
Asen’s Fortress is the most interesting and most often visited tourist attraction in the Asenovgrad region. The natural cliff massif where the fortress is situated comprises an area of 12 hectares. With drops that are almost vertical and at times even overhanging above the river below, it is impregnable on three sides. Its strategic location and natural defenses explain why it has been used since the days of the Thracians, who fortified it in the 5th century BCE.
The fortress was rebuilt during the time of the Roman Emperor Justinian as one of some 300 fortresses erected to defend the Empire against invasions by Slavic tribes. Asen’s Fortress has seen three periods of substantial construction – during the 9th, 11th, and 13th centuries.
In 1231, Tsar Asen II (reign 1218-1241) completed the largest expansion adn rebuilding of the fortress, as proclaimed on a carved stone monument. This is the reason why the fortress was later named after him, and why the inhabitants of Stanimaka, the city beneath the fortress, renamed their city Asenovgrad in 1934. The fact that the fortress has been controlled by the Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Bulgarians, and Ottomans, and each era has left its archeological record, all preserved in the historical museum in Asenovgrad, explains why the Medieval Asen’s Fortress is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the Asenovgrad region.
Accommodation in Asenovgrad
Additional Information
Wednesday – Sunday
10.00 am to 5.00 pm
April – November
Wednesday – Sunday
10.00 am to 6.00 pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday
Students BGN 2
groups of more than 10 people – BGN 2 per person
families (2 adults and 2 children) – BGN 7
Guided tours in Bulgarian – BGN 4
Guided tours in English – BGN 5