More about the city
Country: Bulgaria
Ruse is the largest port city, as well as administrative, economic, cultural and educational center situated on the Bulgarian bank of the Danube river. It is the fifth biggest city in the country with a population of 142,902 citizens as per the National Statistical Institute data as of 31.12.2018. Ruse is located only 75 km away from the Romanian capital Bucharest and it is of extreme logistic importance both to Bulgaria and the entire South-Eastern Europe. It’s strategic location and economic potential made it the most European-like Bulgarian city even before the Liberation. It is often referred to as the small Vienna due to its magnificent culturally significant buildings whose architecture combines Neo-Baroque, Neoclassicism, and Secession styles. Ruse’s impressive past, its admirable architecture, the artistic spirit of its residents, as well as its romantic urban atmosphere make it a one-of-a-kind gem in the north-east of Bulgaria.
History
Ruse’s history dates back to 23 centuries ago when a Thracian settlement was established there. It expanded during Roman times and it was then given the name Sexaginta Prista (“a port of the 60 ships”). A key military center built by Emperor Vespasian as part of the border defense system on the north of the Roman Moesia Province, the fortress survived until the end of the VI century when it was destroyed by the Avars. It was restored once again around the IX – X century and the medieval Bulgarian settlement Rusi, later called Gyurgevgrad, emerged immediately next to it. Once within the borders of the Ottoman empire, the settlement was called Rusçuk and it became a top port along the Danube river. Sailing and the connection with the West made it possible for Ruse to become the door through which all innovations and development ideas made their way into Bulgaria. Here is where in 1864 the first contemporary printing house in Bulgaria was established. A year later Ruse became the first Bulgarian city to give names to its streets. 1867 was when the first railway line (Ruse-Varna) was build and in 1870 the first factory for alcoholic beverages started functioning. 1876 was both when the first brewery in the country, called Saint Petka, was built and when the first steam painting factory, Penko Pavlov, opened its doors. Ruse became one of the largest centers of National Revival and a meeting point for the members of the Bulgarian national liberation movement. After the Liberation, the city became the biggest city in the Principality of Bulgaria, standing out with its modern appearance and developed culture and agriculture. Ruse was the first Bulgarian city with an urban development plan designed by the Russian military engineers Ozhio and Kopitkin. Ruse is where the first leather processing factory, the first soap factory, the first private bank, the first public building and the first weather station in the country originate from. The city followed strictly the Western technical progress model and soon it became “the most aristocratic city in Bulgaria”.
Geography
Ruse is situated in the west part of Pobrezhie, the biggest valley in the Danubian Plain that stretches on a slope over the high terraced Danube riverbank. The city has the form of an ellipse with a total length of around 11 km. Its average altitude is 45,5 m. Ruse is the administrative center of the Ruse Region, including 8 municipalities. The Danube connects the city with 9 countries—Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Croatia, Moldova and Ukraine. The climate in this area is typical for the Danubian Plain—winters are cold, foggy and windy, summers are dry and warm, and falls and springs don’t last more than a month and a half. The city is located at a distance of 311 km to Sofia, 190 km to Varna and 107 km to Veliko Tarnovo.
Infrastructure
According to recent data, Ruse is among the cities with most economic potential in the country. The GDP and the working population in the region are constantly growing. This increases employment rates and results in unemployment rate being lower than the average for Bulgaria for 4 consecutive years. The economic sector is dominated by industry and services, such as the more important branches of the processing industry—chemical and oil-processing industry, metallurgy and mechanical engineering, food industry, textile and knitwear industry. Large amounts of cereal grain crops, such as barley, wheat and corn are produced here. The city is clean and green, with reconstructed roads and modernized parking lots. The central area of the city will impress you with its modern aristocratic look and is the perfect place for a walk and shopping, as well as for business meetings and events. There are plenty of sports facilities around the city—fitness installations, sport clubs and bike lanes with a total length of 14 km. The municipality takes complex measures for sustainable energy development and the urban environment offers the city residents the opportunity for a fulfilling life in harmony.
Development
Ruse is a modern European city that returned to its European roots by overcoming differences and the challenges of time and quickly adapting to the technology progress of the modern world. Ruse is also referred to as the City of the Free Spirit and it really is. Ruse preserves the spirit of the Bulgarian aristocracy from the last century and at the same time embraces all innovations and modern social trends. Ruse’s cultural calendar is full of attractive and fascinating events—the Vintage Car Parade, Ruse Sand Fest, the March Music Days international fest and many others. Pure magic, admiration and greatness is all you will come across in Ruse!
