Ruse
The province and municipality of Rousse, set in north-eastern Bulgaria on the banks of the Danube, has one of the only cities in the country with predominantly Neo-Classical, Neo-Baroque and Rococo architecture. Apart from the river port, the area is known for the Rousse-Giurgiu Bridge, connecting its major town with its Romanian counterpart. Rousse owes its unique appearance to the fact that after being liberated from the Ottomans, the area was already established as a cultural and economic hub for the country, and thus the building projects of the period were largely influenced by Central European architecture. The municipality and region developed a highly efficient infrastructure, and had their own banks, insurance companies, theatres and a chamber of commerce long before the remaining part of Bulgaria.