Geography and Transport
Rousse region is situated in the north-eastern part of Bulgaria and is one of the medium sized regions in the country, concerning territory and population /2 803 sq. m and a total number of population 267 621 according to the latest statistics from March 2001/. The northern boundary of Rousse region goes along the Danube river valley and coincides with the state boundary of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Romania. The municipal centre - the town of Ruse is located to the north-east of the mouth of Rusenski Lom River. Its territory occupies the western part of the largest Danube lowlands and is near the capital of Romania - Bucharest /45 miles/ is a favourable fact which has been adequately used in the past. Today it is still a perspective spot for investments in holiday villas in Bulgaria and is waiting for pragmatic decisions in the context of the Euro-integration future of Bulgaria and Romania.
The Region of Rousse covers the former countie - Rousse; 8 municipalities in total - Biala, Borovo, Dve Mogili, Ivanovo, Rousse, Slivo Pole, Tzenovo, Viatovo, 6 towns - Rousse, Biala, Borovo, Dve Mogili, Tzenovo, Viatovo and 77 villages, including 2 cities (Rousse and Biala). The region has a total population of 279 210 people, that represents 3.3% of the total population of the country. 192 064 of these people inhabit the cities. The region covers an area of 2813 sq.km. , i.e. 2,53 % of the territory of the country. The number of people in active age is 160 562, 84190 being males. The staff, employed in the economy of the Rousse region amounts to 85 658 people.
The city of Russe is situated on the right bank of the Danube river, near the mouth of the Russenski Lom river and opposite the Romanian port of the city of Gyurgevo. The city of Russe is one of the oldest Bulgarian cites with strong traditions in the field of science, culture and education, and with strongly developed industry and commerce. It has rightly gained the name of Little Vienna, due to a large extent to the well preserved old architecture of the houses and holiday villas in Bulgaria. The city is a regional centre.
The region itself encompasses part of the central Danubian plain. The rich historical and cultural heritage and the wonderful scenery of the region presuppose wonderful opportunities for cultural and ecotourism, for relaxation and recreation near nature.
The town of Cherven is built on the very remnants of an old Byzantine fortress from the VI century A.D. Later it gradually gained enormous military, cultural and industrial importance as the second largest town in North Bulgaria. The mediaeval town of Cherven is included in a project for the development of holiday villas in Bulgaria, rural and ecotourism, run by the municipality of the village of Ivanovo, the Russe province.
The village of Ivanovo is situated in North Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the county of Ivanovo, the Russe province.
The town of Byala is situated in the central part of the Danubian hilly plain, near Yantra river, at 54 metres altitude. It is linked by roads to the city of Russe (54 kilometres away), the town of Pleven, the town of Svishtov, the city of Veliko Turnovo, the town of Popovo. The railway station of the town of Byala is 7 kilometres away from the very town. There is the railway quarter of the town. The town of Byala is the centre of wide fertile agricultural area. The industry is well developed too.
The town of Dve mogili is situated in North Bulgaria and is an integral part of the Russe province. It is the administrative centre of a county, bearing the same name. The local landmark, the cave of Orlova Chuka, is the second in length in the whole of Bulgaria. It is located in the gorge of the Russenski Lom river, 4 kilometres away from the town of Dve mogili, on the road to the fabulously beautiful village of Pepelina. The two mounds at the outskirts of the town, which gave it its name (Dve mogili in Bulgarian means two mounds) are an place of particular interest as well as the holidays villas in Bulgaria.
The region has comparatively high density of population / 96,5 % people per sq.m/. It takes first place in the North central plane region. Typical for the region in this sense is the fact that the density of population in Rousse town is many times higher than in the rest 7 councils and the amount of holiday villas in Bulgaria as well. The part of the urban population /68,7 %/ is a little higher compared to the average for the country /67 %/ and the Central plan region. The main part of it is concentrated in Rousse, where it is above 90 %. Sex structure points numerical superiority of female, which is 51,2 % of the total number of people living in the region. Regarding the age structure the most numerous is the group of the active population /age 18-66/, whose relative part is 65,5 % from the total number of population. The geographical situation of Rousse region characterizes the region as a major republican transport crossroad. Two of the main Pan-European transport corridors cross on the territory of the region - transport corridor № VІІ and transport corridor № ІХ, added by the possibilities given by the corridor "river - sea". It has the capacity to serve at one time passenger and cargo ships and to ensure quick access to many European markets and holiday villas in Bulgaria.
