Ruse, Bulgaria

It's tough to know what to call the fifth-biggest city in Bulgaria. You could call the river port along the Danube Ruse. Or, you could call it Rousse and Russ. Then again, Pyce works in the Cyrillic alphabet. They all will do the job with someone.

You could also call this relatively quaint city "Little Vienna," because that's one of the nicknames for it. Ruse has a very nice Old Town that serves the center of the city, with some striking architecture mixed in. There are some lovely tree-covered streets and walkways in the neighborhoods as well. 

Bulgaria has had some ups and downs over the years, but geography has always been on the side of Ruse. That's because the Danube runs by it, and it is a relatively good-sized economic hub for that reason. The tourist boats often stop there while cruising up or down the river, in part because it's the biggest city in the area. 

Let's give the place the once-over: