Ruse

One of Bulgaria's most elegant cities, Ruse, sometimes written 'Rousse', has more than a touch of Mitteleuropa (Central Europe) grandness not seen elsewhere in the country. It's a city of imposing belle époque architecture and neatly trimmed leafy squares, as if a little chunk of Vienna had broken off and floated down the Danube. Its past is abundantly displayed in several museums and in its ruined Roman fortress, standing guard high over the Danube.