Rousse Duty-Free Zone has particularly great significance for the region with its large warehouse potential for storage of goods for re-export, giving opportunities for establishment of foreign or joint production facilities on its territory, thus using the preferences of the duty-free zones and the owners of holiday villages in Bulgaria. The Duty-Free Zone has its own port on the Danube, a petrol station for TIR transport, large warehouse area and spare areas. There are 8 customs entries in Rousse - 5 of them are border entries - the Danube bridge, The Port, Ro-Ro terminal, Railway station Rousse - Distribution and Railway station Rousse - Passenger and the rest 3 are dutiable: Terminal - East port, Cargo carrying railway station and Free zone. The Port is both a customs entry and dutiable.
The town of Ruse is the place where several of the biggest European transport corridors cross:
• transport corridor No.7 - the Main - the Rein - the Danube
• transport corridor No.4 - Berlin - Prague - Bratislava - Budapest - Bucharest - Ruse - Solon/Istanbul - the Near East
• transport corridor No.9 - Helsinki - Kiev/Moscow - Odessa/Kishinev - Bucharest - Ruse - Plovdiv - Solon/Istanbul
• transport corridor No.8 - Duras - Tirana - Skopie - Sofia - Ruse/Varna/Burgas - Union of the indipendent countries and other countries of the Black sea area
The density of the road network is approximately 0,370 km per sq.m on the region territory, which is considerably higher compared to the average for the country - 0,333 km/sq.m. There is constructed and well-developed railway infrastructure on the territory of Rousse region, in proximity to most holiday villages in Bulgaria. The railroad that goes through the region has length 146,100 km, which is 2,26% of the total length of railroad for the country. Of the greatest economic importance are the railways Rousse - Gorna Oriahovica and Rousse - Varna, which is the first railroad built in Bulgaria at the end of the last century and Rousse railway stations maintain over 1/3 of Bulgarian foreign trade.
Airport Shtraklevo is 18 km from Rousse. The airport Shtraklevo has a developed necessary equipment and has the possibilities to land Jumbo jet airplanes and used to make regular flights to the capital Sofia.
In the regional plan for regional development is included a project that aims the reconstruction of the Shtraklevo airport with a view to open it and start national and international air flights for business and tourist purposes and cargo flights, which will be very suitable for the owners of holiday villages in Bulgaria.
MOTOR TRANSPORT
Bus transport
It consists of 25 routes of the Ruse quota, 15 routes of the regional transport scheme, 18 bus and 9 trolley-bus lines of the town scheme, 5 lines between villages in the municipality, 8 additional municipal lines, 1 international route (Ruse - Bucharest).
Transport companies:
• Ruse - Municipal motor transport Ltd.
• Iskra-98 Ltd.
• Chance-99 Ltd.
• Geocommerce Ltd.
• Ilinden
• Prista trans-33 Ltd.
Taxi transport
It is carried out by 112 transport companies with 1200 privately owned taxis. The number of the taxi ranks is 54 with 263 places.
Cargo transport - 61 motor vehicles
Bigger companies:
• Cargo transportation PLC.
• Ruse - specialized transportation Plc.
RAILWAY TRANSPORT
Adjoining railway lines:
• Ruse - Gorna Oryahovitsa - Sofia
• Ruse - Varna
Railway stations:
• Passenger central station
• Passenger shunting yard
• Cargo station
• Railway station - West
• Railway station - East
• Railway station - North
Industrial railway tracks:
• Port-West
• Western industrial zone
• Port-East
• Eastern industrial zone
• Central industrial zone
Locomotive depot for the repair of locomotives
Railway repair shop for carriage repair
WATER TRANSPORT - the Danube river
Ports:
• Port-West
• Port-East
The ports in Ruse utilize river and river-marine vessels. The length of the port front is 2500 meters, the number of ship places - 25. The ports have 25 portal cranes with hoisting capacity from 5 up to 32 tons.
