker

Edited By

jlord7, DMStephenson

  • jlord7
  • DMStephenson

Published

July 19, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.sosbrutalism.org/cms/16133057
Interhotel Veliko Tarnovo
2 ul. "Alexander Penchev"
Veliko Tarnovo, 5000
Bulgaria
43.082223, 25.635978
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Asen Dynasty Monument

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

miles away

Ascension Cathedral

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

miles away

Transfiguration Monastery Tunnel

Samovodene, Bulgaria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Veliko Tarnovo

Veliko Tarnovo

Bulgaria

Places 4

Nearby Places

Asen Dynasty Monument

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

miles away

Ascension Cathedral

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

miles away

Transfiguration Monastery Tunnel

Samovodene, Bulgaria

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Veliko Tarnovo

Veliko Tarnovo

Bulgaria

Places 4

Related Places

  • Lit in the evening.

    Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    Hotel Uzbekistan

    Once a luxurious flagship of the Soviet Union, this Brutalist structure remains a landmark of Tashkent’s communist past.

  • Detail of Breuer’s concrete patterns

    New Haven, Connecticut

    Pirelli Building

    After decades of neglect, a brutalist icon is getting new life as an eco-friendly hotel.

  • Isthmia, Greece

    Isthmia Prime Hotel

    A closer look at this somewhat faded hotel by the Corinth Canal reveals the architectural undertones of a genius.

  • Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus

    Podgorica, Montenegro

    Brutalist Church of Podgorica

    This virtually windowless mass of smooth concrete is the only Catholic church in the city.

  • Kruševo Makedonium

    Krusevo, North Macedonia

    The Kruševo Makedonium

    Space-age monument to an early 20th-century uprising.

  • “Let’s give the working class something nice, shall we?”

    Veliky Novgorod, Russia

    Fyodor Dostoevsky Theater of Dramatic Art

    This late-brutalist masterpiece everyone forgot about was originally created to get the proletariat jazzed about the arts.

  • Tbilisi, Georgia

    Archaeology Museum of Tbilisi

    Abandoned museum from the last days of Soviet domination, with a unique Brutalist design.

  • A celebrated architectural feat, the Blennerhassett hotel was adorned with elaborate window treatments, frescoes, and even a passenger elevator.

    Parkersburg, West Virginia

    The (Haunted) Blennerhassett Hotel

    The oldest hotel in West Virginia is reportedly frequented by ghosts.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.