| Ruse Русе | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | Bulgaria | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | North-central Bulgaria | |
| Altitude | 45 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 127,124 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 149.642 (2011 census) | |
| Prefix tel | 359 82 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 7000 | |
| Time zone | UTC 2 | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Ruse (Русе, also transliterated as Russian, Rousse) is a city of the Northern-central Bulgaria.
To know
Fifth nationwide by population, Ruse is also the most important river port Bulgarian of international trade. It is an important road and rail hub and international trains from Sofia, Istanbul and directed to Bucharest. The center of Ruse is the only one among the cities Bulgarian to present eclectic-style buildings built at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This singularity has earned it the nickname of "little Vienna".
Geographical notes
Ruse is located on the right bank of the Danube, facing the city Romanian di Giurgiu to which it is connected by a road-railway bridge called the Friendship Bridge, the only bridge on the long stretch of the Danube that marks the Bulgarian-Romanian border until the inauguration of the Vidin bridge on 14 June 2013.
While the left bank of the Danube is low and swampy, the right one (where Ruse is located) is 15 to 66 m high, helping to preserve the city from floods but not from the winds that blow from the north. An exception is the mouth of the Ruseski Lom river (Русенски Лом) whose course has been diverted and is now several km west of the town.
When to go
Ruse has a continental climate with hot summers and relatively cold winters. Due to its open position on the Danube plain, the winds blow strong especially in winter.
Winter temperatures often drop below 0 ° C with recorded peaks of even -20 ° C. In summer, the average temperature is 25 ° C but often reaches values of 35-40 ° C. The diurnal temperature variations are significant; on summer nights the thermometer drops by 15 ° or more.
Background
Ruse was a Thracian settlement from the late Iron Age and later Roman under the name of Seksaginta Prista. The castrum Roman was built during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, between 69 and 70 AD. as part of the border defense system (limes) in the north of the Roman province of Moesia, established in 15 AD.
The fortress was located across the road from Singhidium (today's Belgrade) to the delta of the Danube. The Moesia fleet was stationed at the port of Seksaginta Prista (classis Moesica). In the third century AD. C, the castrum it was destroyed by the Goths but was rebuilt to be destroyed again by the Slavs and Avars, three centuries later and never rebuilt.
Ruse reappeared with its present name at the time of the first Bulgarian empire (7th-11th century) as a fortified village and an important center of river trade. It was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1388. Five years later the Ottoman Turks occupied Veliko Tarnovo, capital of the second Bulgarian empire and in 1397 brought a definitive victory over the Bulgarians and their Crusader allies in the battle of Nicopolis, not far from Ruse.
Under Ottoman rule Ruse, known as Rusçuk, prospered: a large fortress was built there, first destroyed in 1445 by Vlad Tepes (Dracula) and later by the Wallachian voivode Mihai Vityazul. In the 19th century it was the capital of the Danube vilayet, administered by the Pasha Midhat whose administrative and social reforms provided a significant economic boost to the city. The first Bulgarian-language newspaper was published in Ruse. In 1867 it was reached by the railway coming from Varna.
In 1878 Ruse became part of the autonomous principality of Bulgaria. It was at the time the second city of the new state soon after Plovdiv. At the time, the population of Ruse consisted of 43% Bulgarians, 39% Turks and 7% Sephardi Jews. Many impressive palaces were built in the center which earned Ruse the nickname "little Vienna". After the First World War, the city suffered a decline due to the loss of its natural hinterland assigned to Romania.
At the time of the Communist regime, shipyards and industries were installed. In 1954 the Bridge of Friendship was inaugurated on the Danube, more than 2 km long. Even before the fall of the regime, many factories were forced to close causing a drastic drop in population.
The recovery of the local economy dates back to 2007, coinciding with the entry of the Bulgaria in the european union. Starting from that year, new supermarkets and shopping centers were inaugurated in the city.
How to orient yourself
Ruse: full screen map.Freedom Square (пл. Свобода - Ploshad Svoboda) is the heart of Ruse. The national and opera theaters, the Auditorium and other administrative buildings overlook it. In the center stands the monument of Liberty, the work of the Italian artist Arnoldo Zocchi.
Borisova boulevard connects Liberty Square to the train station, 2 km further south.
