nicopolis ad istrum

I liked it very much but then again I am an archeology buff.....this is an amazing site and well worth visiting.

Amazing place.I've heard there a lot of interesting facts about the ancient town.This is really unique place.The road to Nicopolis from the highway Veliko Tarnovo - Ruse is only 2km. but very very old.If it will be fixed,the place will be superb for visit.There is a huge new parking,access for wheelchair and places where to sit.

Very well kept and excavated (still in progress). There is a small entrance charge in Leva; a picnic area; toilets; and it is a very relaxing place. Interesting to see how technologically advanced the settlement was when we can't do many of these things now!

This is a unique place where everyone visiting the area have to go. It is extremely interesting, especially with the pompeii-like sight. It also has an information center and descriptions of every place you go! Wonderful city!

Only a 20 minute drive North of Veliko Tarnovo and a surprise when you get there. Keep your eyes peeled open for the signs to the left before Nikyup village sign.The Roman architectural remains are very impressive and the size of this settlement also is bigger than I thought. You can walk and touch the streets and buildings which is a surprise if you have been to some of the Hadrians Wall sites in the UK.Also the weather is bound to be better too than Northumberland!

We visited the place in May this year and were surprised to see there wasn't entrance fee, considering the size and importance of the ancient city. I don't knowwhether there's entrance fee at the moment though. So my info would be for May 2013As we understood from the archeologist who was on site to overview the way workers placed a new sewage system for the small staff house there, there is an ongoing project with EU for improvement of the facilities for tourists there. So you will see now a gate and a stone wall, a parking place and a path leading to the inner part of the site, new sewage system,as well as guards for the place. A condition for the funding is that no reconstruction on the ancient city is mad3 - what you see is what is the ancient look,and perhaps only some bush and earth cleaning would occur. Which is really great because the main roads are actually perfectly preserved since ancient times and just proves how great Romans were in building road sysems! :-)So the uncovered roads are perhaps the most impressive thing, as well as the inscription on the tomb of a Roman citizen Nikokleus.One more thing - if you travel by car from Veliko Tarnovo using GPS navigation, use the road through the Nikyup village. There's another, direct cut from the main road which saves some 10 km and skips Nikyup, but the condition of the road is horrible for now. Therefore use the longer road throuh Nikyup, it's in a better condition.

We first visited the ruins of Nicopolis (established in the first century AD by Trajan to commemorate his conquest of the Dacians) some 10 years ago. There have been a number of improvements since then, including a parking area, gate for entering, rest room facilities, and a guide who is knowledgeable about the site. On the downside, there is now a modest entrance fee (6 leva per family), and more people now visit the site, although it was by no means very crowded while we were there. The site itself has only been slightly restored, so you must use your imagination considerably to understand the layout and facilities. There are some signs in both Bulgarian and English that help to sketch out the site, but only the central forum is very clearly delineated. The best features are the remarkable drainage system, the well-excavated Roman road and the forum area. I also particularly liked the tomb incription from one of the inhabitants from long ago, Nikokleus, who advises us to: "drink and live a carefree life, you have the daylight. Listen, once your soul departs you will be deprived of all these things. Fare thee well, stranger"

It could have been a half decent visit if it was free but it wasn't worth the entry fee. The track down to the ruins was pretty dire and bumpy. The ruins were pretty interesting if you like that kind of thing but badly organized and falling to pieces. its a shame because it seems like it has great potential if Europe would help fund the place! It could be a real treasure but lack of funding makes it a disappointing visit. Also health and safety could be addressed if traveling with young kids as some rather large holes could swallow up the wee ones!

Don't know where the swimming pool comes in but the ruined city is impressive. No information to speak of but some of the layout can be worked out from what little information there is. the roads to the place are terrible.

Go see this abandoned Roman outpost. Beautiful setting without crowds. No admission fee {at time of my visit} Wonderful atmosphere, close your eyes and try to populate the ruins with ancient Romans, breathtaking.

These roman ruins would be a star attraction in most other places around the globe. In Bulgaria they are hidden at the end of a field!There was no charge for entry and we were allowed to wander around as we wished. There are no real facilities and the toilets are basic. However to be allowed to walk around these substantial remnants of a 2000 year old town is a great experience. This is not a Pompeii but equally it does not have the commercialism of it either.On the way out through the village make sure you look for the storks nest on the telegraph pole. An amazing sight.

Nicopolis ad Istrum was a Roman and Early Byzantine town founded by Emperor Trajan around 101–106. Its ruins are located at the village of Nikyup, 20 km north of Veliko Tarnovo in northern Bulgaria. They are quite impressive, but the infrastructure is poor because of lack of funds. It is interesting archaeological and historical place to be seen

This is an archaeological site being developed by faculty and students from the University of Veliko Turnovo. It is quite impressive but progress has been slow because of limited funding. This is a working site, not a museum so visitors are free to wander about and ask questions of staff. There is also a helpful booklet in English is available for a small donation. For serious students of Roman history and archaeology it offers a fascinating and worthwhile opportunity to visit an important but not very well-known city that dates back to the Emperor Trajan.

When I went there I had the opportunity to take every single rock from the ancient Roman city! Nobody starting from the nearest village of Nikyup to the Bulgarian "government" gives a s**t about this historical place!

Fervono gli scavi in questa significativa città romana (e poi bizantina), ma già il sito, che si raggiuge con un viaggio di circa 25 km. da Veliko Tarnovo, tramite la strada diretta a Ruse, vale una visita. La ricostruzione del perimetro urbano e degli edifici che lo caratterizzavano è incoraggiante, i cartelli anche in inglese spiegano bene come andavano le cose ai tempi Traiano, di Antonino Pio e dei Severi. Pochi visitatori, almeno nell'ora in cui ci siamo passati noi, ed è un peccato.