Cherven

Set on a rocky bend of the Cherni Lom, Cherven grew from an early Byzantine fortress into a major town of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Its citadel occupied the heights above the river, while an outer town spread below and across the neighboring hills. A bishop's seat from 1235, Cherven was also a center of crafts and an important stop on the roads between the Danube and Bulgaria's interior.

The town flourished in the 14th century, when its workshops produced ironwork and jewelry alongside other goods. Its fortifications could not save it from the Ottoman campaign of 1388, when Cherven was captured and damaged. The town retained some administrative functions under its new rulers, but its importance gradually declined. Life continued within the fortress long after the conquest, even as the once prominent center lost its former standing.