Lovech Fortress

Lovech Fortress is a medieval stronghold in Lovech, Bulgaria, that gained prominence during the Second Bulgarian Empire. After the Byzantine Empire unsuccessfully besieged Lovech in 1187, it was forced to recognize de facto the restoration of the Bulgarian state. The town remained an important economic and commercial centre until the fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman rule in the early 15th century. It was at Lovech Fortress in 1187 that the Second Bulgarian Empire came into being, after the Byzantines failed to capture the fortress and town. Coincidentally, Lovech was also one of the last holdouts of Bulgarian rule after the destruction of the Second Bulgarian Empire during the Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars, the Second Bulgarian Empire was dissolved in 1396, but Lovech held out until 1446.