24 hours to visit Ruse, is it enough time?

While Ruse is a nice city, a few foreigners will go straight ahead and visit it. I should admit that my first visit here was very brief. Just 8 hours during a -10 winter day. But now it was almost summer, so I and G gave it another go. So, can you visit Ruse and see everything in a day? Let’s find out.

Where is Ruse?

Ruse is a Bulgarian city, that is located on the bank of the Danube River, in central-north Bulgaria. On the other bank of the Danube, there is the Romanian city of Giurgiu. Just for reference, Guirgiu is around 75 km away from the capital of Romania – Bucharest.

What to do in Ruse in the morning?

This time we arrived in Ruse by car, from Romania to see some dear friends. But let’s imagine a popular scenario.

So, you have arrived at the train station or the bus station. They are located very near to each other. The best thing that you can do in Ruse in the morning is to get a warm breakfast and a coffee and head up to the Ruse TV tower which is close.

Bulgaria has many impressive breakfasts in its bakeries. We recommend you Banitsa with cheese, Milinka, or Kifla with marmalade. They will give you plenty of energy for the day. I prefer to start my days with coffee, but if you are into trying fully the local culture, you can get a Boza or an Ayrian. Both have very special tastes.

Let’s get to the attractions.

Leventa sightseeing spot and Ruse TV tower

The walk from the train station to Leventa and the Ruse TV tower is around 25 minutes. It is a perfect way to burn the calories from the Bulgarian breakfast.

Leventa sightseeing spot offers you a 360 view of the city from Leventa Hill. That way, you can get a general idea of how big Ruse is, and what can you see there. Don’t worry, it is not a huge place and you can easily visit all the attractions in Ruse in a day.

Just next to Leventa is the Ruse TV Tower. It is the biggest TV tower in Bulgaria! 204 meters! Why so high you may ask? Because Ruse is located in a lowland, and there are no high hills around. That makes it a must to create a high TV tower, that can broadcast to all of the nearby Bulgarian towns and villages.

Can you go up the Ruse TV tower?

No, you can’t climb the TV tower in Ruse. A long time ago, there was a coffee shop there, and later it was changed into a bar. But that bar has been more than 20 years out of service. Apparently, it was deemed unsafe, due to the lack of safe emergency exits. In 20 years nobody has fixed the problem and this is why Ruse is missing one great opportunity for tourism.

The morning is going great, but what else can you visit in Ruse?

OK, it is getting almost noon, so it is time to go to downtown Ruse. Walk or get on public transport. It is quite easy to use and very cheap.

If you have even less than 24 hours in Ruse, you can jump on a taxi, and ask for the Monument of Liberty (Pametnika na Svobodata). That way, you can save some time and the trip won’t be expensive. On the way there, you will see many “Panelki”, Soviet blocks of flats, gray as they were, when they were built ages ago. For me, they have some strange beauty.

What to do in Ruse during the day?

Visit the center of the Ruse

Ruse was the biggest city in Bulgaria, after the liberation from the Ottomans in 1878. It was a very well-developed city with both European and Turkish influence. You can see many beautiful old buildings with Italian, Australian, German, and Bulgarian style of architecture.

Because of the strong European influence, many call Ruse the “Little Vienna”.

As a person who has been many times in Vienna, I can assure you that the two cities have nothing in common, but I won't argue with the locals. Call your city the way you like!

Ruse is also pretty but in a very different manner.

Right in the center, you will find Ruse’s Liberty Square (Ploshtad Svoboda). It is a very nice place to refresh a bit, have a break, and organize your trip. If you have just a few hours in Ruse, for sure you must visit Ruse’s center.

There are many small streets in the center worth walking. The best walking street in Ruse is “Alexandrovska Street” (ulitza Alexandrovska). You can choose to go to “Alexandrovska Street”, which is a long pedestrian-only street with many shops and restaurants. if you go east, until its end you will fisnish in Mladezhki Park, next to the Danube River. There, if you go in late spring or early summer, you can enjoy the multiple roses in its Rozarium. If you follow Alexandrovska street west, you will find the monument of Alexander of Battenberg (learn who Alexander Battenberg was) and the Regional Historical Museum.

The center of Ruse was perfect for meeting our friends. The funny thing was that both I and G had some dear friends in the city at the same time. We managed to meet them together, and we were at one of the loudest and most noisy tables in the city. Hahahaha.

We visit the city at the beginning of the summer and it was already quite hot. We took multiple ice creams. Luckily, there are many small shops on the way, where you can buy ice cream, and special ice cream shops, which have multiple flavors and sell by weight.

Remember. It is important to stay hydrated.

