ABOUT ROUSSE

Rousse (population: 177.500) is the fifth largest city in Bulgaria, situated in the northern part of the country, on the southern bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu, 320 km from the capital Sofia and 200 km from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and its biggest city Varna. Rousse is the center of Rousse Province and represents the most significant Bulgarian river port, serving an important part of the international trade of the country. Rousse is known for its 19th and 20th century Baroque and Rococo architecture, which attracts many tourists. This is the reason the city to be referred to as “the small Vienna”. Rousse emerged as a Thracian settlement that developed into the Roman military and naval centre Sexaginta Prista as part of the fortification system along the northern boundary of Moesia. The fortress was located on the main road between Singidunum (modern Belgrade) and the Danube Delta and was destroyed in the 6th century by Avar and Slavic raids. After it was liberated from the Ottoman Empire in 1878, Rousse was one of the key cultural and economic centers of the country and the seat of Bulgarian shipping. Intensive building during the period changed the city's architectural appearance to a typical Central European one. A city noted for its rich culture, Rousse hosts the Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra (established 1948) and the Rousse State Opera (founded in 1949). Other landmarks of the city include the 210-metre-high Rousse TV Tower, the Holy Trinity Church (1764), the Monument of Liberty (1908-1911). The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are situated 20 km to the south.

VIEW ANOTHER MAP OF ROUSSE