Nestled down in the river valley, immediately below Tsarevets, the church can be reached on foot in 15 or 20 minutes from the old town or Tsarevets. The pretty little mediaeval church is not at all imposing in appearance and yet it was here that Prince Ferdinand I declared the independence of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule on September 22 1908 and became Tsar. The church was badly damaged in 1913 by an earthquake and has only recently been restored. The mediaeval tsars Kaloyan, Ivan Assen II, Mihail Shishman, Tsaritsa Anna Maria and Tsaritsa Irina, and Saint Sava of Serbia are all buried here.

The large garden surrounded by a high stone wall, makes for a very pleasant setting for a few moments of contemplation.