Sights in Central Balkans
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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.
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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.
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Tsarevets Fortress
The inescapable symbol of this proud medieval town, this reconstructed fortress dominates the skyline, and is one of Bulgaria's most beloved monuments. The Tsarevets Museum-Reserve is located on Tsarevets Hill, which has been settled since time immemorial due to its strategic location. Thracians and Romans used it as a defensive position, but the Byzantines built the first significant fortress here between the 5th and 7th centuries.
The fortress was rebuilt and fortified by the Slavs and Bulgars between the 8th and 10th centuries, and again by the Byzantines in the early 12th century. When Târnovgrad became the Second Bulgarian Empire's capital, the fortress was truly mag…
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Nativity Memorial Church
Even before arriving in Shipka, you’ll see the splendid, onion-shaped golden domes of the Nativity Memorial Church glittering from amidst thick woods above the village, framed against the mountain. Part of the Shipka Monastery, and also known as the Church of St Nikolai, the magnificent structure was built in 1902 as a dedication to soldiers who died at the Shipka Pass during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78). The design is heavily influenced by Russian architecture, and features five golden domes and 17 church bells that can be heard for several kilometres when rung. Inside the crypt Russian soldiers who perished are interred, and there are some wonderful frescoes depict…
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Tsarevets Museum-Reserve
The inescapable symbol of this proud medieval town, this reconstructed fortress dominates the skyline, and is one of Bulgaria’s most beloved monuments. The Tsarevets Museum-Reserve is located on Tsarevets Hill, which has been settled since time immemorial due to its strategic location. Thracians and Romans used it as a defensive position, but the Byzantines built the first significant fortress here between the 5th and 7th centuries. The fortress was rebuilt and fortified by the Slavs and Bulgars between the 8th and 10th centuries, and again by the Byzantines in the early 12th century. When Târnovgrad became the Second Bulgarian Empire’s capital, the fortress was truly m…
reviewed
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Galeriya Dimitâr Dobrovich
Galeriya Dimitâr Dobrovich is signposted from the centre as ‘Sirak Skirnik’. This art gallery in the park displays the works of 19th- and 20th-century Bulgarian artists, including many by its namesake, Sliven-born painter Dimitâr Dobrovich. Among the works, which display strong French and Italian influences, are portraits of local luminaries and ordinary people, as well as numerous impressionistic landscape paintings (including an evocative portrayal of Veliko Târnovo). The gallery’s most intriguing section, however, belongs to the Museum of Christian Art on the lower floor, which has a large collection of 18th- and 19th-century icons, some from the Tryavna sch…
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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…
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History Museum
The Exhibition Hall of Carpets & Woodcarving, 500m northwest of the bus station, exhibits and sells examples of the famed Kotel style of carpets. The town also has several museums, the best being the History Museum, on the central square, which presents items dating from 19th-century revolutionary times, and Georgi Rakovski’s mammoth mausoleum. The Ethnographic Museum, about 200m west of the Exhibition Hall, is also worth a peek. For a more visceral connection with Bulgarian tradition, you can learn to play the gayda (Balkan bagpipe) and get tuition in other traditional music and dance at the Philip Kotev School, which sometimes holds recitals.
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Exhibition Hall of Carpets & Woodcarving
The Exhibition Hall of Carpets & Woodcarving, 500m northwest of the bus station, exhibits and sells examples of the famed Kotel style of carpets. The town also has several museums, the best being the History Museum, on the central square, which presents items dating from 19th-century revolutionary times, and Georgi Rakovski’s mammoth mausoleum. The Ethnographic Museum, about 200m west of the Exhibition Hall, is also worth a peek. For a more visceral connection with Bulgarian tradition, you can learn to play the gayda (Balkan bagpipe) and get tuition in other traditional music and dance at the Philip Kotev School, which sometimes holds recitals.
