Starting My Bulgarian Adventure In Ruse

After spending Christmas and New Year in Romania, it was time to move on to another country that I had never previously visited. I was heading to Bulgaria.
I had planned to head straight to Veliko Tarnovo from Bucharest. However, this meant taking three trains and I had heard that the trains in Bulgaria were not the most reliable. Any delay would have left me stranded. I decided to take a train across the border and spend my first three nights in the city of Ruse. This was not a city I was familiar with and it didn't appear on any online blogs of "Places to visit in Bulgaria".
Would it be worth a 3 day stay? Or would it be a dull city with nothing to capture the imagination of this adventuriser?
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[@kookygirl1994]

Hello I was born here and lived in the city until 6 years of age. I go back once a year to see family, it was surreal to see you go through the city passing many of the places that constitute my childhood memories 🥹 glad you had a nice time, it is a beautiful city with the older ornate buildings

[@globaltreats]

Glad you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. It's a cool city.

[@babiyarnazarismaily6207]

The railway station ,the old one was build by british builders and architect arround 1860s....you can see the tzar train inside the museum,so you missed a lot,if you like history and artefacts from the past,like me

[@pauldumitrescu1955]

You should visit again R. Moldova! 🇲🇩 ⛾

[@VesMe-wj1oh]

The first building that was shown after the statue is the Court. The building he is talking about is on the other side of the square, and is still actively used as theater. The church goes under ground because during the Ottoman slavery it was not allowed for the bulgarians to build tall buildings.

[@user-tn3zk4kw1q]

Russe is very beautiful city ,they call it the little Vienna ,but I didn,t see that wonderful architecture in the video ....

[@globaltreats]

Really? I pretty much covered the whole city.

[@pliska6819]

Yes, Ruse is quite run down because of its mainly corrupt mayor. It used to be one of Bulgaria's most prosperous cities especially during the 19th century when there was active trade with Central Europe, thanks to the Danube. It is also known as the city of first things. Home to the first railway line in Bulgaria connecting it to Varna, first street lights, first elevator, etc. You have missed the Basarbovo Rock Monastery, which is approx. 6km away from the city and the observation spot on the top of the city as well. Pity that you weren't able to enter the Transport Musuem. It is quite interesting. The smell of the old trains inside is amazing :) Yet again, in summer the city is really very different as, similar, to many European cities just wears another green clothing and has got nothing to do with January and many people are outdoors. At the end of the video, you seem to be visiting Tarnovo, which is our old capital. The 2 cities are very different. You are seeing less people in the street and closed areas because this part of Europe is becoming heavily depopulated. Bulgaria has lost more than 2,5 million of its almost 9 million people since the fall of communism which can be the entire population of a Baltic state. The (political) reasons are obvious. The trend is very similar in the entire Balkan region, Eastern Europe and Romania. In general, the population of rural Europe is vanishing.

[@globaltreats]

That's very interesting. I did get into the transport museum but wasn't allowed to film. I did get the impression that the city was once more prosperous than it is now. Thanks for explaining that.

[@tigerinsofia]

I think Ruse is very far from fully utilising its touristic potential and depopulation/economic downfall can’t rationalise it. There are far smaller towns which attract tourists to a greater extent. Veliko Turnovo is obviously a former capital but smaller in population but still attracts more tourists. Ruse is the town of plenty of innovations breaking through in Bulgaria, architecture is splendid, I really think that with a bit more effort it could have been more appealing to tourists.

[@Nikolaybg100]

You should have gone up the hill to the TV tower. There is a nice view of the Danube and Romania.

[@globaltreats]

It's a shame that i only get interactions with locals long after I've been in the places I've visited.

[@ifrimvlad]

I go a few times a year to Ruse from Bucharest. It's a really nice city !!

[@globaltreats]

I wasn't expecting much but I found some great food, a craft beer bar, a great coffee shop and plenty to explore. Was more than pleasantly surprised.

[@ifrimvlad]

@@globaltreats Yeah that's exactly why I go. During weekends I hop in the car and go to a seafood restaurant there. I can even pay in lei sometimes. And in the summer, their sea side is great.

[@gloriapilkington9797]

Great video, very informative

[@globaltreats]

Sometimes the places I had no intentions of visiting and never heard of before turn out to be really interesting. Not always!

[@ByronLina]

2 hours by car from my house but not made the journey yet - need to get there this year!

[@globaltreats]

I wouldn't describe the city as essential but I had a great time there. If you live 2 hours away, definitely check it out. Though if you're driving, you can't enjoy the craft beer :)

[@cosmicbees5886]

Nice video. Do bulgarians wear masks too?

[@globaltreats]

In January they did.

[@stoyanstoyanov5784]

Only those willing to, it is not mandatory anywhere!

[@mickfield5458]

Did you manage to finish your glass of granola Scott! 🙂

[@globaltreats]

I did 😄