They also have 25000 sq. meters of covered and 155 000 sq. meters of open warehouse area.
AIR TRANSPORT
AIRPORT RUSE Ltd.
Ruse (Shtraklevo) LBRS
Navigation characteristics:
• Latitude - 43о41'45"
• Longitude - 26о03'29"
• Altitude - 180 meters
• Winds - South-West/North-East
• Minimum flying height at complex - 760/600 m
• Flying ground - 2700/600
• Standard model planes - up to 150 tons
Taking off and landing track
Length - 2500 m
Width - 50 m
Pavement - sand under the concrete 17 cm
Covering - concrete 18 cm, pressure - 300 km/sq. cm., straining - 45 kg/sq. cm
History
The town was founded at the time of the Roman emperor Vespasian over the period of 69 – 79 AD as a fortress called Sexaginta Prista, meaning The harbor of the sixty ships. The fortress lasted for almost six centuries and then perished under the storms of the Barberian invasions. In the Middle Ages the Rousse region was among the most developed areas of the Bulgarian state. At the time of the Otoman Yoke Rousse was an important fortress and the maingate to the north of the Turkish empire. It was called Rouschouk.
The major factor for the territorial development of the district of Ruse and the market of holiday villas in Bulgaria is the Danube river along which the town has been developing during the ages. The ancient town of Seksaginta Prista (i.e. sixty ships), according to a military route map from the age of emperor Octavian August, was the base of the Roman navy along the lower course of the Danube river. Subsequently that strong fortress turns into a base camp for the Roman invasion to the North at the time of rule of the emperors Vespasian and Trayan. The town was plundered and destroyed during the numerous attacks of the Slavs and proto-Bulgarians in the VI and VII centuries.
After the new territorial reform in the Ottoman empire in 1864, a new micro territorial administrative unit originates on the territory of North and Western Bulgaria - Tuna (Danube) Vilayet province of the Ottoman empire, the main centre of which is Ruschuk. It includes 65 caazas, 1500 municipalities and the towns of Tulcha, Ruschuk, Tarnovo, Vidin, Nish and Sofia. Midhad pasha, an experienced administrator possessing a reforming spirit who in 1872 becomes a grand vizir, is placed at the head of the vilayet. During the six years of his service he takes serious care of the development of trade, building of holiday villas in Bulgaria and crafts. He opens craft schools, establishes a special trade court, builds the first streets with curb stones, sidewalks, Viennese street lamps and western style catering establishments.
The town goes through an unprecedented boom. A post office, a hospital, an orphanage, an exemplary farm, old holidays villas in Bulgaria . The first agricultural bank and the first joint-stock company on the Balkan Peninsula was founded. In 1866 baron Hirsh built the first railroad between Ruse and Varna. Being facilitated by the mail services, the telegraph, the railroad and the regular water transport which connect the town not only with Vienna but also with Tsarigrad /Istanbul/ a lot of foreigners establish their trade agencies here. Soon Austria-Hungary, Russia, Great Britain, France and Italy open their own consulates and Prussia, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain and Greece open consulates of honour. The streets of the town echo with the multiethnic speech of Bulgarians, Turkish, Armenians, Jewish, Wallachs /Romanians/, Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, Czechs, English, Russians, etc. businessman’s and investors in holiday villas in Bulgaria.
In this modern European town Bulgarian schools are opened and the first written in Bulgarian and printed in Bulgaria newspaper "Tuna" (Danube) is established.
The economic prosperity of Ruse, its contacts with the middle European countries, with Russia and Romania, the influx of foreigners and the access to the ideas of bourgeois Europe directly influence the spiritual life of the Bulgarians living here. The most active of them take part in the struggle for national liberation and independent church.
On 20 February 1878, after a continuous siege, the Russian troops enter Ruse and are happily welcomed by the Bulgarian population. This is the beginning of a new stage of the town's history. The post liberation development of Ruse is characterized with prosperity based on the changed social-economic relations and the good foundation of the historical heritage of the reforms of Midhad pasha. For a short period of time Ruse becomes a large-scale financial and commercial centre. From 1890 till 1905 one third of the Bulgarian import enters the country through the port of Ruse.
