In addition, the city of Rousse is very famous for its nineteenth century and twentieth century Neo-Rococo and Neo-Baroque architecture. The traditional architecture of the city attracts numerous tourists every year. Moreover, the so-called Rousse-Giugiu Friendship Bridge is the only shared bridge within the Roman and Bulgarian section of the Danube that crosses the river.

Geography of Rousse

Rousse is situated on the right portion of the Danube bank. This is perhaps the highest bank that has three land terraces and two underwater terraces measuring 15 to 65 meters in height. The average altitude of the terraces in the city is about 45.5 meters AMSL.

The city’s urban area covers an 11-kilometer ellipse that runs along the river. Rousse extends from the connected land of Matey Island to the mouth of the Rusenski Lom on the western portion towards the hill of Srabcheto on the eastern portion. The western end of the city was modified to a great extent by moving the Rusenski Lom’s mouth to the western portion of the city. The bank and the fairway were also moved towards the northern portion during the late twentieth century. The Sarabair hill is located on the south end of the city and is about 159 meters high. Furthermore, the famous Rousse tower was built on the remains of the Leventtabia, a fortification formerly used by the Turkish people.

Today, Rousse is a big Bulgarian city with more than 170,000 inhabitants. It is a popular tourist destination and is among the basic economic and cultural centers in the country. The accession of Bulgaria to the European Union or EU is expected to offer local benefits via new opportunities and investments for international and e-commerce business.

Transportation

This city is a main railway and road hub in the northern portion of Bulgaria. The railway transportation scheme of Rousse dates back to the year 1867, when it became one of the stations of the first Bulgaria Rousse-Varna line. There are numerous railways to various southern Bulgaria cities, including Varna, Bucharest, and Sofia. The city has two railway stations for public transport, namely the Razpredelitelna station and the Central station. It also has two railway stations especially used for freight transport services.
Rousse also has two inter-city bus operations that liken the city to all the towns and cities in the country and in a few more popular European cities. These buses are stationed in two bus terminals located in the southern and eastern portion of Rousse.

Rousse has a very extensive public transportation system that includes more than 30 trolleybus and bus lines. In addition, the city has numerous suburban bus lines scattered in every portion of Rousse.

A small village named Shtraklevo is located 15 kilometers on the southeast portion of the city. This village is a former military airport. Current plans of development and reopening of the airport for charter, cargo, and internal flights are on their way for opening by the end of 2009. The runway of this airport is long enough to fit Jumbo Jets and Boeing 747s.

Education

Rousse has only one prestigious university, the Rousse University Angel Kanchev, which can accommodate 12,000 students. The structure of the university includes a technological college and a subsidiary. The technological college is located in Razgrad while the subsidiary is located in Silistra.

Culture

The city of Rousse is very famous for its rich and interesting culture. The city hosts the Rousse State Opera, founded in 1949 and is a certain philharmonic orchestra. The city also has numerous museums and religious buildings which are also famous for tourists and Bulgarian locals.

Landmarks

Museums

There are a number of museums within the city boundaries. Below are some of the museums in Rousse.

• Pantheon of National Revival Heroes
• National Transport Museum
• Zahari Stoyanov Museum
• Battenburg Pallace – This museum was founded in 1892. It now hosts the Regional Historical Museum of the city.
• Kaliopa House – This museum depicts the old urban lifestyle of the Bulgarians.

Religious Buildings

• Saint George Church
• Holy Theotokos Church
• Holy Archangel Michael Church
• Holy Trinity Church
• Saint Petka Church
• Holy Ascension Church
• Evangelical Baptist Church
• Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo – This place is declared as a world heritage site. It is situated about 20 kilometers to the south of the city’s center.
• Armenian Surp Astvadzadzin Church
• Seid Pasha Mosque
• Roman Catholic Saint Paul of the Cross Cathedral – This cathedral was built in 1890.
• Seid Pasha Mosque
• Saint Nicholas the Miracle Worker Russian Church

The All Saints Church was replaced by the National Revival Heroes Pantheon when it was destroyed in 1978.

