Ruins of the medieval town-fortress Hotalich are located 4km north-west from the todays town of Sevlievo. The fortress was built by the Byzantines in the V century.

In X century, at the same location, the Bulgarian state began construction of defense facilities to defend the country from the barbarian invasions from the north and Byzantium from the south. The fortress was the largest in area except these of the old Bulgarian capitals Pliska, Preslav and Veliko Tarnovo.

The excavations of medieval town of Hotalich and the fortress began for the first time in 1981. The archaeologists were found a high tower, two parallel walls (first of them dates back to the Early Byzantine period and the second - from the IX-X century), remains of two main gates, ruins of quarters, churches, palace of the boyar (the local ruler), etc.

The early Byzantine and medieval fortress Hotalich is located near the town of Sevlievo, above the gorge of the river Rositsa, on a hilly area called Krushevski bair. It is one of the best-maintained fortresses in Bulgaria, and in 1994 it was declared a cultural monument of national importance.

The fortress was built by the Byzantines in the 5th-6th century, and in the 10th century, the Bulgarian state rebuilt it to make it its defensive fortress against barbarian attacks. The city was a fortress with four residential neighborhoods, which were surrounded by stone walls, located on an area of 15 acres. It included defensive towers, a boyar (pink) church, a boyar's dwelling, and fortress walls. The outer part of the city is located on an area of about 50 acres and there are nearly a hundred residential buildings and three churches. Most of the buildings were two-storey, with many preserved stone stairs leading to the upper floor. Most of the finds found during the archeological excavations of the area are located in the Historical museum in the town of Sevlievo. Among them are different types of jewelry, coins, ceramics.

Access to the fortress is easy and the road to it is well maintained. You can spend a few hours walking there, because there is a lot to see and where to walk. There are places for relaxation, equipped with tables and benches, where you can relax or have a picnic in nature and the ruins. Our walk started along the route that leads up the hill to the boyar (pink) citadel on a pleasant forest path. The view from the top of the hill to the picturesque area is amazing! After looking at the inner part of the city we went back the same way and looked at the outer part, which can be seen from the parking lot and the entrance to the fortress.

The place is extremely tidy and maintained and I highly recommend you to visit it. The walk is very diverse - from the wooded path to the unique panoramic views and ruins that will immerse you in the former history of Bulgaria.