Carevi Kuli, the Tsar's Towers
Carevi Kuli, popularly the 'Tsar's Towers', stands on a saddle of the Elenica hill above Strumica, a 230 m-long walled complex with between five and seven towers and a view across the whole valley. The name is recent, but the ground is not: people have used this hill for seven thousand years.
It is the one sight above Strumica that guests should not skip, and it doubles as an easy half-day hike with a proper viewpoint at the end.
Layer upon layer
Settlement on the hill is continuous. A Chalcolithic hillfort stands at the start, followed by Bronze and Iron Age use and a sanctuary of the 5th-4th century BC with large ritual pits.
The first solid fortification is a Late Antique castron built at the end of the 3rd or beginning of the 4th century AD as a refuge for citizens of the city below. The medieval fortress visible today dates to the Komnenian restoration of the late 11th or early 12th century.
Reading the walls
The enclosure runs 230 m long and up to 80 m wide, with a wall perimeter of about 550 m around 1.15 hectares. Its western entrance was the strongest defended, with three towers and a dug trench.
The Central Defense Tower, known as the Pyrgos, worked as the command centre with chambers, stores and a water cistern. An Ottoman garrison kept the walls in use into the 15th-16th centuries; by 1670 the traveller Evliya Çelebi found the fortress abandoned, and Karl May later mentioned it in an 1888 novel.
Visiting and walking up
Marked trails from the Loven Dom recreation area above Strumica lead to the towers, including a loop that passes a spring, so you can drive to the city side and walk up, or approach by car.
Archaeological research and conservation carried out in this century mean the walls and the Pyrgos can be read clearly, though this is a ruin rather than a rebuilt castle. Spring to late autumn gives the best conditions; in summer, go early morning or late afternoon.
Why visit
- A 230 m fortress with up to seven towers
- Occupation from the Chalcolithic to the Ottomans
- The Pyrgos command tower with its cistern
- A panorama over the entire Strumica valley
- Marked walking trails from the Loven Dom area
Good to know
Getting there
Roughly 20 km and about 25 minutes by car from Gabrovo to the Strumica side, then a marked trail from the Loven Dom area up to the walls.
When to go
Spring to late autumn for the trail and the view. In July and August, aim for early morning or late afternoon light.
Ruins, not a castle
Expect conserved walls and interpretable structures rather than a reconstructed fortress; there is no ticketed museum up there.
Frequently asked questions
How old is the fortress really?
Is it excavated or just ruins?
Can we walk there from Strumica?
More to explore
Stay at the hacienda
Combine the towers with Strumica's centre below and lunch in the square. It is the single best half-day in the city.