The Jewish community in Rousse built and consecrated a synagogue in the late eighteenth century, but it was destroyed in a fire during the early nineteenth century. Two other synagogues were built between the years 1826 and 1852.

Another landmark in Rouse is the Dohodno Zidaine, which literally means “profitable building”. The Dohodno Zidaine houses its own theater and is considered one of the prettiest buildings in the city.

The city’s TV tower is considered as the tallest TV tower in the entire country. It is also one of the highest buildings within the Balkan Peninsula.

The famous Monument of Liberty was built in the year 1908 up to 1911.

Sofia is located 130 kilometers northwest of Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria; about 300 kilometers west of Burgas; and more than 300 kilometers west of Varna, Bulgaria’s main port-city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast (BBSC).

It is situated 200 kilometers from the boundaries of three countries, particularly 55 kilometers from the Kalotina on the Serbian boundaries, 133 kilometers from Gyushevo on the frontier with Macedonia, and more than 100 kilometers from the Greek boundaries of Kulata.

Sofia is the cultural, administrative, educational, and economic center of Bulgaria. It is considered an active Eastern European capital because of its unique combination of Communist and European-style architecture and several attractive orthodox churches. Sofia was founded about 7,000 years ago.

The Boyana church that lies close to Sofia is one of the most valuable memorials of the European and Bulgarian culture. It boasts of frescoes that are highly acclaimed by experts as great examples of medieval art the twelfth century.

Climate

Sofia has a humid continental weather with a high temperature amplitude. The coldest month in Sofia is January while August is the hottest. Up to 1936, the usual yearly temperature was 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Since then, however, the temperature has risen by +1 degree Fahrenheit.

Sofia receives about 650 millimeters of rainfall every year, with winter having the minimum average and summer having the maximum. Temperatures in the city usually remain cooler compared to some parts of Bulgaria in the summer because of the high altitudes of the valley where the city is located.

Culture

Nightlife and Music

Sofia has a wide variety of nightlife offerings, with several pubs, live venues, nightclubs, restaurants, and mehani, the Bulgarian traditional taverns. Sofia also has played host to several world star concerts.

Museums

The city is home to numerous museums, including the Bulgarian Natural History Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the National Polytechnical Museum, the National Museum of Military History, the Ethnographic Museum, and the Museum of Earth and Men. In addition, there are also the Bulgarian National Gallery of Arts, the Sofia City Art Gallery, and the Bulgarian National Gallery for Foreign Art as well as several private art galleries.

Points of Special Interest

Sofia is also home to many points of special interest, including the Sofia State Library, the Polish Cultural Institute, the Russian Cultural Institute, the British Council, the Hungarian Institute, the Slovak and Czech Cultural Institute, as well as the French Cultural Institute, Italian Cultural Institute, Instituto Cervantes, the Open Society Institute, and the Goethe Institute. It also includes the St. Cyril and St. Methodius National Library, the oldest cultural institute in the country home to the largest national book collection. Sofia is also famous for its Boyana Church, which is considered as a UNESCO world heritage site. The city is also home to the Sofia Zoological Garden was founded in 1888.

Tourist Attractions

• Church of St. George – It is located in the courtyard of Sheraton Sofia hotel and the late Roman rotunda, which dates back to the fourth century. This church was assembled with several red bricks and is considered as the oldest building situated in Sofia. It is also famous for its medieval frescoes in the central dome, which date back from the twelfth to the fourteenth century.
• Church of St. Sophia –It is the second oldest church in Bulgaria and is where the city took its name. In the second century CE, the church was built on the location of the Roman theater, the spot of numerous earlier churches and places of worship which date back to the days when the church was the necropolis of the Roman town of Serdica.
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – It is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia and is built in Neo-Byzantine style. The church serves as a cathedral church of Patriarch in Bulgaria. It is one of the prime Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the globe and one of the city symbols and prime tourist attractions. It occupies an area of more that 3,000 square meters and can accommodate 5,000 people.
• St. Nedelya Church – It is also an Eastern Orthodox Church in Sofia and serves as the cathedral of the Sofia bishopric of the Bulgarian Patriarchate. St. Nedelya is a medieval church that has gone through a lot of destruction and reconstruction several times. In 1925, the church was razed in the assault that claimed more than 150 victims. It was reconstructed to its modern appearance after that.
• Church of St. Patka – It is also a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church situated in Sofia. This church features a crypt, a hemispherical apse, and a semi-cylindrical vault discovered during excavations after Second World subway. It is a one-nave edifice dedicated to the eleventh century Bulgarian saint, St. Petka.
• Russian Church – It is a Russian Orthodox church located on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard in middle Sofia. This church is officially known as the Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle Maker. The church was built in 1914 and is dedicated to the patron saint of the Russian Tsar at the period of Nicholas II.