How to get
By car
Ruse is about 75km south of Bucharest, 200 km from the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and 300 km (186 mi) from the capital Sofia.
On the train
By bus
- 2 Suburban bus station (Автогара Русе), Boulevard tsar osvoboditel 156 / Бул. „Цар Освободител“ 156, ☎ 359 82 828 151. Buses to / from Sofia they have a frequency of 1 1/2 hours and take about 5 hours to complete the journey. Four buses a day go to Bucharest, others less frequent go to Silistra (3 hours) and Shumen (2 1/2 hours). Buses for Varna they are few but you can take the train as an alternative.
How to get around
What see
Religious architectures
- 1 Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity (Православната църква “Св. Троица ") (One block from the Freedom Square). A first underground church was built in 1632 to escape the Ottoman ban on the construction of churches consecrated to Christian worship. It was built using catacombs from the 5th century AD. A second church was inaugurated in 1882, after the proclamation of the principality of Bulgaria. It is a small temple with three naves (15.6 x 31.2 m) but its interiors are suggestive. The frescoes date back to 1934.
Museums
- 2 Regional historical museum, pl. Kniaz Aleksander Batenberg 3, ☎ 359 82 825 002.
Mon-Sat 09: 00-18: 00. Museum inaugurated on January 1, 1904 in the Battenberg palace of 1882. Among its collections, the so-called treasure of Borovo stands out, vases in gold and silver from the Thracian period (4th century BC) with inscriptions in Greek, found by chance in 1974 in the village of Borovo during plowing work. Fragments of sculptures from the archaeological sites of Sexaginta Prista, Jatrus and the medieval fortress of Cherven are also exhibited. Traditional Bulgarian costumes and porcelain are on display in the ethnographic section. There is also the pen with which the Treaty of accession of Bulgaria to the European Union was signed in 2005. - 3 National Transport Museum (Natsionalen Muzey na Transporta; Национален музей на транспорта), ul. "Bratya Obretenovi" 5, ☎ 359 82 834 707. It is the only railway museum in Bulgaria. It is set up in the first train station of Ruse dating back to 1866. There are exhibited several steam locomotives, the wagon of King Ferdinand I and the other reserved for the Ottoman sultan for his tours in the provinces of the Empire.
Mon-Sat 09: 00-18: 00. Museum inaugurated on January 1, 1904 in the Battenberg palace of 1882. Among its collections, the so-called treasure of Borovo stands out, vases in gold and silver from the Thracian period (4th century BC) with inscriptions in Greek, found by chance in 1974 in the village of Borovo during plowing work. Fragments of sculptures from the archaeological sites of Sexaginta Prista, Jatrus and the medieval fortress of Cherven are also exhibited. Traditional Bulgarian costumes and porcelain are on display in the ethnographic section. There is also the pen with which the Treaty of accession of Bulgaria to the European Union was signed in 2005.
- 4 Kaliopa house (Къща-музей „Градски бит на Русе"), Tsar Ferdinand St 39, ☎ 359 82 820 997. Tue-Sun 09: 00-17: 00. Museum housed in a building from 1864 which was the seat of the Prussian consulate in Ruse. According to tradition, the palace was donated to Katerina Kalish, wife of the Prussian consul Maurice Kalish and popularly known as the "beautiful Calliope", by her lover, Pasha Midhat.
- The furnishings are authentic and give a good idea of how the life of a high bourgeois family was carried out in the second half of the 19th century. The furniture in the living room, as well as the grand piano in the music room, were performed in Vienna. Silverware, porcelain and clothes of the time are also on display.
- 5 Pantheon of the Heroes of the National Risorgimento (Пантеон на възрожденците), Park Na Vazrozhdentsite, ☎ 359 82 820 998. A 1977 shrine where patriots who participated in the struggles for the independence of Bulgaria are buried. In 2001 a museum and a chapel dedicated to the Orthodox worship were inaugurated.
Events and parties
- Musical days of March. Classical music festival.
- Ruse ice fest. December. Annual competition involving artists specialized in ice sculpting. The event takes place at the Swiss cultural center and is part of the Christmas celebrations that start as early as 2 December with the raising of a 13 m high Christmas tree. in the central Piazza della Libertà.
