Modern & monumentNorthern Bulgaria & the Danube

The Ruse TV Tower, a Communist-Era Giant above the Danube

The Ruse TV Tower is a reinforced-concrete broadcasting tower on Leventa Hill in the Danube city of Ruse, and at 204 metres it is the tallest TV tower in Bulgaria. Until 2001 it was also the tallest on the Balkan Peninsula. A good stop for lovers of communist-era engineering and for anyone exploring Ruse beyond its old centre.

When the Ruse TV Tower was switched on in 1987 it carried Soviet television alongside Bulgarian programmes, and a café sat 107 metres up. In 2012 its old antenna was swapped for a digital one in a record 16 minutes.

WhereLeventa Hill (also called Sarubair), about 150 m above sea level, in the city of Ruse on the Danube

TypeReinforced-concrete TV and radio tower from the communist period

Best forFans of industrial and communist-era architecture, photographers and city explorers

Getting thereIn the city of Ruse in northern Bulgaria; check local access before you go

The history of the Ruse TV Tower

The tower stands on Leventa Hill, also known as Sarubair, about 150 metres above sea level on the edge of Ruse. The project was drawn up by the architects Stilyan Titkov and Evlogi Tsvetkov together with the engineers Ivan Yantahtov and V. Vasilev. The Bulgarian Wikipedia dates the building work to the years 1975 to 1987, and the tower was launched on 7 May 1987, still under communist rule.

It is made of reinforced concrete. The concrete shaft rises to about 120 metres, and from there the antenna carries the structure to a total of 206 metres in its original form. A café, described in Bulgarian as a pastry shop, was built into the tower at 107 metres, and a viewing deck at the same height was open to tourists. For years the tower was the tallest of its kind on the Balkan Peninsula, until 2001, and it remains the tallest TV tower in Bulgaria.

Once running, the new tower carried both Bulgarian Television and Soviet Television, as well as three stations of Bulgarian National Radio: Horizont, Hristo Botev and Orpheus. In the years that followed, higher frequencies came into use, and the process of shutting down the old transmitters was completed on 15 August 2004.

The height of the tower has changed more than once. In the 1990s an additional antenna was fitted, taking it to 210 metres. A reconstruction of the antenna in March 2007 brought the total height down to 204 metres, the figure quoted today. Then, on 9 October 2012, the analogue antenna was replaced with a digital one, an operation the Bulgarian article describes as taking a record 16 minutes.

From the observation deck at 107 metres visitors once enjoyed a panorama over Ruse, the Danube, the neighbouring Romanian city of Giurgiu and, on a clear day, as far as the Carpathian Mountains. Whether any part of the tower is open to the public today is not covered by the sources used here, so it is worth checking locally.

Curious facts about the Ruse TV Tower

Its height has been revised several times: 206 metres originally, 210 metres after an extra antenna in the 1990s and 204 metres since the 2007 reconstruction.
At launch it broadcast Soviet Television as well as Bulgarian Television, a reminder of its communist-era origins.
The concrete body ends at about 120 metres, and the antenna on top brings the structure to its full height.
On 9 October 2012 the analogue antenna was exchanged for a digital one in what the Bulgarian Wikipedia calls a record 16 minutes.
The viewing deck at 107 metres offered views towards Giurgiu in Romania and, in good conditions, as far as the Carpathians.
The hill it stands on has two names, Leventa and Sarubair.

Tours near Ruse TV Tower

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

The Ultimate Day Trip to Bulgaria from Bucharest

★ 4.1 (13 reviews) · 11 h

See details ›

Self-Guided Ruse from Bucharest Tour

★ 3.7 (6 reviews) · 4 h

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Ruse Exquisite Wine Tasting

★ 3.7 (3 reviews) · 2 h

See details ›

Self-Guided Ruse Sights & Attractions

★ 4.5 (2 reviews) · 4 h

See details ›

Visiting the Ruse TV Tower: what to expect

The tower rises on Leventa Hill above the city, so it is best admired as a landmark of Ruse and of communist-era engineering.
The café and viewing deck were at 107 metres; the sources do not say whether they are open now, so check current access and opening hours before you go.
Combine it with the Monument of Liberty, about 3 km away, and Basarbovo Monastery, about 6 km away.
Cherven, a medieval fortress town, lies about 23 km from the tower and makes a good second stop.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Ruse TV Tower is

Photos of Ruse TV Tower

The Ruse TV Tower, tall concrete shaft with antenna

Questions

How tall is the Ruse TV Tower?

The Ruse TV Tower is 204 metres high. It was built at 206 metres, grew to 210 metres in the 1990s and was reduced to 204 metres in a 2007 reconstruction.

Where is the Ruse TV Tower?

It stands on Leventa Hill, also called Sarubair, at about 150 metres above sea level in the city of Ruse on the Danube in northern Bulgaria.

When was the Ruse TV Tower built?

The tower was launched on 7 May 1987, under communist rule. The Bulgarian Wikipedia gives the building period as 1975 to 1987.

Is the Ruse TV Tower the tallest in Bulgaria?

Yes, it is the tallest TV tower in Bulgaria. Until 2001 it was also the tallest on the Balkan Peninsula.

Can you go up the Ruse TV Tower?

The tower had a café and an observation deck at 107 metres open to tourists, with views of Ruse, the Danube, Giurgiu and the Carpathians. Check locally whether it is open now.

What else is worth seeing near the Ruse TV Tower?

The Monument of Liberty is about 3 km away and Basarbovo Monastery about 6 km. Cherven, a medieval fortress town, is about 23 km away.