How to Get Around

• By Mini-Bus – By marshrutki, or mini-bus, is usually the fastest way to go anywhere without using a car. The prices are 1.50 leva or about 0.75 euro.
• By Public Transport – The city has an efficient and well-developed transport system, including a subway line, trams, trolleys, and buses. The public transportation operates from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm. Taxis are the only alternative public transportation at night.

The price of a single ticket is about 1.00 leva or 0.50 euro, which can only be paid in local currency. There are 4.25 leva or 7.50 leva tickets for only one passenger and a daily card, which is valid in all lines. You can purchase the ticket from nearby kiosk and punch it right away after you enter the vehicle.

There are 93 bus lines, 16 trams, 9 trolleys, and 1 metro line. Several buses cover areas outside the city center, such as neighboring villages. Some useful routes are bus numbers 84 and 284, which operate from the airport to the center and to and from the bus and train stations to Orlov.

In 2006, the city census listed the city’s total number of permanent residents to be 103,016. The town of Shumen is situated at the eastern mouth of the Shumen Plateau, on either bank of the Bokloudga River. It is 380 kilometers northeast of Sofia, 115 kilometers southeast of Rousse, 90 kilometers west of Varna, 140 kilometers northeast of Veliko Tarnovo, 41 kilometers east of Turgovishte, 49 kilometers southeast of Razgrad, 113 kilometers south of Silistra, and 56 kilometers northeast of Vurbitsa.
To the east of the city lies Varna, the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.

An interesting thing about the topography of the city is that the hills around it are curved in such a way as to resemble a horse-shoe. An irregular ravine passes through the ground along the length of the horse-shoe ridge. From Shumen, roads spread out northwards to the Danubian cities of Rousse and Silistra as well as to Dobruja, southwards to the passes of the Balkans, and eastwards to Varna and Balchik. Shumen once had one of the most expedient military positions in the Balkan Peninsula. This was taken advantage of by the Ottoman regime through the strategic formation of the quadrangle. The quadrangle was composed of the neighboring towns of Shumen, Ruse, Silistra, and Varna, and was formed to fortify the country’s defenses against the Russian advances in 1877. However, this period marked the final days of the Ottoman domination.

During World War II, in the period of 1943-44, within the boundaries of what is today Shumensko Plateau Natural Park located around the city of Shumen, Bulgaria, there was an active POW (Prisoner of War) camp. This camp was for the English and American aircrew members who were shot down over Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula.

Shumen has a long history that has brought about a varied spectrum of European and Eurasian influences and periods. Like many, if not all, of the cities of Bulgaria, Shumen was first inhabited by Thracians. The ancient languages of these people had already gone extinct and their cultural influence was highly reduced due to the repeated barbaric invasions of the Balkans by Celts, Huns, Goths, and Sarmatians, accompanied by persistent Hellenization, Romanisation, and later, Slavicisation. Though reduced, the cultures of these people still form part of the origin and history of the city. The Romans occupied the city at a time when Rome was world power while its army was conquering many of the outlying lands that are present-day Bulgarian cities and towns.

During the Roman occupation, Shumen became the center for cultural and religious activities under Simeon the Great, who ruled between 866 and 927. Under his rule, Bulgaria reached a Golden Age of cultural distinction. However, the Roman rule wasn’t always friendly. In 811, Shumen was burned by the emperor Nicephorus, and in 1087, it was besieged by Alexius I.

