The town of Ruse is located on the right bank of the Danube river, approx. 320 km north-east of Sofia, 200 km north-west of Varna and 100 km north-east of Veliko Turnovo. Ruse is an old Bulgarian town with traditions in culture, art and education and with very developed industry and trade. A lot of foreign and Bulgarian celebrated architects, arts and writers did their creative work there. Nowadays Ruse is a big economic, transport, cultural and tourist centre.