Ruse

A gateway province on the Danube, where Ruse is known as "Little Vienna" and the nearby UNESCO-listed Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo lie.

Ruse Province lies on the Danube in northern Bulgaria, facing Romania across the river. The Danube Bridge (Friendship Bridge) links Ruse with Giurgiu and is a key route to Bucharest. The provincial capital, Ruse, is Bulgaria's largest Danube river port and has many Neo-Baroque and Neoclassical buildings, earning it the nickname "Little Vienna." To the south, the canyons of Rusenski Lom Nature Park hold the Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo, the Basarbovo Rock Monastery and the medieval Cherven fortress. Spring and autumn are best. The gateway is Bucharest Airport or Sofia.

Destinations

• Ruse

Itineraries

• Bulgaria & Romania Highlights – From Sofia, cross the Danube via the Rose Valley and the old capital to Bucharest and Transylvania.