The first university outside the Bulgarian capital, with patrons the brothers Cyril and Methodius, was founded on the historical and picturesque hill of Sveta gora (Holy Mount) in Veliko Tarnovo in the fall of 1963. The University developed within the context of the educational and cultural tradition of the famous XIV century Tarnovo Literary School.
Today St Cyril and St Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, the largest Bulgarian university outside of Sofia, is a highly respected center for the Fine Arts and the Humanities, enjoying both a national and international reputation and maintaining a wide range of international contacts around the world. The highly qualified staff of scholars and lecturers, the wide variety of subjects and the developed and modern material and technical foundation makes the University eligible for the needs and tasks of restructuring higher education in Bulgaria – a step forward which is imperative both in the present and the future.