At first, you might think that Lovech is small, and there are not many interesting things there but you will be extremely wrong. There are plenty of things to do in Lovech and its surroundings. Just see the long list of attractions below!
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Where is Lovech (Ловеч)?
Guys! The trip is going on and this time we are in a very cool and comfy city called Lovech. You can easily locate it on the map. It’s in the central-north part of Bulgaria, approximately 150 kilometers from Sofia, the capital.
Google Maps navigation from Sofia to Lovech HERE.
How’s Lovech?
Lovech is lovely! This is a city with a very nice vibe. You can go all around but what’s more interesting for tourists is the old town of Lovech. You will easily see the difference when you arrive. When we got to the city we saw industrial premises and contemporary buildings. But once you get to the Varosha (Вароша) district, the architecture changes and you know you are in the old town. History and its traces, nice cobbled streets, coffee shops, bars, and restaurants are waiting for you to walk and visit different attractions.
Upon your arrival, you will be welcomed by a calm and relaxing environment. Moreover, Lovech knows how to seduce your senses! Almost in every corner, there’s a sexy grill or coffee essence. If you are a grill and coffee lover like us, this will be hard to resist. So better don’t try! Just choose a nice terrace or restaurant and enjoy!
You don’t have to make massive efforts or travel very long distances to discover what Lovech has in store for you. We love places like this city because you can explore them without being super tired. We usually travel for months and we walk a lot daily. So finding a nice spot like Lovech is gold because we can enjoy it completely without being drained. And we can recharge our energy to keep going.
It’s a good choice if you look for a nice and relaxing weekend. You can go to Lovech being sure you will have everything handy to enjoy, without getting back home badly tired. This is exactly what many Bulgarians from Sofia do to escape a bit from the capital environment.
Since we liked Lovech a lot, we have wandered through its streets by day and by night. If you have time, we strongly recommend you to stay here and enjoy both sides of the city. You won’t regret it! The views are very worthwhile.
What to do in Lovech?
In Lovech, you can visit different places, get an encounter with Bulgarian history, eat tasty food, drink, and have fun!
Varosha district (квартал Вароша).
The Varosha district (квартал Вароша) of Lovech is considered a historical and architectural reservation since 1968. This old town includes all the antique section of the town that goes along the right bank of the Osam river (река Осъм). Some buildings located on the left bank of the river belong to this reservation too. They are close to the Staratesh park (парк Стратеш) and the Kolyu Ficheto’s Covered bridge (Покрития мост на Колю Фичето).
Mostly, the architecture you can find was created during the Revival period (from the 19th century to the 1970s). The houses look small and surrounded by stone fences. In their yards, you can see colorful roses, wild geranium, lilac, and ivy. You can still find houses that were built between 1850 and 1870, and we were told that those ones best represent the Varosha (Вароша) architecture. Houses don’t include workshops because the complete craftsmen activity is located on the commercial street and on the nice Kolyu Ficheto’s Covered bridge (Покрития мост на Колю Фичето).
Walking here is like jumping back to the 19th century. You will find meandering, cobbled, narrow streets. Don’t be surprised if your walking drives you to a dead-end marked by an entrance door or a wall.
The Varosha district (Вароша) is the home to approximately, 200 monuments (architectural and historical). You can visit there:
Hisarya Fortress (Крепост Хисаря). The Middle Age Fortress of Lovech.
This is a very nice place to visit. The fortress was created during the First Bulgarian Empire, 681-1018 AC. The peace treaty between Byzantium and Bulgaria was signed here in 1187 AC and that was not minor. This action marked the birth of the Second Bulgarian Empire, a new beginning for Bulgaria, and the end for Byzantium, after two centuries, of ruling over Bulgarians.
