This is a partial list of fortifications in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
, including
castles,
castra,
defensive walls, etc.
Partial list of fortifications in Bulgaria
}) was one of the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
's military fortresses built to defend
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
. The ruins of the fortress are located on Mount Hissarluka - 3.4 km south in a straight line from the center of the village
Kipilovo,
Sliven Province
Sliven Province ( bg, Област Сливен, former name Sliven okrug) is a province in southeastern Bulgaria, named after its administrative and industrial centre—the city of Sliven. It embraces a territory of [Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...]
., ,
, -bgcolor="#CFECEC"
, -
,
Kovachevsko kale
Kovachevsko kale ( bg, Ковачевско кале) was a Roman city which lies west of the Bulgarian town of Popovo. The Czech archaeologist Karel Škorpil called it Kovachoveshko kale, after the name of the nearby village, Kovachevets ( ...
castrum , ,
, , Kovachevsko kale is a late
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
fortress, whose ruins are located 6 km west of the town of
Popovo, near the modern road Popovo -
Byala. The ancient name of the settlement is unknown. The
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
archaeologist
Karel Škorpil
Karel Václav Škorpil ( bg, Карел Вацлав Шкорпил; 15 May 18599 March 1944) was a Czech-Bulgarian archaeologist and museum worker credited along with his brother Hermann with the establishment of those two disciplines in Bulgar ...
called it Kovachoveshko kale, after the name of the nearby village,
Kovachevets. The fortress is located on a flat terrain, naturally protected by low-water rivers. It has a roughly triangular form. The defensive stone walls are fortified with 17 U-shaped towers. There are two gates, one to the west, to other one to the north-east. , ,
, -
,
Krasen castle , , , , Krasen or ''Krasen Kale'' is a fortress near the village of
Bata in
Pazardzhik Province
Pazardzhik Province ( bg, Област Пазарджик ''Oblast Pazardzhik'', former name Pazardzhik okrug) is a province in Southern Bulgaria, named after its administrative and industrial centre - the city of Pazardzhik. The territory is ...
. It is situated at around 3 km of the village and 6 km to the south of the municipal center
Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte ( bg, Панагюрище, also transliterated ''Panagjurište'', ) is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of P ...
. The castle has been dated to the 10th century AD and is currently in ruins. The remains of the walls reach up to six meters. , ,
, -
,
Ktenia castle , , , , Ktenia is a ruined
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
and
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
fortress, situated 2.1 km to the north of the village of
Lozarevo,
Burgas Province
Burgas Province ( bg, Област Бургас, translit=Oblast Burgas, formerly the Burgas okrug) is a province in southeastern Bulgaria, including the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. The province is named after its administrative and ind ...
in south-eastern Bulgaria. In the Middle Ages, Ktenia often changed hands between Bulgaria and
Byzantium. The ruins of the fortress lie north-east of the town of
Sungurlare, in the Grebenets section of the Eastern
Balkan Mountains. In ancient and medieval times, it served as an important defensive position guarding the
Karnobat Pass through the mountains. Neighbouring castles included
Rusokastro to the southeast and
Aytos
Aytos ( bg, Айтос ), sometimes written Aitos and Ajtos, is a town located in eastern Bulgaria some 30 kilometers from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and belonging to the administrative boundaries of Burgas Province. It is the administrati ...
to the east. , ,
, -
,
Lardea castle , , , , Lardea or ''Lardeya'' is a ruined late Roman and medieval fortress, situated near the village of
Lozenets,
Yambol Province
Yambol ( bg, област Ямбол, ''oblast Yambol'', former name Yambol okrug) is a province in southeastern Bulgaria, neighbouring Turkey to the south. It is named after its main city Yambol, while other towns include Straldzha, Bolyarovo ...
, in south-eastern Bulgaria. In the Middle Ages, Lardea often changed hands between the Bulgarian and the Byzantine Empires. , ,
, -
,
Lovech fortress castle , , , , The fortress of Lovech is a medieval stronghold that gained prominence during the Second Bulgarian Empire. After Byzantine unsuccessfully
besieged Lovech in 1187 they were forced to recognize ''de facto'' the restoration of the Bulgarian state. It remained an important economic and commercial centre until the fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman rule in the early 15th century. , ,
, -
,
Lyutitsa castle , ,
, , Lyutitsa is one of the largest and best preserved castles in the easternmost part of the Eastern Rhodopes, located 3.5 hours' walk south-west of
Ivaylovgrad
Ivaylovgrad ( bg, Ивайловград, "city of Ivaylo") is a town in Haskovo Province in the south of Bulgaria set near the river Arda in the easternmost part of the Rhodope Mountains, and is the administrative centre of the homonymous Ivayl ...