The town develops rapidly till the Balkan wars in 1912-1913. The tearing off of Southern Dobrudzha from Bulgaria after the wars deprives it of its natural hinterland and it starts to slowly decline. In 1940 when under the Krayova agreement Southern Dobrudzha region is annexed to the territory of Bulgaria again, Ruse becomes a regional centre for the second time.
The post capitalist period of the development of the town is marked by a strong territorial growth, great over-expenditure of resources including territorial ones. This is a period of concentration of demographic mass and economic potential
Climate
The region of Ruse municipality belongs to the temperately continental climate area, due to this fact there are many interested investors in holiday villas Bulgaria. The Danube terrace is open to the north-eastern winds, including the part that is in the region of Ruse municipality. That is what causes the hot summers and the cold winters. The autumns and springs are short. Despite the cold winter, the spring comes early due to the law above sea level. The average annual amplitude is approximately 26°C and is the highest amplitude for the country. The region of the town of Ruse is comparatively dry, the average annual sum of rainfalls being 562 mm and the average annual number of rainy days - 138.9.The thickness of the snow cover is about 14 cm and the average annual number of days with snow cover is 48.4. The rainfall rate causes a number of problems connected with the surface drainage and sewerage especially because of the availability of high underground waters.In the winter south-western winds predominate - 37.6% and in the spring - the north-eastern winds - (29.4%), in the summer - the north-eastern and the south-western winds (22 и 23%) and in the autumn - the north-eastern (32.9%). The average annual number of days with strong winds (over 14 m/sec) is 58. In the summer winds of high speed are observed - up to 40 m/sec. In almost all cases they are connected with hailstorms and thundersRuse municipality is situated on the riverside territory of the Danube river. That determines the type of vegetation characteristic for regions of law above sea level - mezophytes and hydrophytes. The primary forest cover consisting of mixed oak forests is considerably damaged by agricultural activities.
Heating supply
Heating systems supply - Ruse PLc is a state company the main activity of which is in the field of production of electric and heating energy, distribution of heating energy and exploitation of heating installations and equipment.
Thermal Electric Power Station “Ruse-East” - production capacity for 1730 tons of steam per hour, 400 megawatts of electric energy and 274 gig calories per hour of thermal energy; raw material used - coal.
Thermal Electric Power Station Ruse-East - production capacity for 94 tons of steam per hour, 4 megawatts and 35 gig calories of thermal energy; raw material used - natural gas.
Heating supply system:
Direct steam trunk-line - 2 km
Northern steam trunk-line - 3 km
Southern steam trunk-line - 3.5 km
Western steam trunk-line - 6 km
Northern water highway - 5 km
Southern water highway - 6 km
Western water highway - 2 km
The heating system includes 13761 equipped apartments and 4766 adjusted apartments included holiday villas in Bulgaria. One fourth of the residential buildings in the town are equipped with a centralized heating system. The available capacity and conveying capacity make possible the joining of another 10 000 apartments to the centralized heating supply system.
The predominant part of the industrial enterprises in the town of Ruse and the holidays villas are supplied with gas. There are three distribution gas-mains laid to the town from two automated gas distribution stations - eastern and western. They supply with natural gas the western , the eastern and the central industrial zones. A situation plan for the development of the gas-mains in the whole town is accepted regarding the forthcoming gasification of the domestic and social sectors. For that purpose, with a decision of the Bulgargas Committee for effective utilization of natural gas, Ruse municipality is allowed to use 49 000 thousand nm3 natural gas per year.
Economy
The Region of Rousse includes the so called North-Eastern Danube social-economical area. The structure of the Rousse region is industrial-agricultural. The ratio is 60:40.
There is around 9801 companies operating in the Region, including 9459 private. The volume of sales for 1996: total 93 426 million BGL, including 39 304 million BGL in private sector. The contribution of the most important branches is as follows: agriculture forestry - 3 836 M BGL, industry - 56 319 M BGL, services - 33 271 M BGL and holiday villas Bulgaria – 67934 BGL.
