In 1902 a group of patriotic citizens of Veliko Tarnovo set the foundations of the organized tourist movement in our town and region. Many famous intellectuals and people of different occupations are included in it. They adopt the progressive tendencies of the European society to influence the establishment of new knowledge, spiritual maturity and active emotional and healthy way of life through close contact with nature and acquaintance with the historical and tourist sights.
In 1905, the first free youth hostel is opened in Veliko Tarnovo. Through time the tourist idea in our town evokes sympathy in the social life and the values of the town. Even today many of the citizens of Veliko Tarnovo remember the inspiring and charming image of the Tourist Association Chairman before the Second World War Tsonyo Gerganov Director of the Popular Bank in Veliko Tarnovo, who leads the Association and gives a meaning to its events in the period 1924- 1947. It is not an accidental action, when his two sons, subject of the United States of America, donate the house of their patriotic father to the Tourist Association. Many generations of tourists from Veliko Tarnovo remember the first tourist rest house in Bulgaria, built in the mandate of Mr. Gerganov, on the historical hill of Tsarevets. The Board of the trustees of the Tourist Association responds to the needs of the other tourist associations and renders them financial support in the building of the mountain hostels Skakavitsa, Chumerna, the mountain observatories on the peaks of Moussala, Mazalat, Ouzana and Tazha.
A great number of tourists from Veliko Tarnovo are listed as patriotic and socially involved people in the long period of existence of the Tourist Association Trapezitsa. On it are the names of Mosko Moskov, architect Georgi Kozarev, Leon Philipov, proff. Rafail Popov, the mayor of the town from the beginning of the twentieth century, Ivan Vitelov, the teachers Lyubomir Voynikov, Kancho Kanchev, Nikolai Daskalov, Deian Stankov, who posthumously is awarded as Honor citizen of Veliko Tarnovo for 2001 and many others. The loss of some of the tourists and alpinists, died in extreme conditions in the mountains of our country and in the name of the tourist idea, will never be forgotten by the people of our town. In 1985, in honor of the 800 anniversary of the revolt of the brothers Assen and Peter, the alpinists of the Tourist Association Trapezitsa -1902 organized a successful expedition to the highest peak of the Pamir mountain the peak of Garmo(7495m.) on its north ridge( the former USSR), which included five ascents. Petar Petrov, one of the alpinists in the five-member national team, performed the most significant technical ascent in the history of Bulgarian alpinism on the 2500 meters high South wall of the peak of Garmo. Petar Panayotov is one of the participants in the national expedition in 1989 and steps on the peak of Anapourna (8201m.) The same year our tourist association is a host organizor of the World Cup Competition Climbing Championship for men and women in the region of the convent St. Trinity. 180 categorized routes are equipped on the rock massif in the vicinity of Veliko Tarnovo and two artificial walls are built at the Technical secondary school and in the Sport Hall of the University of Veliko Tarnovo. Kalin Garbov is a European champion in 1995 and third in the World Sport Climbing Championship. Since 1995, when the tourists of Veliko Tarnovo carry out the first in the country student orienteering competition until nowadays, the Tourist Association is among the most active associations in the practice and development of sport orienteering. Numerous are the achievements of the competitors in orienteering from Veliko Tarnvo in state championships and the town has been a host of many competitions.
The most numerous, however, are the clubs of the trekking tourists. People of different age from primary school pupils to elderly people take part in the hikes in the areas near the town and in all the mountains of Bulgaria, organized by the Bulgarian Tourist Union and the tourist associations.