This fortress that you will see on top of Lovech, no matter the place in the city you are, is a great landmark of the city. When you visit it, you will be stepping on one of the last Ottoman citadels that still remain and are in very good shape, we can say. The place has been well maintained so you will really see a fortress and not only rocks that suppose to be a fortress. Actually now is used as a venue for musical concerts and other art expressions. During the night, lights illuminate it, offering a cool view for visitors and residents.
The Vasil Levski monument (Паметника на Васил Левски).
There’s another monument that can be seen in the highest part of the old town. It’s Vasil Levski’s. You will find it very close to the Hisarya fortress(Крепостта Хисаря). We totally recommend you to climb to reach it. There are stairs and your body will appreciate the exercise. The monument is very big. As big as the Levski’s legacy for Bulgaria. Something like 14-meter high. There’s no information you can read on the monument. Some tourists complain about it on different websites. But while being there, we saw something nice. Bulgarian visitors were totally willing to explain to you who this hero was. They seem to be very proud of Vasil Levski’s role in their history. So if you go there, just be friendly, ask a local and you will get the information you need.
The Vasil Levski museum (Музей „Васил Левски“).
The museum offers two floors of exhibitions. Through the objects, paintings, uniforms, documents, etc. you can get a good image of the Bulgarian people’s struggle to achieve the national liberation of the Ottomans (19th century).
Different objects exhibited there were Levski’s belongings, like his dagger and saber. Levski is described as a revolutionary who defended values like democracy, freedom, and equality.
Kolyu Ficheto’s Covered bridge (Покрития мост на Колю Фичето).
This is an icon of Lovech. It’s 106 meters long and it connects the old and new districts. The view of the Osam river is nice from there. It was created by a famous master-builder called Kolyu Ficheto between 1872 and 1874. It’s a charming bridge to walk on. There are different shops there, coffee places and a tourist information office. These days we decided to enjoy the view during the day and later when it gets dark while having a coffee there.
People say that there are only three more bridges like this one in Europe (Erfurt, Florence, Lucerne).
The Ethnographic Complex of Lovech (Етнографски комплекс на град Ловеч).
Two of the old Bulgarian houses of the Varosha district form the so-called the Ethnographic Complex of Lovech, Drasova house (Драсовата къща) and Rashova house (Рашовата къща. Both will show you a vivid snapshot of Bulgaria during the 1830-1840s. The Drasova house is an example of a home of a wealthy trader. It is a large house with a big wine cellar and living room, and the Rashova house is a bit more modest and represents the house of an intellectual, with a passion for music.
The entrance cost 3 BGN (1.53 EUR) for adults and 2 BGN (1.02 EUR) for children and pensioners
The Bash Bunar Park (Баш Бунар).
The name Bash Bunar means large spring. It’s a nice spot for walking and relaxation. It’s located near the Osam river. The banks of this river have caves, small and bigger ones. Implements and bones from the Paleolithic Age and the Bronze Age were discovered in some of those caves.
Stratesh, the park on the hill (Стратеш).
As you see, we have been walking a lot around Lovech, and one of the best things to do in Lovech is to visit the parks. This hill is a park and the city’s zoo is there. You will see two monuments that honor those who died during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878.
Yosif I school (Йосиф I).
This school is special for Bulgarians. Here, back in 1901, Panayot Pipkov composed the anthem of the revival period – “Walk, revived nation” („Върви, народе възродени“). Bulgaria got liberated in the 19th century, so the renaissance started very late. But when it started, the Bulgarians went all in. In a few years, everything related to knowledge, and education became “holy” and this song was the representation of the period.
What you can do here is to go and take a selfie with this historical monument, and brag to your Bulgaria friends. They will for sure know the song and can even sing it to you.
The art gallery of Lovech (Художествена галерия „Проф. Тофан Сокеров“ - Ловеч).
Another thing to do in Lovech is to see local art pieces in the city’s art gallery. You can enjoy more than 2700 items which include sculptures, graphic art, and portraits with folklore themes. Getting to know a culture through its art, might show you things about Bulgaria and the Bulgarians, that otherwise, you won’t be able to see.