Shumen was renamed Chumla in 1388, after it was captured and put under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Being part of the empire was beneficial for the town because it became an important market town. In simple terms, Shumen was opened up to the different cultures by being a medium of economic and cultural trade. Remnants of the period’s multi-ethnicity remain with Shumen’s minority Jewish, Armenian, and Muslim communities. Many years later, in 1848, after the failure of the Hungarian Revolution, many Hungarians also migrated to Shumen.

Shumen is an old town of fortresses. Thracians first built fortresses at around the fifth century B.C. The construction of fortresses provided the town its foundations for both a military and communal settlement. Other fortresses were also built in the surrounding area of Hisarluka on the eastern end of the Shumen Plateau.

The nineteenth century saw Shumen, and many other Bulgarian cities and towns, as a center for the country’s National Revival. On May 11, 1813, the first theatrical performance was held to commemorate Saints Cyril and Methodius of Bulgaria. The birth of enlightenment began to engulf the country and the demand for the performing arts and national identity was greatly spurred. In 1850, the first Bulgarian symphony orchestra was established in Shumen. Also, in 1850, the Hungarian politician and revolutionary leader Lajos Kossuth became an icon for the city. He was very influential and was known throughout Europe and the rest of the world. He was later recognized as a freedom fighter who struggled hard for European democracy. He was exiled in Shumen and the house he lived in is now a museum.

Hungarian emigrants also played a big role in the city’s performing arts. The first symphonic orchestra was conducted by Shafran. The first works of Bulgarian drama were written in Shumen, the first of which was “Mihal” by Sava Dobroplondi in 1853. Vassil Droumev, founder of Bulgarian theater, wrote the short story “Miserable Family” in Shumen in 1860. Another short story written in Shumen is “School Theatre-the Wealthy Man” (1864) by Dobri Voinikov. The great Bulgarian composer Pancho Vladigerov was born in the town.

Bulgaria was eventually liberated from the Ottoman rule. Markets for the crafts crashed due to the comparatively cheap quality goods from the West which competed with the local market. On June 22, 1878, Shumen yielded to Russia and became part of the Principality of Bulgaria. One of the first breweries of Bulgaria was established in Shumen and this gradually became the key to the recovery of its economy in 1882. The Shumen beer has since been sought after by many connoisseurs and enthusiasts from all over the world.

In 1981, Bulgaria’s rich historical past was celebrated in Shumen due to its close proximity to some of the country’s important locations. Shumen is close to the first capitals of Danubian Bulgaria, namely, Pliska and Preslav, and the Mandara Knight or Horseman that is now a World Heritage Site, being as ancient as 710 A.D. Virtually, the whole history of Bulgaria is also present in the country’s Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria which is also found in Shumen.

The Shumen area has also been important in the field of archeology. Archeologists from Shumen have found well preserved tombs from the Khan period, the period of the Mongol emperor. Excavations were made at the areas of Chair Dere near Makak, one of the town’s districts. The Chair Dere findings date back to the period between the seventh and ninth centuries. At the grave, significant artifacts were found preserved in an earthen vessel in good condition. Some of the artifacts are the head of a horse, riding equipment, and part of a human skeleton.

The town was given a new name during the Roman Empire to honor Emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus and was called Ulpia Augusta Traiana, “the most flamboyant city of the Traians”.
During the Byzantium period, it was renamed Irinopolis for a short period of time when the Byzantine Empress Irina visited the town.

The city was a member of the First Bulgarian State in 812 AD using the name Vereya. Meanwhile, it was called Boruy during the Second Bulgarian State. The symbol of Stara Zagora, a lioness with a cub, came from this period when a number of the most amazing medieval stone plastic arts were discovered.

The Turks captured the medieval city in 1364 and renamed it “the Old fortress Zagora” or Eski (Hissar) Zagra. It was transformed into an important center of trade and crafts when the Bulgarian Revival came. The Bulgarian name Zheleznik replaced the Turkish name when the 1850s ended.
The city’s current name, Stara Zagora came out for the first time in 1875 on papers from the Church Council of Tsarigrad. In 1878, following the Liberation of Bulgaria before the Unification of Bulgaria, it became a member of the Autonomous Eastern Rumelia.