in southernmost Bulgaria. It is also known as the "Marble City" because its walls are made of white
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
. The fortress occupies an area of and has 12 towers of which eight have been preserved. The walls are up to high. The ruins of two churches have been excavated as well as a necropolis with 15 graves. Among the numerous archaeological finds are rare coins, ceramics of
Preslav
The modern Veliki Preslav or Great Preslav ( bg, Велики Преслав, ), former Preslav ( bg, link=no, Преслав; until 1993), is a city and the seat of government of the Veliki Preslav Municipality (Great Preslav Municipality, new ...
, jewelry and tools. , ,
, -
,
Markeli
Markeli ( bg, Маркели; el, Μαρκέλλαι, ''Markellai''; la, Marcellae) was a medieval Byzantine and Bulgarian frontier stronghold, the ruins of which are located in Karnobat Municipality, Burgas Province, southeastern Bulgaria. D ...
fort , , , , Markeli was a medieval Byzantine and Bulgarian frontier stronghold, the ruins of which are located in Karnobat Municipality, Burgas Province in the south-east of the country. Dating to
Late Antiquity
Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...
, the castle lay some from the modern town of
Karnobat
Karnobat ( bg, Карнобат ) is a town in the Burgas Province, Southeastern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Karnobat Municipality. According to the 2021 census, the town has a population of 16,483 inhabitants.h ...
. It was the site of two notable medieval battles between Byzantines and Bulgarians, the
Battle of Marcellae of 756 and the
Battle of Marcellae of 792. , ,
, -
,
Matochina castle , ,
, , Matochina Fortress, also known as ''Bukelon'', lies on a plateau to the northeast of the village itself. The only well-preserved part of the castle today is the inner fortress with the keep, which is 18 metres in height and dates to the 12th–14th century. The keep is a three-storey tower with arrow loops on all sides. The third storey was reportedly used as a chapel for the defenders. The keep was constructed out of stone and bricks. A cross-shaped brick monogram to the side of the entrance indicates that the fortress may have been reconstructed by the Bulgarian Emperor
Michael Shishman (r. 1323–1330). , ,
, -bgcolor="#CFECEC"
,
Mezek
Mezek ( bg, Мезек) is a village in southeastern Bulgaria, part of Svilengrad municipality, Haskovo Province. It lies at the foot of the eastern Rhodope Mountains, just north of the Bulgaria–Greece border and not far west of the Bulgaria� ...
castle , ,
, , Mezek Fortress, in area, is among the best preserved Bulgarian medieval castles. It dates to the 11th century. Along with the Thracian tombs located nearby, it was studied by a team under archaeologist
Bogdan Filov in 1931–1932. The castle has nine towers, five of which lie at the vulnerable south wall. The fortress was built out of stone, with two decorative lines of bricks on the outside. It suffered some destruction around 1900, when stones from the fortress were used for the construction of
Ottoman barracks in
Svilengrad. , ,
, -
,
Momina Kula castle , ,
, , Momina Kula is a Late Antiquity and medieval fortress, situated in the
Momina Klisura Gorge along the river
Mesta near the village of
Kremen in
Blagoevgrad Province. It is situated on a peak with vertical cliffs to the north, east and south. The only access is to the west where the walls are preserved at their entire length at the height of 5 m. To the east are located the remains of a quadrangular tower. , ,
, -
, Montanesium
castrum , , , , Montanesium is a Roman castrum founded in the 1st century AD, situated in the town of
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
. , ,
, -bgcolor="#CFECEC"
,
Nesebar
Nesebar (often transcribed as Nessebar and sometimes as Nesebur, bg, Несебър, pronounced ) is an ancient city and one of the major seaside resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, located in Burgas Province. It is the administrative cen ...
fortifications , ,
, , The first fortifications of Nesebar, the ancient Messembria, were constructed in the 8th century BC. They were improved by the Ancient Greeks in the 5-4th century BC, and subsequently by the Byzantines in the 5th century AD. In the Middle Ages the city often changed hands between the Bulgarian and the Byzantine Empires and the fortifications were frequently reconstructed. The last reconstruction was in the 14th century by Emperor
Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
Ivan Alexander ( bg, Иван Александър, transliterated ''Ivan Aleksandǎr'', ; original spelling: ІѠАНЪ АЛЄѮАНдРЪ), also sometimes Anglicized as John Alexander, ruled as Emperor (''Tsar'') of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, ...