Old city bath Delhi Hamam (Дели Хамам).
The Turkish people brought the culture of taking a bath in public to Bulgaria. They built many public baths that were called "hamam". It has been one of the main public places in Lovech. It has been preserved very well, but sadly, now you won’t be able to enjoy a Turkish bath there. It is more like a museum, where you can see different short movies about the history of Lovech.
Souvenir shops, bars, restaurants, and coffee shops.
Everything is waiting for you to enjoy. Both tourists and locals gathered in these places so you can meet some cool Bulgarians there.
In case you are into souvenirs, Lovech has good quality of them. You will find more than the traditional magnets. Locals offer creative and cool leather, wood, and knitted souvenirs. It can be a good place to purchase.
What you should know about Lovech’s history.
Lovech was built on the remains of the Thracian settlement Melta and the Roman City Presidium. This makes it one of the most antique-settled spots in Bulgaria. Just as an example, the Hisarya fortress (Крепост Хисаря) was created between 681-1018 AC.
The city became a very important commercial center for the complete country by the 17th century. During this golden time, Lovech’s traders managed to reach places (markets) beyond the limits of the Ottoman Empire.
Later, Lovech got a lot of fame due to Vasil Levski, an important Bulgarian hero who strongly fought against the Ottomans to free Bulgaria (1837-1873).
Where to stay in Lovech? - Choices of accommodation.
The city offers you hotels, guest houses, Bed & Breakfast, and hostels. So there’s a choice for every budget. You can stay directly in the Varosha district (квартал Вароша) or out of it. It’s up to you. But honestly, to stay in the old town Varosha is better. You will be close to all the main attractions.
Since this charming city got us, we decided to stay longer. We could not book more nights in our original accommodation because the weekend was coming and it was already fully booked. So we split our stay into two places. First, we stayed in a very clean and cozy hotel. The bed was comfortable, the Internet worked well, the toilet and shower were clean, and hot water was running properly too. The rooms were a bit small but for us, nothing to complain about. To park the car was easy. We left it exactly in front of the hotel and it felt safe. The night for two people, in a double room was only 40 BGN (20.50 EURO).
Later, we moved to the hostel where we currently are. It has a great location (old town). The building is old. We chose a double room and guys, the rooms here are very big. The furniture is old, like from the soviet era. There’s hot water, Wi-Fi, and kind attention. People at the front desk provide you with all the necessary information to enjoy Lovech and its surroundings. The night per two people, in a double room is 48 BGN (24.60 EURO).
You can also stay in a village nearby Lovech. While driving, we saw they offer accommodation for tourists (guest houses, B&B). You can stay closer to attractions around Lovech without being far from the city.
How long should I stay in Lovech?
This is hard to answer exactly now, exactly by us. We got so comfortable and happy in this city too fast. Now our problem is how to leave it! Hahaha, But ok, we think you deserve to stay here for at least a complete weekend. To enjoy it during the day and night, and to explore it without hurry and still have some time to do nothing but enjoy the view from a cozy bar or coffee shop. If you are looking for more action, while staying a weekend you also can have time to visit the surroundings of Lovech. The city is a base for travelers to move to interesting places located a few kilometers away from Lovech. So yes, in our opinion you should stay here for at least a weekend. Stay longer if you have the chance. We took the second choice and still we can’t decide when to leave!
Conclusion.
Guys, Lovech in Bulgaria is a nice destination we totally recommend you to visit! There are many things to do in Lovech! Let’s see when we finally leave for our next stop. Follow us to discover where this trip will head us next. If you are traveling too, have safe travels and lots of fun! See you around!
See also:
Can the tiny Dryanovo be any good?
What to visit near Lovech, Bulgaria?
Belogradchik Rocks, the epic rocks soaked with blood and hopes for freedom
The best things to do in Belogradchik
Vidin, the ancient guardian of the Danube is alive!
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