Walk near the Danube River

Pristanishtna Street (Ulitza Pristanishtna) next to the Danube River, is the place where you want to spend your late afternoon. There you will find “Kraibrezhna Aleia”, the Coastal Promenade of Ruse. It is a small and long park with the best view over the Danube.

Since Ruse is relatively small, compared to Sofia or Varna, we were taking our time and enjoyed it without a hurry.

Now, that the sun is already going down, it is perfect for a cold beer. On your way, you will see a few small establishments, where you can stay for a refreshing drink and Tsatsa fish (sprat fish). These little fried fish are the perfect afternoon snack.

If you have still some time to spend you can see one of the other landmarks in the city.

Building in Ruse that has remarkable architecture are:

• The Building of the Tax Administration in Ruse.

• Ruse Regional Historical Museum.

• Kaliopa House, the Museum of Urban Culture.

• The Museum House of Zahari Stoyanaov.

• Sexaginta Prista Fortress.

• National Transport Museum.

• "Sveta Troitsa" Cathedral Church.

If you are into museums and Bulgarian history you can go and spend some time in one. During this trip, we didn’t visit any, because we preferred to spend time with our friends. Of the museums in Ruse, the most interesting are the National Transport Museum and the Kaliopa Museum of Urban Culture.

What to do in Ruse in the evening?

Eat at a restaurant on the Danube river

The night is already here and it is time for something more fancy. We walked towards the Pontoon restaurants in Ruse. Why? Because it is a pontoon and you can float on the Danube River while enjoying your dinner. Since we are next to the river, I personally recommend you to try some local combination of fish and chips, but if you are not into fish, there are burgers, pizza, and some traditional Bulgarian dishes too. You can also try some great Bulgarian wines.

Watching how it is getting dark, with the company of G, a nice drink and a view is the best way to say goodbye to a day. Ruse is definitely a wonderful city and very enjoyable to visit.

So, should you visit Ruse if you have just a day to spare?

Yes! You should spend at least a day in Ruse. Its beautiful center and Ruse’s Promenade are both worth it. If you like to travel slowly, you can enjoy this Bulgarian city for a whole week. That way, you can explore its museums, and surroundings without a hurry.

In our case, one day was nice and enough. We enjoyed it very much, we could spend some nice time with friends, and we didn’t get bored even a bit.

We were left with a desire to visit Ruse again in the future. If you got interested in the attractions of Ruse, and what this city can offer, here is how you can visit it.

How to visit Ruse? Different methods to arrive at Ruse.

Arriving by train

You can arrive at Ruse by Train. If you are in Bulgaria, you can use the site of the Bulgaria national railway to check for trains (https://razpisanie.bdz.bg/en). The prices are incredibly affordable, no matter from which city in Bulgaria you are coming.

Going to Ruse by train

• From Veliko Tarnovo to Ruse by train costs 7.60 BGN (3.88 euros) and takes around 2 hours and a half (direct train).

• From Varna to Ruse by train costs 12.40 BGN (6.34 euros) and takes around 4 hours (direct train).

• From Sofia to Ruse by train costs 19.20 BGN (9.80 euros) and takes around 6 hours 20 minutes (direct train).

The prices were updated in June 2023. You can check the site of the ticket provider for the latest prices.

You can also arrive in Ruse from Bucharest (Romania) by train.

It is even easier for the people in Giurgiu, Romania. It takes half an hour to go by train to Ruse.

From abroad with Danube cruiser

You can arrive in Ruse from many different European cities by cruise ship.

• Vienna

• Bratislava

• Budapest

• Belgrad

• Novi Sad

• Vidin

• and more are connected by the long river Danube.

Ruse is a popular stop on those long Danube cruises.

Arriving in Ruse by bus

There are many busses:

• Sofia to Ruse bus.

• Veliko Tarnovo to Ruse bu.

• Varna to Ruse bus.

• Silistra to Ruse bus.

• Bucharest to Ruse bus.

• Giurgiu to Ruse bus.

And many more buses around. In most cases, you don't need to book in advance. There are many bus lines and it is easy to find a seat. The only reason to book in advance is to get a super cheap seat for 1, 2, or 3 euros if there is a promotion.

Arrive in Ruse by bicycle

You can go to Ruse by cycling too. Ruse is on the longest cycling route in Bulgaria. The route starts in Vidin (read about Vidin), which is located in north-west Bulgaria and Finishes in the north-east in Durankulak near the Romanian border.

Final words

Ruse was the last stop of this long trip. We started with the small Dryanovo and went all the way to Budapest (Hungary). We met old friends and we even made new ones on the way. The 2022 trip finished more than successful, but now it is time to rest. While we are taking a break, you can read about some of the previous travel articles we have.

Check out our previous stops and discover more interesting places in Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary with packandgo.info.