. , ,
, -
,
Ovech fortress castle , , , , During the Middle Ages Ovech was a key centre of the
First Bulgarian Empire with an important monastery at the modern village of Ravna and a major scriptorium of the
Preslav Literary School
The Preslav Literary School ( bg, Преславска книжовна школа), also known as the Pliska Literary School or Pliska-Preslav Literary school was the first literary school in the medieval Bulgarian Empire. It was established by ...
. During the
Uprising of Ivaylo
The Uprising of Ivaylo ( bg, Въстанието на Ивайло) was a rebellion of the Bulgarian peasantry against the incompetent rule of Emperor Constantine Tikh and the Bulgarian nobility. The revolt was fuelled mainly by the failure ...
the rebel leader and subsequently emperor of Bulgaria
Ivaylo
Ivaylo (died 1281), also spelled Ivailo ( bg, Ивайло), was a rebel leader who ruled briefly as tsar of Bulgaria. In 1277, he spearheaded a peasant uprising and forced the Bulgarian nobility to accept him as emperor. He reigned as emperor ...
defeated a 10,000-strong Byzantine army near the city in 1279. During the Second Bulgarian Empire Ovech was the seat of a metropolitan in the 14th century. Ovech was captured by the Ottomans in 1388 after a long siege. , ,
, -
,
Peristera fortress castle , , , , Peristera is a fortress dated from the Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages situated in the Rhodope Mountains near the town of
Peshtera in
Pazardzhik Province
Pazardzhik Province ( bg, Област Пазарджик ''Oblast Pazardzhik'', former name Pazardzhik okrug) is a province in Southern Bulgaria, named after its administrative and industrial centre - the city of Pazardzhik. The territory is ...
. Peristera had three lines of defensive walls and six towers. It was destroyed by the Ottoman invaders in the 14th century. , ,
, -
,
Plovdiv fortifications , ,
, , The fortifications of Plovdiv were centred on
Nebet Tepe
Nebet Tepe is one of the hills of Plovdiv where the ancient town was founded. The earliest settlements on Nebet Tepe are dated back to 4000 BC.Детев П.Известия на музейте в Южна Българият. 1 (Bulletin des muse ...
, one of the seven hills of the city. The earliest settlement is dated back to the 6th millennium BC but the remains of the fortifications are mainly from the Roman and medieval periods. Partially preserved remains of the defensive system are
Hisar Kapia
Hisar Kapia is a medieval gate in Plovdiv's old town and one of the most famous tourist sights in the city. The gate was built in the 11th century AD over the foundations of a gate from Roman times (probably from the 2nd century AD). Hisar Kapia i ...
and the
Eastern gate of Philippopolis. , ,
, -bgcolor="#CFECEC"
,
Shumen fortress castle , ,
, , The origin of the Shumen fortress can be traced to the early
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
and was later owned by the
Thracians
The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...
in the 5th century BC. From 2nd to 4th centuries AD, it was controlled by the Romans who built towers and walls, and it was refurbished by the Byzantines as a
garrison town. Shumen thrived in the Middle Ages as an important stronghold of the Bulgarian Empire. In 1444 it was destroyed by the Ottomans after their victory in the
Battle of Varna
The Battle of Varna took place on 10 November 1444 near Varna in eastern Bulgaria. The Ottoman Army under Sultan Murad II (who did not actually rule the sultanate at the time) defeated the Hungarian– Polish and Wallachian armies commanded ...
over a Christian army under
Władysław III of Poland
Władysław III (31 October 1424 – 10 November 1444), also known as Ladislaus of Varna, was King of Poland and the Supreme Duke (''Supremus Dux'') of Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1434 as well as King of Hungary and Croatia from 1440 until h ...
. The fortress remained deserted ever since. , ,
, -
,
Sostra
Sostra is an ancient Roman fort and settlement near the village of Lomets, Bulgaria.
Impressive remains have been excavated and partially restored.
Sostra was strategically situated along the major Roman road (the Via Traiana) linking ancient ...
castrum , ,
, , Sostra is an ancient Roman castrum situated near the village of
Lomets
Lomets is a village in Troyan Municipality, Lovech Province, northern Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank ...
in
Lovech Province
Lovech Province ( bg, Област Ловеч, translit=Oblast Lovech, former name Lovech okrug) is one of the 28 provinces of Bulgaria, lying at the northern centre of the country. It is named after its main city - Lovech. As of December 200 ...