Industry is rather well developed; priority is given to branches, manufacturing means of production. The region is specialized also in glass and porcelain-faience production; chemical and rubber production ; machine-building and metal-processing ; electronics and electric engineering products ; holiday villas Bulgaria, wood processing industry and food industry . The region manufactures river vessels, baby carriages, artificial leathers, bread yeast ( strategic stuff) , citric acid (at present the factory is not in operation and it is announced for sale, paints, linseed oils and varnishes; machine tools; cheese production.
The region shows very good development in agriculture, and it holds priority in the production of various agricultural products - apricots; sugar beet; corn, wheat and sunflower; soy; poultry production. The following live stock is being raised: pigs and sheep; poultry and cattle. The ratio between stock-breeding and plant-growing is 45:55.
Telecommunication infrastructure
The telecommunication infrastructure in the region is well developed and the quality of the phone connections is on high level. The regional Telcom Company "Dalekosaobshtenia" - Rousse owns 20 of individual capacity and 55 of mutual possession production buildings in 69 settlements in the region. 66 analog Automatic telephone exchange have been mounted with a capacity of 110 300 users. There is also a digital telephone exchange for 4 200 users. An optical cable line has been constructed with a full length of 12There is also an optical line between Rousse and Silistra, passing through the settlements Nikolovo, Slivo Pole and Borisovo, which gives the opportunity for developing of the telecommunication services and quick Internet access to smaller settlements and country side holidays villas in Bulgaria.
Water supply
Rousse region has good in quality and quantity aspects water sources. Modern water supply system brings water to all 83 settlements n the region, the length of the water supply line is 1665 km.
As to the sewage, there are several towns that have constructed sewerage. The irrigation equipment in the region is constructed totally on pump principle, the main water sources being the Danube river and the Rusenski Lom river supplying the holidays villas in Bulgaria as well.
Education
Rousse is one of the biggest cultural and education centres in the country. The University of Rousse includes faculties of general, automobile and agricultural machine-building; electronics and electrical engineering; europeistics; law ; management; industrial design. There are various Scientific-Research Institutes of seeds production, of agricultural machine-building; Semi-Higher Institutes of pedagogics, of medicine; Secondary Professional Technical Schools of : River ship-building, machine building, electric engineering, building, grain-production, industrial chemistry, wood-processing, economics, public catering; garment production, property management Bulgaria.
Russe university Angel Kanchev is a state higher educational establishment, established in 1954. Education of specialists of higher education - specialists of certain specialty, bachelor, master and doctor is provided there. The education is held as a regular and extramural one in 9 faculties and two colleges. One faculty (Pedagogical one) and one college (Technical one) are in Silistra and the second college (Technologic) is in Razgrad. Specialties in the sphere of education, social study and humanitarian study, economics and management, mathematics and nature study, healthcare, techniques and technology are provided.
Culture
Rousse region is a center of different ethnic cultures. The region is very attractive for the guests and tourists visiting it with its historical and cultural landmarks. Rousse region has a great potential for the tourist development: residential, cruise, cultural, ecological, country and hunting tourism, holiday villas in Bulgaria tourism and more. Rousse is famous for its unique historical and archeological nature reserves: Ivanovo rock churches, medieval fortress Cherven, Nature-park Rusenski Lom, the typical for the town and the unique for the country architectural and historical monuments, old holiday villas in Bulgaria, galleries and museums. Of a great importance for the development of tourism in the region is the existence of all types of transport, as well as the good standard maintenance of hotels and restaurants. There are 8 hotels in Rousse -Danube-Plaza, Riga, Bistra and Galina, Splendid, Kristal, Rousse, National, Juvelir with total number of 721 beds. The hotels Danube-Plaza, "Riga, Bistra and Galina and Splendid have business class and modern business offices, Internet connection, conference halls available. Tourist information centre-Rousse is created to maintain good service information for the tourists and citizens of Rousse region.
Places of interest
The natural resources and landmarks are concentrated in the districts of Rousse, Ivanovo, Dve mogili. There are amazing natural and historical landmarks as the "Natural park - Roussenski Lom with the canions of Polomie, the cave Orlova tchuka , the rocky churches of Ivanovo, typical holiday villas in Bulgaria and the Castle of Cherven. The rocky churches in Ivanovo are included in the UNESCO - world natural and cultural heritage list. About 30 national-meaning cultural monuments are registered in the region of Rousse.
