• The Hunting Peace Treaty was concluded under the walls of the fortress.
• King Kaloyan starts from here on the road to greatness

Apart from the largest monument to Vasil Levski, the covered bridge, the old “Varosha” district, the second largest zoo in the country, the town of Lovech is also known for its medieval fortress rising from the “Hisarya” hill. It is a monument of national importance, declared a museum and tourist reserve. As soon as you enter Lovech from Troyan, your eyes stop at the beautiful views over the city, among which the fortress walls can be seen majestically.

A center of attraction for tourists and history buffs

“The medieval hunting fortress has always been a center of attraction for various cultural events, and strangely enough, when there was a pandemic, our site was visited the most,” says local tour guide Yana Angelova. She adds that various events take place on the stage of the fortress – theatrical productions, musicals, competitions of various nature, competitions, reenactments of medieval camps, even fashion shows. Since the end of 2005, the fortress, together with the monument to Vasil Levski and the coverings bridge, is equipped with special night lighting. On holidays there is also a sound show similar to the Veliko Tarnovo fortress “Tsarevets”.

Another attraction for visitors are the figures of two medieval soldiers who greet on either side of the main gate of the fortress. They give a clear idea of ​​what a soldier in the Bulgarian army and a mercenary in the Western European army looked like. It differs in clothing and equipment. A large part of the fortress has been restored.

In its western part, where the foundations of the metropolitan church are, a huge metal cross was erected, visible even at the entrance to the city.

Historically, the fortress is known for the fact that the Hunting Peace Treaty was concluded under its walls. It is associated with the great battle in 1187 for three months between the brothers Assen and Peter and the Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angel. The emperor landed his army down by the river and began to attack the fortress from March to May, for three months. Finally he gives up, as his army is exhausted. He offers peace to Asenevtsi, who accepts it and is recorded in Bulgarian history as the Lovesh Peace Treaty. With it, the beginning of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom was established and the fortress from a guard began to be built up and turned into the inner city of the outer one.

The city of hardness and the hardness of the city

In the Hunterian medieval fortress there is an inner city, in which many different buildings and construction complexes are located, seven churches, military estates on both sides of the main port, a castle, a residential area, an aristocrat’s villa.

“The curious thing about the gate of the hunting keep is that it was not hinged as it is now, but was lowered from top to bottom with large iron spikes, which closed the entrance to the tower. In the inner part there was a double wooden gate with iron fittings. The two doors, when closed, enemies were trapped in the tower. Above them slits were opened and hot water and resin were poured over them. They were showered with arrows, spears and stone war balls”, says Yana Angelova, and such a situation we have seen in more than one Hollywood movie.

In the easternmost part of the fortress is the castle. One of the important Bulgarian cares – Ivan Alexander – the longest reigning Bulgarian king in the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, found his abode there. Before ascending the throne, he was the despot of Lovech for at least 12 years. King Ivan Sratsimir, son of Ivan Alexander, was born in this castle in 1324.

The metropolitan complex of the hunting fortress was built in the sunniest part of the “Hisarya” hill. “It is forbidden in it, and the sword, which is still visible when we enter the city from the Troyan and Tarnovo road, shines from afar to remind visitors that it was included here at the beginning of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom,” the tour guide points out. The metropolitan complex had, in addition to a spiritual, a military function. When the fortress is captured during a war, the rest of the population and the army retreat there and are given a last defense. There are also vertical areas located in the church complex. According to legends, these are stone traps that were added along the fortress walls from the inner part.

It is a curious fact that during the war, the inhabitants of the fortress were supplied with water through a secret tunnel between two military buildings – an extremely dangerous place, guarded by the fourth tower. She has seen to it that this tunnel is not given out to the troublemakers. Water was procured in skin-bags by a complex system of mechanisms by which the inhabitants were able to obtain water secretly from their enemies.

In 1474, the fortress was conquered by the Ottomans after a three-month siege. Two or three Turks enter from the secret water tunnel at night, unlock their gate from the inside, and from there their army invades and burns the city, and from the stone they build their mosques, Turkish baths, and inns below. Only the main fortress walls of the hunting fortress remain. Later, the Christian dwelling itself took from the stone and created the city of Lovech. The old part of the city – “Varosha” – was built from this historical stone.

Tsar Kaloyan and the Hunting Fortress

The name of King Kaloyan is mentioned for the first time in historical sources in connection with the signing of the Lovesh Peace Treaty concluded between Bulgaria and Byzantium in 1187. In the spring of that year, the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angel besieged the Hunting Fortress. The Bulgarian troops, led by Asen and Petar, do not allow the capture of the fortress. The emperor devised a ruse to capture the fortress. At night they withdraw their troops and place small observation posts on the left bank of the river. In the following days, there were no attacks and the Bulgarians calmed down.

One early morning, in order to pour water from the river, Queen Elena and her puppy Rhys come out of the fortress through a secret tunnel. As she pours herself water, she is spotted by the Byzantine post. The queen runs to the tunnel to escape her pursuers. The Byzantines heard the dog’s barking, discovered the Bulgarian queen and captured her. The Emperor sends a message to King Assen, asking for peace and a decent hostage to exchange for the Queen. The peace treaty was concluded, which officially recognized the existence of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, and the hostage of the Byzantines became the younger brother of Asen and Peter – Ivanitsa. He was taken to Constantinople, but after a few years he escaped and returned to Bulgaria to later become the name of Tsar Kaloyan.

Last free fortress

According to legends and some sources in the Ottoman Empire, Lovech is the last free Bulgarian fortress. Desperate after a three-month siege of the fortress, the general Koja Ibrahim decided to use a ruse to capture it. He gathers about 100 rams, puts candles on their horns and at night releases the “flaming herd” from a nearby hill towards the fortress. The defenders, thinking that God was sending them help in the form of “heavenly” fire, opened the gate. The herd moves inland, followed by picked Turkish warriors who quickly break the resistance of the defenders. From that night, the hill bearing the name “Rija Gora” received the nickname “Stratesh” from the Turkish Sarë Atesh or yellow fire. The occasion is the screen candles on the horns of the rams. The legend continues with the fact that the last defender is released through the secret tunnel and the first becomes a bandit of the conquered Bulgaria.