Bulgaria Inside

Riahovets fortress is situated three km west of the town of Gorna Oriahovitsa. It was probably constructed during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD to protect Roman roads.

Bulgarians continued using the fortress, which became especially important during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. The capital at that time, Turnovgrad, was situated only seven km away from Riahovets and served as its main protective facility.

Two theories explain the name of the fortress. Some believe it was derived from the Bulgarian word for walnut (oreh). The second theory states that the name comes from the Persian word rah, meaning road.

Riahovets was constructed in an area providing natural defense from three sides. Constructors used the rocks and the terrain to fortify the building.

Karel Škorpil, the first explorer of the fortress, wrote that he discovered two legends about Riahovets. According to the first one, the fortress and the Bulgarian capital were connected via a tunnel. The second legend points Riahovets as the place where Bulgarian coins were minted.

In 1965, archaeologists were researching an area situated 1.5 km away from the fortress. They discovered a necropolis and several preserved graves. Unfortunately, no evidence was found confirming that the graves were part of Riahovets, rather than of a nearby settlement.