Hotalich Fortress, Sevlievo, Bulgaria

Ruins of the medieval town-fortress Hotalich are located 4km north-west from the today`s town of Sevlievo. The fortress was built by the Byzantines in the 5th century. In 10th century, at the same location, the Bulgarian state began construction of defense facilities to defend the country from the barbarian invasions from the north and Byzantium from the south.

The fortress was the largest in area except these of the old Bulgarian capitals Pliska, Preslav and Veliko Tarnovo.The excavations of medieval town of Hotalich and the fortress began for the first time in 1981. The archaeologists were found a high tower, two parallel walls (first of them dates back to the Early Byzantine period and the second from the 9th-10th century), remains of two main gates, ruins of quarters, churches, palace of the boyar (the local ruler), etc.

References:

visit.guide-bulgaria.com

Castles and fortifications in Bulgaria

Address

Sevlievo, Bulgaria

See all sites in Sevlievo

Details

Founded: 10th century AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in Bulgaria

More Information

visit.guide-bulgaria.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Shipka Monument (40,4 km)
St George the Conqueror Chapel Mausoleum (52,9 km)
Dryanovo Monastery (32,4 km)
Sokolski Monastery (36,7 km)
Storgosia Fortress (50,3 km)

User Reviews

Alisa Kapler (7 months ago)
Great place to visit if you are around Sevlievo and want to explore the history in this region. Be prepared for a lot of stairs in bad condition, however when you reach the top you will understand that the breathtaking views were definitely worth a struggle ?. There are many places to seat and enjoy the view ?

Ivaylo Kostadinov (2 years ago)
Amazing views from the top. There are a lot of stairs to go there.

Danko (2 years ago)
Really beautiful place with a view over Sevlievo city and Rositsa river. It takes a while to walk up and some water would be fine in the back-pack.

Martin Vasilev (3 years ago)
Opened 24h,good to visit when not very hot as it is on the top of a hill. Nice reconstruction and well preserved. Great view and a lot of history to learn

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Ninara

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The Church of the Holy Cross

The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).

The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.

The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.

The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.

Hotalich Fortress