Amazing place 😍

Die Anreise ist schon sehr abenteuerlich: große Schlaglöcher, enge Bergstraße… Vor Ort muss man nochmals einen ordentlichen Fußweg einplanen, um die Brücken zu sehen. Und danach: natürlich wieder die enge Straße retour…. Wer Natur mag, wird es super finden!

It's a beautiful place to visit if you love historical buildings and the nature. It's 30 minutes drive from Plovdiv. You need to purchase a ticket to enter the site (4 lev). The view from top and the little church are worth seeing. Also there are few natural water sources on the way up with ice cold water to drink or refresh yourself.

Think about parking in advance! Wear only sport shoes! If you go by car especially in high season the parking space at the destination point is quite small and overcrowded. Wear sport shoes only! Pathway is full of sharp rocks!!! The view from the peak is very beautiful. I recommend this place!

A good climb on rocky steps. Be careful going to the top. The church is, well, another church.

What a beautiful cliffside fort! We drove 1 hour 30 mins and it was worth it. We paid 5 lev to park and 10 lev to enter. Staff are kind and welcoming. We really enjoyed the views.

Wow! Definitely buy the ticket to see the church and the view from the top! It equated to 4 USD. The photos will speak louder than any words I could write!

If you don't mind a few stairs, this place has a breathtaking view on the valley and surrounding mountains which is worth the Levas. The fort itself doesn't contain much else than a chapel, but still worth having a look next to the uphill viewpoint.

The fortress has existed since the time of the Thracians, it was rebuilt by Byzantium in the IX century. It is named after Tsar Ivan Asen II, who in 1231 made a number of repairs to it in order to strengthen it. The fortress is part of the 100 national tourist sites of Bulgaria. It is unique and reveals great panoramic views of Asenovgrad in the distance.

An interesting place to visit. Even though there is a visitors center, the ruins are surprisingly undocumented. I asked if there was a floor plan or rendering of what the fortress might have looked like, but they have none. The chronology is a bit of a mystery as well. It would be fun to spend a lot more time there and work out all the details.

A stunning 13th century fortress at the edge of a cliff! A moderate fitness it needed to climb the fortress and its majestic viewing deck. A must to see when in Plovdiv.

Nice view to the mountains and fortress. You can park at the foot of Mount and complete 20 minutes walk. Road is good and at the foot there are more space for parking, if you are driving. You can enter inside the Fortress territory, walk around and see inner part, where the church is. Entrance to Fortress territory is not free but for 4 Leva you will spend here nice time. Come in the second part of the day, to catch good photo (in the morning some part will be against the sun) (September 2023 - 4 Leva for adult)

Nice trip with a beautiful view. The fortress is very well preserved.

Absolutely beautiful place, breathtaking views. Very nice, easy walk to the spot. Amazing, old church. Highly recommened trip.

Great historical place to visit. Ask for a guided tour, and you will not regret it.

It is possible to hike to the castle from Asenovgrad. It takes 1.30h from the train station to get there. It is mostly hiking trails but, you need to walk the last 10min of it along the road so be careful. There is no roadside walkways. Definitely visit the chapel which is 350m away from the main building.

Very beautiful scenery inside wild nature of Rodopi mountains.

A beautiful sight to visit and learn more about history

The tour guide was excellent and we managed to visit all the places of interest. We translated for the non-bulgarian colegues as the english tour guide was not available 😊

Amazing place !! Very good fresh air ~ very nice view

Pretty amazing place. It’s wild to think about what it took to build such massive structure on top of a cliff back in the 9th century without all the technologies available today. Very peaceful place with amazing views. Highly recommend. I was short on time, so I drove all the way up (parking = 1 lev), but many people walk up. It takes approximately 30 minutes one way. If you have the time, I recommend doing that.

The fortress has a good view of the mountains and the city but that's pretty much it. Only the ancient church has been saved through the years

I recommend it to everyone who wants to get away from the city and enjoy an amazing view. The fortress itself is so stunning and beautiful, inside and out, that I did not want to leave.

It was a nice place to visit, the view was probably the best part of it. Nice the paints on the wall in the church.

Impressive, well preserved fortress. entrance fee 4 Leva.

Amazing place. Very beautiful.

Majestic and ancient we never miss to visit it everytime we are around

Amazing view! You have to visit this place for sure. Just make sure it is not boiling hot outside. Otherwise, bring some water and a hat.

Went after going to Bachkov monastery (definitely worth a visit!) and was fairly disappointed. Besides having to pay for parking and to enter, there is absolutely no signs or explanation of anything. You get some nice views and a good workout going up the stairs but I would skip it!

Wondering place for visitors as well there is a magic path next to the river and you can reach Bachkovo monastery by walk

Nice view, hard to climb , but it's worth it... for 2 kids and 2 adult 10 Leva entrance

Can't recommend enough, was great little trip around. Our tour guide gave us so many great facts.

Old ruins of the once famous fort. There is an old structure consisting of two levels. Ground level is more of a meeting sitting area, quite dark. Needs some more lighting and also quite bare. Just a few religious iconic paintings. Upper level is the church. Interesting in design. Could do with some extra lighting as well. Further up the hill from the old fort is a lookout area. Treacherous stone stairs with rusted handrails. Not safe for the elderly and very young. Stones get very slippery when wet. Fantastic views although, once your brave at heart.

The only beautiful thing about the fortress was the breathtaking view, the nature looks incredibly beautiful.

Nice place for a small hike. Once you turn right from the main road you can chose where to leave your car, depending on how long you want your walk to be, having the option to leave it all the way at the entrance for 1lv an hour. Entrance is 4lv normal price and 2lv for students.

A beautiful place to stop. You can walk up the mountain or you can drive and park your car for 1 leva per hour. The entrance itself costs 4 leva / 2 leva children (only cash). There is also a small store with souvenirs and water.

Great place for a walk and there's beautiful view! You need to see this fortress!