The old settlement of Arbanassi is situated on a high plateau with a view to the hills of Tzarevetz and Trapezitza, four kilometers from Veliko Turnovo. It's distinguished for its impressive houses and churches with rich interior decoration, wood-carving, and mural paintings created in XVI - XVII century. Namely these unique monuments from our architectural and arts heritage are the cause for Arbanassi to be frequently visited not only by tourists but also by scientists, archeologists, historians, architects, and artists.
With a tsar decree from 1921 the settlement is declared resort, and in 2000 it is declared "historical settlement" with national significance.
The Arbanassi annals begin with the earliest written document - the firman by sultan Suleiman the Magnificent from 1538 with which he grants the lands of the modern towns Arbanassi, Lyaskovetz, Gorna Oryahovitza, and Dolna Oriahovitza to the grand vizier Rustem pasha who was sultan's son-in-law. In the mentioned firman the four settlements are under one name - Arnabud Karielare.
Other pieces of information about Arbanassi we find in the notes of Pavel Djordjic to the Transsylvanian prince Zigmund Bathory from 10 January 1595. Arbanassi is also mentioned by the Catholic bishop in Sofia Petar Bogdan Balishic who visited Veliko Turnovo in 1640. He mentions that up the mountain there was a town where whole Turnovo can be seen and there were about 1000 households.