Pleven

Pleven is located in the center of the Danube hilly plain, 160 kilometers from Sofia, 320 kilometers from the Black Sea, and 30 kilometers south of the Danube river. The town is accessible by the first-class route Sofia – Varna (E83). The town has a population of around 135,000 inhabitants. Pleven is located in a temperate-continental climatic zone with wide temperature amplitudes ranging from – 15 degrees Celsius in the winter to + 35–40 degrees Celsius in the summer.

The town and area have a history dating back thousands of years. The region’s oldest indication of human habitation dates from the end of the fifth millennium BC. These areas became a part of the Roman Empire at the dawn of the new period. The Roman road station of Storgozia, located near the modern town of Pleven, and subsequently a fortification of the same name, were built on the route between Ulpia Escus (nowadays’ Gigen) and Philipopolis (nowadays’ Plovdiv).

During the Middle Ages, the village was a fortified stronghold with sophisticated Bulgarian crafts and a focus on leather, wool, tobacco, and cattle trafficking. The arrival of Slavs and Bulgarians in the sixth and seventh centuries resulted in the locality’s name being changed to Pleven. Pleven gained prominence primarily as a result of its active role in the 1877-1878 war between Russia and Turkey. For five months, the town was besieged, and the heaviest combat between the two warring empires — Russia and Turkey – took place surrounding it. On 10 December 1877, the Russian army defeated and captured Osman Pasha’s troops, and the day was declared an official day of Pleven.

The Historical Museum, the Panorama „Pleven Epopee“, the Wine Museum in Kaylaka Park, and the ruins of Storgoziya Fortress are only a few of the town’s most notable sites.

The history museum is situated in an extraordinary two-story structure — a cultural landmark erected for cantonment in 1884–1888 on the basis of an Italian design.

The museum’s exhibitions are housed in 24 galleries totaling 7,000 square meters, as well as a park with a 37-square-meter outdoor exhibition. Archaeology exhibits representatives from Prehistory, the Roman Period, and the Bulgarian Middle Ages. Among the most fascinating are collections of flint work tools dating from 50–45 thousand years BC, an ancient house dating from 5,000 years BC, and a replica of the Valchitran Golden Treasure.

The Ethnography area exhibits Pleven’s material and spiritual culture – traditional dwellings, crafts, festal costumes, and gems from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The Revival part contains priceless documents and articles from the Bulgarian Revival period, while the Contemporary History section chronicles the growth of industry and culture in Pleven after the Liberation in 1878.

Additionally, the Regional Historical Museum in Pleven maintains an exhibit dedicated to nature, which includes specimens from the local environment, as well as a petrified thigh bone of Archidiscodon – a prehistoric elephant-like animal that roamed our lands during the Pliocene Age prior to 3.5–4 million years.

Gena Dimitrova (1941 – 2005), who was born in the Pleven hamlet of Beglizh, is the subject of one of the museum’s most appealing galleries. Here, visitors may see a variety of the opera queen’s personal possessions, which were given to the museum by her family, as well as originals and replicas of her stage costumes, which she wore on worldwide stages.

The Panorama „Pleven Epopee 1877“ is Bulgaria’s unique monument of its sort. It was constructed in 1977 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Pleven’s independence from the Ottoman Dominion. The memorial was erected on the battlefield itself, in the Skovelen park-museum on the town’s south-western outskirts.

The Wine Museum is unique in the nation. Its peculiarity stems from the exhibition and services it provides (degustation), as well as its location in a cave in Kaylaka Park. The museum’s collection includes wines that range in age from 30 to 90 years. The collection also includes 6,000 bottles of modern wines from all areas and producers in the nation.

Among the other notable sites in Pleven are the Revival Complex, which maintains historic structures with distinctive architecture, the chapel-mausoleum „St. George the Victorious,“ which serves as the town’s emblem, and the museum house Tsar Osvoboditel.

The Kaylaka Park is a popular spot for Pleven inhabitants and town visitors to unwind. It is located around 6 kilometers south of Pleven. The park has a variety of walking, relaxing, and entertainment opportunities. The sheer cliffs, which reach a height of more than 20 meters, are ideal for practicing rock climbing. The area is home to a broad range of plants and wildlife. Additionally, the ruins of Storgoziya’s Roman road station are located nearby. There are swimming pools, an amusement playground, tennis courts, a lake with boats and water wheels, as well as areas for relaxing and dining.

Nature enthusiasts may visit the natural reserve „Chernelka,“ which is located around 12 kilometers from Pleven, between the villages of Kartozhabene and Gortalovo. The Chernelka river has carved a 7-kilometer-long canyon with a width of 60 to 200 meters and a rock crown height of 10 to 30 meters. The area has established an ecological route. There are 18 bridges, and one may simply cross the river.

There are several hotels and guest rooms in the town. Numerous restaurants provide a variety of Bulgarian cuisines.