Orlova Chuka Cave is located within the lands of the village of Pepelina and is perhaps one of the most well-known destinations in the region. The name of the village and the name of the cave are inseparable—as anyone can verify with a quick online search. Orlova Chuka was discovered by chance in 1941 by…
Byala is the second largest settlement in Ruse Province. Its crossroads location since ancient times and the fertile fields in the Yantra River basin have played a key role in the town’s development. Standing on the bridge built by the Master Builder Kolyu Ficheto, every road leads us to at least one ancient fortress—Nove near…
The village of Cherven is located 7.5 km in a straight line from Pepelina and 24 km by road. Near the village lies the medieval fortress of the same name, which was an important military, administrative, cultural, and spiritual center during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The first settlers in the lands around Pepelina and Cherven…
A magical corner in the Ruse region that you must not miss if you’re coming this way is the St. Dimitar Basarbovski Monastery. It is located near the village of Basarbovo, 12 km from the city of Ruse. Built into the rock near the picturesque Rusenski Lom River, it is the only functioning rock monastery…
The Ivanovo Rock Churches were founded by the monk Joakim in the 1220s. Later, the monk became the first Patriarch of Tarnovo. The many chambers were naturally formed in the rocks but were later shaped and expanded by their inhabitants. Over time, all the chapels and cells came together to form the large rock monastery…