NOVAE

The most visually striking Roman remains on this part of the Danube are in nearby Svishtov. There, outside the city on the road to Ruse, you'll see arches and walls of exposed concrete and stainless steel, a tasteless reconstruction of the central part of Novae, with a military hospital, a small temple and the praetorium, or the seat of the garrison's commander of Legio VIII Augusta and, later, of Legio I Italica. 

Novae appeared as a military camp in the 1st Century, and sometime between the mid-2nd Century and the beginning of the 3rd Century became a municipium. At the time of its greatest prosperity the city spread on about 44 ha, and had a lively canabe attached to it. Over the years Novae witnessed major events like the imperial visits of Trajan, Hadrian and Caracalla, and the 250 Goths invasion. In the 5th Century Goths were allowed to settle around, and Novae became the centre of their political representation in the region. 

Novae has been excavated by Bulgarian and Polish archaeologists, and in springtime it hosts the Eagle on the Danube, Bulgaria's most significant historical reenactment event, in which dozens of people dressed like legionnaires, priests, senators and noble ladies walk around the out-of-style concrete of the reconstructed Roman city.