Things to do in Ruse
-
A
Roman Fortress of Sexaginta Prista
Defensive walls, a tower, some barracks and a storage area are what remain of this once great fortress, completed in AD 70. Around 600 soldiers once stood guard here, guaranteeing safe passage for river traders from their high bluff over the river. Stone inscriptions, decorative sculptures and tombstones are also displayed, and background information is posted in English. The friendly staff will show you around, and, if you’re interested, to the somewhat more recent German Bunker, hewn out of bricks in WWII and still marvellously intact. Other ancient finds are kept in the cool confines of the underground bunker.
reviewed
-
B
Church of Sveta Troitsa
Behind the magnificent opera house is the Russian-style Church of Sveta Troitsa, Ruse’s oldest surviving Ottoman-era building, built in 1632. The Turkish stipulation that no church should stand higher than a mosque led builders here, as elsewhere, to build partially underground. Large, well-preserved murals and 16th-century crosses and icons are the standouts here, as are the tower’s stained-glass windows. The bell tower was a post-Ottoman addition from the late 19th century.
reviewed
-
C
Mehana Chiflika
[ourpick] Mehana Chiflika The enormous Chiflika is an excellent mehana with traditional furnishings, live music and a wide range of grilled meats. It’s a place for hearty eaters, and the rustic charm is only enhanced by the sight of some dishes being served up on what are essentially chipped-off tree stumps.
reviewed
-
Danube Bridge
Sights Some 6km Downstream From Ruse, This Double-Decker Highway And Railway Bridge Finished In 1954 Links The City With Giurgiu On The Romanian Side Of The Danube. At 2.8km In Length, And Towering 30m Above The Water, It's The Largest Steel Bridge In Europe.
In A Nod To The Neighbourly Bickering Between Bulgarians And Romanians, The Soviets Named It The Friendship Bridge. Whatever Filial Sentiments This Act May Have Inspired Were Sorely Tested In The 1980s, When A Romanian Chlorine-And-Sodium Plant Caused Massive Air Pollution And Health Problems In Ruse. More Recently, Locals Suffered The Misfortune Of Another Catastrophic Spill In Romania. In The Wake Of These Incident…
reviewed
-
D
Pantheon of the National Revival
The Park na Vazrozhdentsite (Park of the Revivalists), lined with the graves of local revolutionary heroes, is dominated by the gold-domed Pantheon of the National Revival. This grand achievement of Soviet monumentalism was built in 1978, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of 453 Ruse-area natives who fought the Ottomans in the Russo-Turkish War. Their remains are inside.
reviewed
-
E
Museum of the Urban Lifestyle in Ruse
The Museum of the Urban Lifestyle in Ruse was built in 1866 and features early-20th-century crockery, cutlery, porcelain and costumes. The elegant furnishings date to the same period. The museum is alternatively known as the Kaliopa House. According to legend, the Turkish governor, Midhat Pasha, gave the house to his reputed mistress, Calliope, the beautiful Greek wife of the Prussian ambassador.
reviewed
-
F
Canetti Trade House
The grandfather of Bulgarian Jewish writer Elias Canetti (1905-94), winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, built this fine house. The cosmopolitan Canetti spoke Ladino, Bulgarian, German and English, embodying the spirit of fin-de-siècle Ruse, a city marked by its mixed nationalities and cultures. The house is now a private residence, so you can only look on from outside.
reviewed
-
G
Transportation Museum
The unique Transportation Museum exhibits vintage locomotives from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as carriages that once belonged to Balkan luminaries such as Tsar Boris III, Tsar Ferdinand and Turkish Sultan Abdul Aziz. A photo display documents the development of communications and mass transport in Ruse.
reviewed
-
H
Catholic Church of St Paul the Crucified
The Catholic Church of St Paul the Crucified, just off ul Pridunavski, was completed in 1892. Its original murals, stained-glass windows, chandeliers and icons survive. St Paul’s was the first Bulgarian church equipped with an organ, and they still fire up the 700-pipe monster for Sunday mass.
reviewed
-
I
Clock Tower
The Clock Tower, on the site of Bulgaria's first insurance company, is a popular meeting point. Located on the square at the corner of ul Alexandrovska and ul Daskalov, the clock tower stands, of course, over the Honorary Consulate of Mongolia.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
J
Soundgarden
The once frequent live rock shows held here had become, at the time of writing, sadly rare; nevertheless, this weathered place between the square and the river retains its alternative edge and cultivates a pub ambience.
reviewed
-
K
Ruse Opera House
The Ruse Opera House, open since about 1890 and one of the town’s finest buildings, is well known for its quality productions. Buy tickets at the box offices, or through the Tourist Information Centre.
reviewed
-
Leventa
This gourmet eatery is not exactly central, though it is excellent. It boasts a winery, and produces an aromatic red wine characterising the vino of the Danube delta. Food is both inspired Bulgarian and international.
reviewed
-
L
Soviet Army Monument
North of the Pantheon of National Revival, at the end of ul Saedinenie, is the Soviet Army Monument, built in 1949. Behind this is the Youth Park, with playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis courts and good river views.
reviewed
-
M
Ruse Regional Museum of History
Ruse Regional Museum of History is a new history museum containing prehistoric, Roman and medieval Bulgarian archaeological finds, taken from the Roman fortress and other local sites.
reviewed
-
N
Restaurant Dublin
Yes, it serves Guinness, but no, it’s not a pub; the Dublin is in fact one of the city’s better restaurants, with a big menu of inventive Bulgarian and international cuisine.
reviewed
-
O
Zahari Stoyanov House-Museum
Revolutionary hero Zahari Stoyanov and his firearms collection, along with sabres and early photographs, are commemorated at the Zahari Stoyanov House-Museum.
reviewed
-
P
Khlebozavod Ruse
A busy take-away place on the pedestrian mall near bul Tsar Osvoboditel, this little shop sells an array of banitsa (cheese pasties) and similar morning-hours snacks.
reviewed
-
Q
Deep Club & House
Also on ul Aleksandrovska, this cool bar with outdoor seating and a dark, eclectically decorated subterranean section plays a variety of music and is a good chill-out place.
reviewed
-
R
Sava Ognyanov Drama Theatre
The Sava Ognyanov Drama Theatre is well known for its quality productions. Buy tickets at the box offices, or through the Tourist Information Centre.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
S
Park na Vazrozhdentsite
The Park na Vazrozhdentsite, lined with the graves of local revolutionary heroes, is dominated by the gold-domed Pantheon of the National Revival.
reviewed
-
T
Dunav Tours
Arranges private rooms and tours, and sells tickets for long-distance buses; also runs unique eight-day Danube boat cruises to Vienna.
reviewed
-
U
Ali Baba
Quick and tasty chicken shishle, kebabs, falafel and meat wraps for takeaway or eating at the outdoor tables.
reviewed
-
V
Art Club
Just across the park, this spacious bar is the place to go for live jazz music (Wednesday to Saturday).
reviewed
-
W
Byala Zvezda
Local NGO organising hiking, caving, canoeing, trekking and cycling trips in Rusenski Lom Nature Park.
reviewed