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Ethnographic Museum
The Exhibition Hall of Carpets & Woodcarving, 500m northwest of the bus station, exhibits and sells examples of the famed Kotel style of carpets. The town also has several museums, the best being the History Museum, on the central square, which presents items dating from 19th-century revolutionary times, and Georgi Rakovski’s mammoth mausoleum. The Ethnographic Museum, about 200m west of the Exhibition Hall, is also worth a peek. For a more visceral connection with Bulgarian tradition, you can learn to play the gayda (Balkan bagpipe) and get tuition in other traditional music and dance at the Philip Kotev School, which sometimes holds recitals.
reviewed
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Freedom Monument
About 13km along a winding road north of Shipka village is the Shipka Pass (1306m). Some 900 steps lead to the top of Mt Stoletov (1326m), dominated by the impressive, 32m-high Freedom Monument. It was built in 1934 as a memorial to the 7000 Russian troops and Bulgarian volunteers who, in August 1877, died while successfully repelling numerous attacks by some 27,000 Turkish soldiers desperately trying to relieve their besieged comrades in Pleven. To reach the pass from Kazanlâk or Shipka, take a bus to Haskovo, Gabrovo or Veliko Târnovo and ask the driver to let you off at the Shipka Pass (Shipchensky prokhod).
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Vasil Levski Museum
Further up ul Vasil Levski, a small park contains the disused and closed Kurshum Mosque, built in 1485 during the Ottoman occupation. Continue up the mall to the town square, then head left (west) for about 300m, past the clock tower, to the Vasil Levski Museum. This set of rooms around a cobblestone courtyard contains several exhibits about Levski with explanations in English. Ask the caretaker to show you the modern shrine, where you can see a lock of Levski’s hair while listening to taped religious chants in Bulgarian. A guided tour in English costs 2.50 lv per person.
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Shumen Fortress
Towering over the city from a steep hillside, the Shumen Fortress dates originally to the early Iron Age. It was augmented and reinforced by the Thracians in the 5th century BC, and between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD, the Romans added towers and more walls. It was again fortified later on by the Byzantines, who made it an important garrison. During the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396), the fortress was one of northeast Bulgaria’s most significant settlements, renowned for its pottery and metalwork. However, invading Ottomans in the late 14th century burnt and looted the fortress.
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Tomb
In hilly Tyulbe Park, just up from the Kulata Ethnological Complex, is a very large and very locked tomb, built in the 4th century BC for a Thracian ruler. Discovered during the construction of a bomb shelter in 1944, the tomb is now a Unesco World Heritage site. Along the dromos (vaulted entry corridor) is a double frieze with battle scenes. The burial chamber is 12m in diameter, and covered by a beehive dome typical of those built by the Thracians between the 3rd and 5th centuries BC. The dome contains several murals that feature events such as a funeral feast and chariot race.
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Oslekov House
Oslekov House was built by Oslekov, a rich merchant who was killed in the line of duty during the 1876 April Uprising. Oslekov House was built between 1853 and 1856, and is arguably the best example of Bulgarian National Revival–period architecture in Koprivshtitsa, with a triple-arched entrance, spacious interior, stylish furniture and brightly coloured walls. Woodcarved ceilings, collections of 19th-century costumes, paintings and jewellery add to the experience. Several woodcarvings, some of which were bought during Oslekov’s extensive travels, are also on display.
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Museum of the Roses
The grandly named Research Institute for Roses, Aromatic & Medicinal Plants houses this tiny museum. The photos and displays explain (in Bulgarian only) the 300-year-old method of cultivating the roses, picking their petals and processing the oil. The attached shop sells rose oils, perfumes, shampoos, liqueurs, tea bags and jams. The museum is 3km north of the centre up ul Osvobozhdenie; take a taxi (3 lv one way), or bus 3 from Kazanlâk’s main square. Guided tours (rates negotiable) are available in English and French, but ring first about opening times in winter.
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Geo Milev House-Museum
The unique Geo Milev House-Museum, set around a lovely enclosed garden, contains manuscripts and paintings by locally-born Milev (1895-1925). Despite losing an eye in WWI, Milev continued to write poetry dealing with social issues, such as Septemvri, about the September 1923 agrarian revolution. The political sympathies of Milev's work led to it being confiscated by the authorities.