. It was constructed c. 147 AD by order of Emperor
Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius ( Latin: ''Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius''; 19 September 86 – 7 March 161) was Roman emperor from 138 to 161. He was the fourth of the Five Good Emperors from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty.
Born into a senatori ...
but was ravaged by the
Goths
The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...
in 249. Sostra was destroyed completely by the
Huns
The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...
in the 5th century AD. , ,
, -
,
Storgosia fort , ,
, , Storgosia was a Roman road station located in the vicinity of modern
Pleven, north-central Bulgaria. It accommodated detachments of
Legio I ''Italica'''s Novae (modern
Svishtov) garrison. The station grew to become a fortress in Late Antiquity due to
Gothic and other
Barbarian raids after 238. The fortress existed until the end of the 6th century, when the settlement of the
Slavs apparently led to its abandonment. , ,
, -bgcolor="#CFECEC"
,
Tsarevets castle , ,
, , Tsarevets is a medieval stronghold located on a hill with the same name in
Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo ( bg, Велико Търново, Veliko Tărnovo, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a town in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province.
Often referred as the "''City of the Tsars''", Veliko Tarnovo ...
in northern Bulgaria. Tsarevets is situated at an altitude of 206 m. It served as the
Second Bulgarian Empire's primary fortress and strongest bulwark from 1185 to 1393, housing the imperial and the patriarchal palaces, and is nowadays a popular tourist attraction. , ,
, -
,
Tsepina
Tsepina ( bg, Цепина) or Tzepaina ( el, Τζέπαινα) was a castle and town in the western Rhodope mountains, southern Bulgaria, now in ruins. It is from the Dorkovo village in the north-eastern part of the Chepino Valley. Tsepina is ...
castle , ,
, , Tsepina was a castle and town in the western Rhodope Mountains, now in ruins. It is located at 6 km from the
Dorkovo
Dorkovo ( bg, Дорково; rup, Dorcova) is a village in the Rakitovo municipality, Pazardzhik Province, western Bulgaria. The population of the village is 2,955. Aromanians live in the village.
Geography
Dorkovo is situated in the western Rh ...
village in the north-eastern part of the Chepinska valley. Tsepina was built on a steep height at 1,136 metres above sea level. Its outer walls closed an area of 25 decares and was dominated by a citadel located at the top of the cliff. The foundations of three churches have been excavated as well as four large water storage tanks up to 10 m deep. , ,
, -
,
Urvich castle , ,
, , Urvich, also known as
Kokalyane
Kokalyane ( bg, Кокаляне) is a village in the municipality of Sofia, in the district of Pancharevo in Bulgaria. As of 2007 it has 1,859 residents. The village is situated at the foothills of the Vitosha mountain, 18 km from the center of ...
Urvich after the nearby village, is a medieval fortress in the territory of today's quarter
Pancharevo
Pancharevo ( bg, Панчарево, , also transcribed as Pančarevo) is a resort village and district located on the outskirts of Sofia close to Vitosha, Lozenska and Plana mountains and occupies the southeastern part of the Capital Municipa ...
of the capital
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
. It is located on the right bank of
Iskar River
The Iskar ( bg, Искър, ; la, Oescus) is a right tributary of the Danube. With a length of 368 km it is the longest river that runs entirely within Bulgaria.[Samokov
Samokov ( bg, Самоков ) is a town in Sofia Province in the southwest of Bulgaria. It is situated in a basin between the mountains Rila and Vitosha, 55 kilometres from the capital Sofia. Due to the suitable winter sports conditions, Sam ...]
. The fortress was constructed in the 13th century during the Second Bulgarian Empire. , ,
, -
,
Ustra castle , , , , Ustra is a castle in the eastern Rhodope Mountains in southern Bulgaria. Its ruins lie southwest of the village of
Ustren situated on a hill at approximately above sea level. The fortress was built in the 10th century AD to protect an important trade route. It was taken by the armies of
Simeon the Great
Tsar Simeon (also Symeon) I the Great ( cu, цѣсар҄ь Сѷмеѡ́нъ А҃ Вели́къ, cěsarĭ Sỳmeonŭ prĭvŭ Velikŭ bg, цар Симеон I Велики, Simeon I Veliki el, Συμεών Αʹ ὁ Μέγας, Sumeṓn prôto ...
(r. 893-927), but after his death, it was among the lands given back to
Byzantium in return for recognition of the imperial title of the Bulgarian rulers. Between the 12th and 14th centuries, it frequently changed hands between the two empires, but the Byzantines held it most of the time. , ,
{{Castles in Bulgaria
*
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
Castles
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified ...
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
Castles
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified ...