Ruse Things to Do

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Ruse has its own statue of liberty, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary (in August 2009). The Monument of Liberty was erected in 1909. The sculptures were created by famous Italian sculptor Arnoldo Zocchi, who also created the Tsar Liberator monument in Sofia, Hristo Botev's monument in Vratsa, Garibaldi's monument in Bologna, Columbus' monument in Buenos Aires, General Lafayette's monument in Haverhill USA and others.
The Monument of Liberty is one of Ruse's symbols.

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The Liberty Square was built in the early 30s. The local mayor wanted to construct an economic, cultural and political area that would be the centre of the town. The most important places had already been there, actually: The Theatre, The Monument of Liberty, The Garden. The Palace of Justice (in a neoclassical style) and the City Hall (socialist-realistic style) were built afterwards. There are many benches with a view to all these sites. In the evenings the young people gather across the square.

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Zahari Stoyanov was a revolutionary, writer and historian. He was born in 1850 and died in 1989. He wrote 'Memoirs of the Bulgarian Uprising'. He had an active role in Bulgaria's liberation from the Ottoman Empire. He was married to the daughter of the famous Bulgarian woman Baba Tonka (Grandma Tonka), Anastasia. This house was part of the estate of Anastasia's family, the Obretenovi, most of whom were also involved in revolutionary work.
The museum has displays on Stoyanov and other revolutionaries.

The Pantheon is dedicated to the heroes of the 19th century. There are buried 453 independentists that died fighting for their freedom. The entrance fee is only 0.50Lv, and the curator is a very nice lady, who speaks english and can tell you a lot about Bulgarian history. If you go to Ruse, you can't miss it!

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The Danube river marks Bulgaria's northern border with Romania. The Danube is the second longest river in Europe, flowing through ten countries.
The river has been the main factor for Ruse's growth.
The only bridge over the Danube, connecting Bulgaria and Romania is at Ruse and Giurgiu, called the Freedom Bridge. Another bridge is being built at Vidin and Kalafat.

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The Ivanovo rock-hewn churches are in the canyon of Rusenski Lom river, not far from Rousse. There are several of them, but we only visited one, which is on UNESCO's World Heritage list. It's a short climb on a path. If you continue on the path, you will see the beautiful panorama of the river and the rocks on the opposite site.
The church is just two small rooms in something like a cave in the rock. It's from the 14th century. It's famous for its frescoes which are quite well preserved.
Entrance: 4 leva; 1 leva for students and children; free for children under 7

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Bulgarian's certainly like their public parks and here in Ruse is no exception. The city's main park is the Mladezhki (youngster's) and even in the snow this makes for a pleasant stroll. The park is located just off the city centre, following the pedestrian blvd Aleksandrova past the hospital, and follows the river for about 2 kilometres.

As expected from a "youngster's" park there's various kids' play areas, a swimming complex (for all ages) and the National Transport Museum. The park is liberally dotted with artworks and sculptures and the riverside sections are particularly scenic.

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This seems to be another of Bulgaria's Communist-era monuments which locals have mixed feelings about (as you might note by the grafitti). It was constructed in 1978, the 100th anniversary of Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman rule by the Russians, to commemorate the 453 local heroes who died during the struggle for freedom.

It is also a mausoleum containing remains of 39 of the major revolutionary heroes including Angel Kunchev and Lyuben Karavelov. The site was originally the Church of All Saints and in 2001 was re-consecrated with the inclusion of the St Paisius of Hilander Chapel and a cross affixed to the dome.

Within the monument there is a Revival Exposition but this didn't seem to be open during my visit and so I can't give any details.