Stara Zagora (Стара Загора in Bulgarian Alphabet) is in the central area of Southern Bulgaria with a size of 1,019.37 square kilometers. It is in the crossing area of European Pan European Transport Corridors 4, 8, and 9. It is one of the largest cities in the country.

Its total population is about 178,000 and an estimate of 155,000 of the people reside in Stara Zagora city. The first people to inhabit Stara Zagora were farmers. They were in the area at around the conclusion of the seventh millennium BC.

Stara Zagora city is the focal point for the major Bulgarian railroads and is only 220 kilometers from Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia. In 2006, the airport development program was declared. The runway provides right of entry to civil tourism and commercial aircraft. Currently, the airport has a capacity of approximately 60 aircrafts.

The plain is 150-180 meters above sea level, and the Moruley peak, the highest point, is 895 meters above the sea. It has one town with fifty villages. It stretches from the base of the Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain to the greater Thracian Lowland. The city’s climate is temperate continental with an average annual temperature of +13°C. Rain falls usually in summer and spring.

There are three short and shallow rivers crossing the town namely, the Sazliyka, the Bedechka, and the Banska Reka. The plants on Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain are composed mainly of hornbeam, oak, beech, and a number of coniferous trees.

Over twenty wild animals inhabit this area. There are red deers, wild boars, hares, jackals, wild cats, foxes, and wolves. Some imperial eagles can be seen hovering over Stara Zagora since their nests are near the city.
Stara Zagora is one of the economic centers of Bulgaria because fertile lands abound in the area. Industries consist of metals, chemicals, electronics, manufacturing, power generation, food processing, textiles, and wine brewing.

The city of lime trees is also known for being the city of straight streets, poets, and painters. It is also the native land of the writers Georgi Bakalov, Dimitar Podvarzachov, Kiril Hristov, Veselin Hanchev, Nikolai Liliev, the famed opera singer Hristina Morfova, the painters Vasil Kostakiev, Anton and Georgi Mitovi, Mario Zekov, Dimitar Gudjenov, and Atanas Mihov.
In the city, there are museums, galleries, parks, orthodox churches, and an astronomical observatory. The museums and galleries like the Regional Historical Museum and the Art Gallery feature historical art, places, and artifacts that highlight the richness of its culture. In its history, the city had been restored to life several times, has continued to exist, has survived many changes, and still strives to flourish. It has always been a center for economic, cultural, and political development.

Parks like the Ayazmoto Park (Metropolitan Metodi Kussev Park) and the Stara Zagora Zoo feature various flora and fauna right in the heart of the city. Majority of the people embrace the Eastern Orthodox bishopric religion, hence, the five main Orthodox churches: the Holy Trinity Church, The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, St. Martyr Dimitar Church, St. Nikolay the Thaumaturge Church, and St. Theodore Tyron Chapel. Lastly, the Yuri Gagarin Astronomical Observatory, one of the firsts in the country, offers educational lectures, introduction to sky maps, observation of the sky, and multimedia presentations.

Stara Zagora has venues for various kinds of entertainment. It has cinema opera theatres like the Geo Milev Drama Theatre, where the first play in Stara Zagora, “Malakova”, was staged in 1870. The city also boasts of the State Puppet Theatre, the Septemvri Open-Air Cinema, and the Arena Cinema.

There are also several restaurants and cafes located in the city. Young people can visit the popular discos and bars, entertain themselves in the bowling halls, play bingo games, or go to the casinos. Its wide range of cuisine offers the traditional Bulgarian “mehana” and gourmet cuisine. Chefs take advantage of the abundance of local fruits and vegetables in preparing their dishes. Their locally produced wines can complement any meal.

As one of Bulgaria’s most modern contemporary towns, Stara Zagora is an important industrial, educational , and cultural center with well-established private and secondary schools, specialised language schools, technical schools, and cultural and research institutes. In this city, the Thracian University and the internationally distinguished Trakia University can be found.

While Stara Zagora is one of the freshest and most modern cities in Bulgaria with big prospects for tourism, sports, spa treatments, and other modern amenities, you can also experience a taste of history by visiting the Roman Baths, The Antique Forum, the Roman Amphitheater, and the Thracian Tomb, to name a few.