Ruse (Bulgaria)

A walk along the Danube, a tour of the town, a coffee shop or three, and a craft beer bar.

So - I arrive in Ruse, knowing nothing about it apart from the fact it’s on the Romanian Border, on the banks of the Danube and the Lonely Planet claim that it has a touch of the Central European grandness. I’d go along with that - the city centre buildings do strike me as grander than, say, Plovdiv but the grandeur is faded a bit, it’s a bit sombre walking the main pedestrian streets at night. I like it a lot.

Here’s my street, well the intersection just down from my hotel - which is next door to the yellow building, a hotel rather posher than mine.

Where I am standing, I have the Danube at my back, across the street. Up past my hotel and around the corner facing the river is a great café, Sapiens, where I stop in several times, including for shakshuka for breakfast one morning. The eggs and toast are perfect.

My first morning, I walk the river, about 2.5 km. It’s Bulgaria’s main river port, although most boats are tied up - the only traffic I see on the river are barges. I’m curious as to what the flat deck boats are about.

There are a few boats that look like they could be used for cruises on the river but are really just floating restaurants, permanently moored.

I make a wee detour because Google maps indicates its a busy area, and I’m curious to see what’s going on. It turns out to be several blocks of apartments, but with a few shops in a square, including a couple of very nice cake shops - I stop in for an éclair and coffee. I hope the old dears sitting outside enjoy their cakes - they take forever to choose them, while I wait, not very patiently.

I finish at the National Museum of Transportation - which I should have realised would not be open, as its a Monday. There are a few old trains outside, I can’t see what’s inside. I don’t make it back.

Now for some shots of downtown Ruse, all taken from walking around a central park.

This is the library, also seen from the same park. I go in, hoping to see some interesting features, maybe even the dome - but the public access is restricted to the newer part, to the left of the tree, with the staff offices in the older part. At least this library has books!

This is now heading up the street - the first one is the main street, which is pedestrianised (as are several other streets).

It might not be very clear, but there’s quite a contrast here between all the other buildings and the brutalist one, which I think might be the back of the concert hall. The city hall isn’t much better, although I like its entrance. The city Courthouse is across the square.

Just the other side of the city hall, I find a marvellous cake shop, where I’d happily sit for hours if I could.

Later on, I head out for one last time - I want to check out the Za RazBIRAchi Craft Beer Bar. This is the Bulgarian National TV building in Ruse, and the next one is a bank, or an insurance agency - it’s nicely lit, whatever it is.

I’m about to go into a great looking coffee shop - it has a big copper and brass espresso machine with manual handles and very comfortable seats, and then I realise its someone’s office. Oops. No matter - I find my bar, and its great, although I really don’t know why the barmaid takes a few photos of my burger before bringing it to me - that’s my job!

Cheers!