When I first read about Asen’s Fortress in Bulgaria, I was intrigued. The photos were impressive, depicting this stone “castle” set high in the mountains with commanding views all around. My immediate thought was that I just had to go there! So I set about finding information, which was hard, as there isn’t that much. So, once I had actually visited for myself, I decided to write my own Complete Guide to Asen’s Fortress, to make it easier for others that would like to visit.
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Table of Contents
- Where is Asen’s Fortress?
- About Asen’s Fortress
- How to get to Asen’s Fortress
- What to expect
- Tickets and Times
- Asen’s Fortress Tour
- Summary
Where is Asen’s Fortress?
Asen’s Fortress is located in the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria. It is approximately 2 to 3 Kilometers from the town of Asenovgrad, and about 24 Kilometers from Plovdiv.
About Asen’s Fortress
Asen’s Fortress has been around for hundreds of years, and possibly as far back as the 5th Century BC. It was built in an extremely strategic location guarding the pass connecting Thrace and Northern Thrace. Set high on a rocky cliff face, it holds commanding views of the valley in both directions.
The Fortress has changed hands several times over the centuries, being held at different times by Romans, Ottomans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Bulgarians and Thracians. Each occupation has left its very own imprint of history at the Fortress, as is also evidenced in the historical museum of Asenovgrad.
The first written reference of the Fortress was recorded at nearby Bachkovo Monastery in the year 1083, when it was controlled by the Byzantines. Over the years it saw several major reconstructions, most notably in the 6th, 11th and 13th centuries. In the 6th Century, it was the Roman Emperor Justinian who rebuilt the Fortress, along with 300 others, to protect the lands from invasion by Slavic Tribes.
In 1231, the largest expansion of the Fortress was completed by Tsar Ivan Asen II, and whose name the Fortress has held ever since.
How to get to Asen’s Fortress
Getting to Asen’s Fortress is easy. There are generally 3 ways – by car, train or bus, depending upon where you are coming from. As the Fortress is located in the mountains, public transport doesn’t go all the way there, so be prepared for a bit of walking if that is the option you will take.
Here are the options on how to get to Asen’s Fortress.
Drive to Asen’s Fortress
From Plovdiv, you have 3 options. The first option is to drive. This is easy, but not everyone that is traveling has a car. If you do, then simply head south to Asenovgrad, and once you pass through the town, keep an eye open for the sign to Asen’s Fortress pointing to the right. Follow this road up the mountain for about 2 kilometers. Just past the entrance to the Fortress you will find some parking around the next bend.
Be aware that there is not very much parking. There IS parking further down the mountain that you will pass on the way up. Therefore one option is to park there and walk the rest of the way.
Set your Google Maps for THIS location to find it easier.
Are you planning on renting a car or driving when you are overseas? Then make sure you are fully covered by having your International Driver’s Permit. Find out more, or pick one up easily at THIS LINK.
Bus or Train to Asen’s Fortress
The other option to get to Asen’s Fortress from Plovdiv, is to catch the bus or the train. Both of these options are easy, but will involve a bit of walking as neither go right to the Fortress itself.
To catch the Bus from Plovdiv to Asen’s Fortress, just head down to the Plovdiv South Bus Station. This is right out front of the Train Station, and from there you can catch a bus to Asenovgrad. From there you will have to walk the rest of the way to your destination.
To catch the train from Plovdiv to Asen’s Fortress, you will need to go to the Train Station at Plovdiv. Take a look at the electronic boards to find when the next train leaves to Asenovgrad. Usually they are every half hour or so. Take note of the platform, then head to the ticket window and ask for a ticket to Asenovgrad, which should cost around 1.30 LEV.
The train will take about 30 minutes or so and drop you at Asenovgrad Train Station. It will be the third stop, and also the end of the line.
From here, much like taking the bus, you will have to walk to Asen’s Fortress. From the Train Station it is just over 3 km, and will take around 50 minutes, depending on your fitness level. The walk is not hard, and follows the road upward toward the Fortress on a rather gentle incline. The day that I did it, there were many other people, mostly locals walking to the Fortress as well simply for fitness and to enjoy the views. There were even elderly couples and families pushing strollers! If you wear comfortable clothes and shoes, you will be fine.
The way back is all downhill!
What to expect
As you approach Asen’s Fortress, you will begin to see it on the left, up in the distance. It stands out from a long way off as it was built to have a commanding view of the valley in each direction.
