Pleven has long been a major transportation hub for anyone crossing northern Bulgaria by rail or car. A stepping stone to Ruse and the Romanian border, it's got a big railway station and lots of infrastructure for anyone passing through – hotels, cafés, restaurants. 

If you decide to linger a while, Pleven tour guides will reveal archaeological monuments and museums, the Pleven Epopee a testament to the city’s war soaked past. On the southern edge of town, a duo of parks beckon with artistic treasures and interesting relics. Start in the Kaylaka, where babbling streams and woodlands give way to the ancient Roman ruins of Storgosia, a onetime outpost on the frontier with the Barbarian tribes. From there, it's a quick hop to Skobelev, where the famous Pleven Panorama draws the crowds with its depiction of the 1877 siege of the city during the hard-fought Russo-Turkish War. 

Those with their eyes on the great Bulgarian outdoors can trail down the eco path of the Canyon of the Chernelka river, a great place for nature excursions.