A stay in Sevlievo can be planned around medieval archaeology, city history and cycling routes. Hotalich is particularly striking: the site lies four kilometres northwest of Sevlievo, on the western edge of the Sevlievo Mountains, where the Rositsa River enters a scenic gorge. Hotalich thus brings together a tangible history of settlement and a distinctive landscape. The archaeological site is an open-air museum for visitors and, at the same time, an immovable cultural monument of national importance. Since 2024, it has been one of Bulgaria’s 100 National Tourist Sites.
Hotalich and the medieval settlement
The excavated medieval settlement comprises almost 90 residential and farm buildings; the archaeological complex also includes four Christian churches. The number of buildings conveys the extent of the settlement, while the churches reveal a distinct religious aspect of the site. If you are interested in history, Hotalich offers more than a single architectural feature: the settlement and its churches are jointly part of the archaeological complex. The excavations and the landscape setting provide a different focus from the historic buildings and exhibitions in town.
City history, collections and exhibitions
The clock tower in Sevlievo is the city’s oldest surviving public building and an architectural cultural monument. Hadjistoyanovo School also brings together architectural and educational history: it was one of the first secular schools in Bulgaria and today permanently houses the exhibitions “Archaeology” and “Sevlievo during the Bulgarian National Revival.”
The Historical Museum in Sevlievo has a collection of more than 50,000 objects. These include documents, photographs, archaeological finds and works of art. The Dandolovi Houses display traditional costumes from the Sevlievo region, urban furniture and clothing worn by wealthy Sevlievo families. Together, the institutions offer different ways to explore the past through preserved architecture, archaeological finds, exhibitions and everyday objects.
Getting around, the Pumpkin Festival and cycling
The Tourist Information Centre is near the central square and provides information about attractions, dining, accommodation, transport and current events. The city’s events include the Sevlievo Pumpkin Festival, with culinary competitions and contests for pumpkin creations. If you would like to make a festival the occasion for your trip, check the event dates in advance.
For an active option, a mountain bike route can start in Sevlievo and pass through nearby villages. Optional detours on the route include Mari Skok waterfall and a viewpoint facing the Alexander Stamboliyski Reservoir. Routes south of Sevlievo are different: after crossing parts of the Fore-Balkan, they can reach the main ridge of the Balkan Mountains. This gives you a choice of cycling options—a route with specific possible detours, and southern routes with the Balkan Mountains as a reachable destination.
Discover more destinations: Lovnidol, Berievo, Sennik, Tabashka, Kravenik, Boazat, Kormyansko, Valevtsi
For the broader travel overview: Sevlievo.
