Rousse is a Bulgarian place of antiquity and is located on the right bank of the Danube, which for centuries has been a lifeline for the city. Its perfect location on the river makes Rousse one of the main cultural and economic centers of Bulgaria. The city was in earlier days also known as "Little Vienna" because of its beautiful architecture from the nineteenth century. The Freedom Bridge over the Danube connects Rousse with the Romanian city Gyurgevo, and is the border between Bulgaria and Romania. Rousse (Ruse) is located in the north east of Central Bulgaria and is situated on the right bank of the Danube river. In total, the city lies some 14 km along the shore. It is a large inland city of nearly 200,000 inhabitants. The port is the largest of the entire Danube River and has good domestic connections with much of Europe. The Danube is directly connected with the Rhine and Main, which gives Rousse a range of more than 3500 km across 13 European countries. The conjunction with the East and Far East via the Black Sea makes the Danube River  the longest inland river of the earth. Rousse (Ruse) is a real old Bulgarian port city with many traditions, culture, beautiful buildings and industry. The city has probably been inhabited since 4000 BC., witness the many archaeological finds.  There are more than 200 buildings in Rousse on the list of the foundation of architecture cultural heritage of Bulgaria and some are particularly special, namely the ancient theater, the Freedom Monument, the Music High School and the Catholic Church. Other attractions of the city are  Leventabia the fort and the St. Trinity Church. The central square of the city, Svoboda, is car-free and has the character of Vienna. The city also has a wide promenade along the Danube, here too there are many beautiful buildings. It may be that the dense vegetation on the banks limit the view of the Danube in some seasons. Another attraction that is located just outside the city is called Rusenski Lom, a beautiful nature reserve situated in a valley of the river. This area is designated by UNESCO as World Heritage. Rousse (Ruse) and its surroundings are particularly noteworthy and are ideal for a few days to explore. It claims that Rousse was the first city in the Balkans region and that may well be so given that the city has a very strategic location. Rousse (Ruse) is also in possession of a relatively very large international airport. In 1867 the first railway in Rousse (direction Varna) opened. Rousse also has a special bridge where the Bulgarians are very proud of. This 30 meter high bridge over the Danube, where cars and trains (above and below each other) can drive over  was finished in 1954 and has a length of 2.4 km.