This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Ruse.
Ruse is often referred as the "Little Vienna" because of its architectural monuments in neo-baroque, modern, neoclassical, and art nouveau styles. Ruse’s history comprises of more than twenty centuries and has its roots with the construction of a Thracian settlement, which became the fortress Sexaginta Prista in Roman times. It used to be a military center and a naval station. The city remained an important port during the Medieval Ages and a major city in the First and Second Bulgarian Kingdom. It was attacked many times by Middle Asian tribes due to its strategic location.
Ruse grew as the most influential and important Bulgarian city during the times of the Ottoman Empire. It became a major resistance center and Ruse was the biggest city in independent Bulgaria in the late nineteenth century. It used to be a major industrial and cultural center until the end of the World War II.
Even today, Ruse is an important city but has lost a lot of its significance for the Bulgarian economy. However, there are many places which are worth visiting -- the Regional Museum of History, the Pantheon of National Revival, the National Museum of Transport, the Roman fortress Sexaginta Prista, the Urban Life of Ruse Museum, the Zahari Stoyanov Museum, and the Baba Tonka Museum.
Tourists who want to visit Ruse have problems due to the bad transport connections with other major cities in Bulgaria. Although Ruse is close to Bucharest -- it's only seventy-five kilometers away -- there are only two buses and two trains that can take you to the Romanian capital. And the train ride takes almost three hours.
The number of hostels in Ruse is not big, but all Ruse hostels are located in the city center. The prices are not very low for Bulgarian standards, so your bed might not be as cheap as in other Bulgarian cities. However, it is very likely that your Ruse hostel will be very close to many historical buildings.
Written by local enthusiast for Ruse hostels
George Traveller
