Mara’s Field Park is located in the Veliko Tarnovo City. It is a favorite place for walking and a place of recreation for locals and tourists. A variety of species of plants and fountains contributes to its beauty. There are several restaurants and caffees in the park.
In the past there was a medieval village, but today the park is the most vibrant, especially in the weeks that became the annual stage of the International Folklore Festival in Veliko Tarnovo.

This is the most beautiful and elegant park in the city. It is always full of people and it is the favorite place for walking for mothers with small children, but, in fact there are people of all ages. Landscaped with walkways and beautiful fragrant flower beds. Wherever there are benches. It is an untold feeling to lie down under the shade of trees when summer heat. The fountains do not always work, but anything else is in a good condition. Three chess tables are placed in the park by the organization of young Rotarians “Rotaract”. Amid the alleys there is a fountain and the promenade is a bust-memorial of the Gen. Y. V. Gurko the hero of the Russo-Turkish War (1877- 1878 years) started in 1957. It is differentiated with enough room for fun and games for children with swings, climbing frames and slides.
During the summer, the park hosts festivals and holidays and the music resounds until late evening.
At one end of the park, there are some nice restaurants that offer outdoor seating in warm weather, with wonderful views of the park.
In 1990 the park was called “Tolbuhin” and then the park was called “Mara’s Field” on behalf of the whole area where it is built.
Here’s one part of the legend according to which the area bears this name.

The Turkish sultan heard that the king Ivan Shishman has a beautiful sister and asked her to marry him. Dazed with grief, the Bulgarian King made a sacrifice and gave his sister Mara, in order to be peace in the Bulgarian lands.

Sultan’s men came to get the king’s daughter, but she wanted to make a last tour of the places she was born and raised. She left the Tsarevets fortress, passed the Arbanasi plateau and climbed over the white cliffs Lyaskovetz. Here she looked over the beautiful homeland and cried long time alone. It is said that where her tears swelled the grapevines budded. People took care of them and they gave tremendous grapes.

Mara went on her way and even reached the royal palace. Here she had to say goodbye to his relatives and the Bulgarian people. This separation has been hard. Everybody understood the high price, the daughter of Ivan Alexander has paid. All cried and prayed for her. In that night, the bells in Tarnovo, haven’t called for Vespers and nobody lit the incense in their homes. The City sank into darkness. The place, where they sent the princess from Tarnovo, has been called Mara’s Field – (Mar(i)no pole).
After spending ten years in the Sultan’s harem, Mara refused to change her faith and to forgot her roots. The Sultan exiles her in one of the Bulgarian outlying areas at that time – the Macedonian area of today. Untill now, the Tower Girl fortres stands on the Mesta River valley which is associated with Ivan Shishman’s sister.