Medieval Fortress Brings Bulgarian and Foreign Tourists to Lovech

Jerusalem, 24 July, 2022 (TPS) -- LOVECH, NORTH CENTRAL BULGARIA, 24.07.2022 (BTA)
The north-central town of Lovech attracts Bulgarian and foreign tourists alike with its medieval fortress, declared a monument of national importance as well as a museum and tourism reserve. Last year, it was visited by over 14,000 tourists from across Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, France, and Russia, tour guide Yana Angelova told BTA.

The medieval fortress of Lovech, a large part of which has been restored, also hosts cultural events, such as theatre plays, musicals, various types of competitions, re-enactments of medieval camps, and fashion shows. On national holidays there is a sound and light show similar to the one held at the Tsarevets fortress in Veliko Tarnovo, Angelova said

Historically, the fortress is known for the Lovech Peace Treaty signed under its walls in 1187 after the three-month unsuccessful siege undertaken by Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos. The peace treaty marks the start of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, Angelova explained.

Inside the fortress walls, there were seven churches, military buildings, a residential area, an aristocrat’s villa, and a castle that was home to Ivan Alexander, the longest-reigning Bulgarian tsar during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.

In 1474, the fortress was taken over by the Ottoman Turks, who after a three-month siege managed to make their way in through a secret tunnel used for water supply. The buildings were burned down and only the main defensive walls remained. Later, the Christian population used the stones to build what is now known as the old neighborhood of Varosha, the tour guide told BTA.

Lovech is also known for its lilacs, the 14-metres-high monument to national revolutionary Vassil Levski, the covered bridge, and the second biggest zoo in Bulgaria.