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Shows
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- 1 Opera house (Оперно-филхармонично дружество), Holy Trinity Square / пл. Св. Троица 7, ☎ 359 82 825 031. It was inaugurated in 1949 with the performance of Giuseppe Verdi's "Traviata". It is also home to the Ruse Philharmonic Academy. In addition to operas from the classical repertoire, from Donizetti to Shostakovich you are given performances of classical ballet.
- 2 Drama Theater "Sava Ognianov", pl. Svoboda, ☎ 359 82 830 163. The theater occupies one of the most beautiful buildings in Ruse, the Dohodno Zdanie, literally the "profitable palace". It was built between 1898 and 1902 on a project by the Austrian architect Peter Paul Brang.
- 3 Bulstrad Arena (БУЛСТРАД Арена). Inaugurated in July 2015, the Bulstrad Arena has hosted EuroBasket matches and world voleyball Grand Prix championships, as well as concerts by established international and national singers. It is worth taking a look at the official website to see what events take place there in conjunction with your stay.
- 4 Kanev Center (Канев Център), ul. "Studentska" 8, ☎ 359 82 888 288. Mon-Fri 08: 00-17: 00. Congress Center of the University of Ruse which includes a multifunctional hall with 800 seats and a 120 m² stage. The complex was designed for international university forums but concerts and theatrical performances often take place there while the foyer it hosts extra-time exhibitions. It features a lobby bar and a 120-seat restaurant will open shortly. The entire complex was built in 2013 with donations from the philanthropist and building magnate CanadianIgnat Kanev, of Bulgarian origin.
Night clubs
- 5 Live Club Singing, pl. Han Kubrat 2, ☎ 359 87 896 8488. Live music
- 6 OZone Night Club, ul. "Alexandrovska" 26, ☎ 359 88 852 6366. Mon-Sat 23: 00-06: 00.
Where to eat
Moderate prices
- 1 Ostankino, ul. Alexandrovska 76, ☎ 359 82 834 146. Renowned, unpretentious, brewery-style restaurant with a list of traditional Bulgarian dishes.
- 2 Planet Food, ul. Alexandrovska 69, ☎ 359 82 523 523. Mon-Sun 08: 00-21: 00. A snack where you can enjoy burgers, sandwiches, chicken with potatoes and other dishes.
Average prices
- 3 Happy Bar & Grill, pl. Svoboda 4, ☎ 359 700 20 888. Mon-Sun 11: 00-23: 00. Very popular due to its central location, Happy Bar is one of the most renowned restaurants in Ruse. Precisely for this reason it has the drawback of somewhat long waiting times, especially at dinner time on weekends. Its very varied list includes dishes of international cuisine such as sushi, steaks and even pizzas and pasta dishes.
- 4 Hashove, Gen.I.V. Gurko 10, ☎ 359 82 821 391. Restaurant with a huge choice of traditional Bulgarian dishes, probably the best in Ruse for value for money. Only downside none of the staff speak English but the waiters are lavish in helping diners who cannot decipher Bulgarian writing.
- 5 Chiflika tavern, ul. "Otetz Paisiy" 2, ☎ 359 82 828 222. In traditional Bulgarian style, the Chiflika tavern was inaugurated in 1999 and quickly gained the favor of the public. It is set up on the ground floor of an early 19th century building and its hall can accommodate 600 diners.
High prices
- 6 [link not working]Leventa restaurant, Kutuzov (on the hill southwest of the center, 4 km from the station). Set up in the 19th century Ottoman Tabia fortress, the Leventa restaurant was inaugurated in 1972. Political eminences of the time such as Brezhnev and Ceausescu sat at its tables. Today it is renowned for the vast selection of wines from the barrels of the annexed cellar and for the views over Ruse and the Danube. It is located near the TV tower, currently (2017) closed to the public.
Where stay
Average prices
- [link not working]Odyssey Hotel, Tzaribrod 7, ☎ 359 82 69 89.
- Cosmopolitan.
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
- 3 Rock churches of Ivanovo. They can be visited with your own or hired car, or by resorting to a taxi by agreeing the price in advance or with tours organized by Ruse agencies. One of these is the Koukery Travel.
- 4 Orlova Chuka cave (Пещера Орлова чука). Apr-Oct Mon-Sun 9: 00-17: 00. Cave where fossils of bears lived in the Paleolithic have been found
- 5 Basarbovo Monastery Small rock monastery in a spectacular location in the Rusenski Lom valley