When you arrive, there is a ticket office on the road opposite. Grab your ticket from there and you will be free to head in to explore the fortress itself. Before you enter though, check out the amazing medieval battering ram around the corner, and assault tower at the Fortress Entrance.
The walk into the Fortress is easy, with just a few steps and a nicely maintained walkway. As you approach, off to the right there is a Ballista, an ancient weapon used to fire large projectiles at the enemy. Here, I stepped off the path to check it out, but even more interesting was the view from the vantage point that it was located. You can really see how strategic this location is, and you get your first insights into why they built Asen’s Fortress in this particular spot.
Back onto the path, you will head to the Fortress itself. Just before the entry, you will have the option to go left, up the stairs, or straight into the Fortress. It is up to you, but I suggest you head straight into the fortress for now.
The Fortress
Asen’s Fortress has two levels. You most likely won’t spend too much time in here, depending upon your interests. The Building is very interesting in itself, and on both levels that you can visit you will find chapels. The bottom, or ground level is a small chapel with seating set up. Up the external stairs in the second level you will find another, without seating, and a lot more impressive. There are magnificent paintings on the walls here, and a high, domed roof. Once you are finished, head back down to the ground level and back to the stairs up the cliff outside.
Even though the building part of Asen’s Fortress is what is seen in all the images, I believe it is the lookouts and maze of ancient protective walls up above that is the true attraction. Here, you can really get a wonderful, true aspect of what the Fortress was all about. The commanding view of the valley, and the way that the walls are set to effectively defend ,as well as confuse attackers is amazing.
If you are like me, you will linger here for quite some time to take photos and just admire the view. I also spent a long while just sitting, enjoying the peace and quiet (I was all alone) and reflecting on what life must have been like, to live in a time when such Fortress’s were needed to keep your lands safe.
The Path to the Chapel
When you are finished, head back down to the ticket office. At the exit, you will also have the option to take the other path to the nearby Chapel. This is 350m away, is very small, but has some nice paintings. Depending upon the season, there is also a small café, but it was closed when I was there.
The one thing that I did find interesting, was the view back at the Fortress on the walk to the chapel. Although you can’t see the building itself, the different aspect gives you another look at what attackers would have seen when they were approaching the Fortress in days of old.
The walk to the Chapel is easy, but on the way back it has a short, sharp uphill section. If you walked all the way up from Asenovgrad, then beware of this. You still have a long walk back to town, and on a hot day this could be taxing.
Tickets and Times
Opening Times
Open 7 Days (at time of writing)
- 0900 – 1800 (Spring, Autumn and Winter)
- 0900 – 1800 (Summer Season)
- 0900 – 2000 (Friday and Saturday, Summer Season)
Admission Fees
- Adults – 4 BGN
- Organised groups of over 10 people – 3 BGN pp
- Pupils, Students and Pensioners – 2 BGN
- Family Tickets (up to 5 persons) – 3 BGN pp
Lectures
- Bulgarian Language 7 BGN
- English – 12 BGN
- Specialized Talk for Groups – 9 BGN
Asen’s Fortress Tour
If you don’t have the time to make your own way to Asen’s Fortress, then you have a few options to visit as a part of a tour.
- From Sofia – Plovdiv, Asen’s Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery Tour – Do a full day visit seeing the best of Plovdiv and its famous Ancient ruins, before heading onto Asen’s Fortress and and the historic Bachkovo Monastery. Click HERE to check it out.
- From Sofia – Full Day Tour to Plovdiv and Asen’s Fortress – Another highly rated tour from Sofia, but slightly cheaper. Do a guided tour of Plovdiv, and then see Asen’s Fortress all in one day. Click HERE for more details.
- From Plovdiv – Asen’s Fortress, Bachkovo Monastery and Wonder Bridges Tour – Tour from Plovdiv to visit Asen’s Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery, and then continue high into the mountains to see the incredible marble bridges carved out of limestone by an ancient High Water River. I personally did this tour on my last visit to Plovdiv and highly recommend it! Click HERE to check it out.
Summary
Asen’s Fortress is an amazing place to visit. It is one of the best daytrips from Plovdiv, and one that I highly recommend to anyone that is interested in history, and really anything about medieval times. It is easy to get to, and is a great way to get some exercise, while having an enjoyable day as well!
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