Ruse, River port municipality in northeastern Bulgaria.
Ruse is a municipality and province capital in northeastern Bulgaria on the right bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu. The old town spreads over several streets with commercial houses, administrative buildings and residential quarters near the riverfront.
Around the year 70, the Romans founded the naval base Sexaginta Prista here, later expanded into a fortress under Emperor Domitian. In the 19th century, the town became a commercial and industrial center with direct links to Austria-Hungary.
The main avenue shows public buildings and houses from late Habsburg times, often called little Vienna. Many facades carry stucco elements and iron balconies with floral details that recall central European architecture.
Access is by road from the north or via the Friendship Bridge, which crosses the river into Romania. The area around the riverfront and the pedestrian zone works well for walks in the afternoons or early evenings.
This city saw the first railway line, the first newspaper and the first private bank in Bulgaria during the second half of the 19th century. These developments made it a gateway for ideas and technologies from western Europe.
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