The writer was arrested, put on trial, and then kidnapped by the police and murdered. Contemporary artists also sell their work in the museum, which has a relaxing café in the garden courtyard.
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Church of Sveti Dimitâr
Across the river, enclosed by a high wall, is Târnovo’s oldest church, the beautifully proportioned Church of Sveti Dimitâr. Built in the so-called Târnovo style, it was named after St Dimitrios, patron saint of Thessaloniki in northern Greece. During the church’s consecration in 1185, Tsars Asen and Petâr proclaimed an uprising against Byzantine rule, which would create the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396). It’s often closed, but a warden at the Church of Sveti Petar & Pavel can open it on request.
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Kulata Ethnological Complex
Just down from Tyulbe Park and the Thracian tomb, you’ll find the appealing Kulata (Tower) district, site of the Kulata Ethnological Complex. A replica of a one-storey peasant’s home and wooden sheds with agricultural implements and carts are among the rustic exhibits. A courtyard leads to the two-storey House of Hadzhi Eno, built by a wealthy rose merchant in Bulgarian National Revival–period style. Some explanations in German and English are given, and you may be invited by the caretaker to sample some rose tea, liquor or jam.
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Angel Kânchev House-Museum
A two- to three-hour walking tour will suffice to see all of Tryavna’s sights. From the bus station, head east (away from the train line) and then turn right along ul Angel Kânchev to reach the impressive St Georgi Church on the left. Completed in 1852, it features some beautiful icons and carvings. Further on the right is the Angel Kânchev House-Museum. Built in 1805, it contains exhibits about revolutionary hero Kânchev, and the liberation of Tryavna during the Russo-Turkish War.
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St Georgi Church
A two- to three-hour walking tour will suffice to see all of Tryavna’s sights. From the bus station, head east (away from the train line) and then turn right along ul Angel Kânchev to reach the impressive St Georgi Church on the left. Completed in 1852, it features some beautiful icons and carvings. Further on the right is the Angel Kânchev House-Museum. Built in 1805, it contains exhibits about revolutionary hero Kânchev, and the liberation of Tryavna during the Russo-Turkish War.
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House-Museum
This unique house-museum, set around a lovely enclosed garden, contains manuscripts and paintings by locally born Milev (1895–1925). Despite losing an eye in WWI, Milev continued to write poetry dealing with social issues, such as Septemvri, about the September 1923 agrarian revolution. The political sympathies of Milev’s work led to it being confiscated by the authorities. The writer was arrested, put on trial, and then kidnapped by the police and murdered.
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Church of Sveta Troiitsa
The Church of Sveta Troiitsa, located in a leafy area near the main square, is a quite large, almost Gothic-looking structure built in 1871. It has some compelling icons and frescoes, and sells the usual religious paraphernalia. The kindly caretaker heatedly denies that the curious triangle and all-seeing eye inscribed on the outside wall comprise a Masonic symbol – a question she is frequently asked by tourists. Outside the church is a fountain with cold drinking water.
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Church of Uspenie Bogorodichno
The Church of Uspenie Bogorodichno on ul Dimcho Debelyanov, built in 1817, is usually closed, but visitors can peer through the window and wander around the gardens. The church grounds contain Kableshkov's grave, and, in the upper section, Debelyanov's grave. A poignant statue features Debelyanov's mother anxiously awaiting his return, and reads 'I die and am yet born again in light'.
Beside the park along ul Hadzhi Nencho Palaveev is the Sveta Kiril & Metodii School, built in 1837.
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Karavelov House
Karavelov House was occupied by the parents of the eminent Lyuben Karavelov (1834–79), a journalist and printer who worked for expatriate Bulgarian revolutionary groups based in Russia, Serbia and Romania. He was also the first chairman of the Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee. A printing press where various seditious newspapers of Karavelov’s were produced is among the exhibits. The three separate buildings were constructed between 1810 and 1835.
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