Svishtov

If you continue with the Danube to the east, around 50 kilometers, you will reach the city of Svishtov, which is a regional center, an important port, and a crossing point (ferry) on the Danube to Romania. It is the southernmost city on the Danube and the closest, as the crow flies, to the Aegean Sea. Because of this, there is an important historical north–south road from Svishtov to the Aegean. It starts from Bucharest in Romania, goes through Svishtov to Veliko Tarnovo, and from there to the mountain passes of the Balkan Mountains, then to the Valley of the Roses and the city of Kazanlak, to the city of Stara Zagora, and from there along the Maritsa River to the Aegean near Alexandroupolis.

Svishtov is a relatively large city (compared to Nikopol) and quite modern. Like the other cities along the Danube, it has remains from the Stone Age and from the time of the Thracian kingdoms, but the most impressive archaeological remains are from the Roman period. A large military camp of the Macedonian Legion called Novae was excavated near the city. It should be understood that a permanent camp of a legion was used by the Roman army for hundreds of years and looked more like a city than a military camp. Bathhouses, aqueducts, a nymphaeum, a sort of columned forum (stoa), and other public buildings were found in the excavations of Novae. Indeed, in the 4th century, a city began to develop around the camp, which existed until the time of Justinian in the 6th century. It was the invasions of the Slavs and the Avars that brought about its destruction.

svishtov roman museum novae Bulgaria

Novae is one of the most excavated sites in Bulgaria. There is a museum with a display of some of the finds, and you can walk around the site among the buildings—some areas of the city camp were partially reconstructed. Near Novae, there is a beautiful park with sculptures and a café on the banks of the Danube.

During the Ottoman period, Svishtov became one of the main cities in northern Bulgaria and the most important port on the Danube. An important citadel was built there, and a renowned Jewish community developed. When Bulgaria gained independence, the city was rebuilt in a European style, and important Bulgarian personalities such as the writer Elko Konstantinov lived and worked there. In the city center, there are beautiful gardens, an impressive bell tower, and ancient houses, some of which are used as ethnographic museums. Up the hill stands an impressive church from the 19th century called the Church of the Holy Trinity.

svishtov park Bulgaria