The town of Gorna Oryahovitza has a population of 34 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 7 km northeast of Veliko Turnovo. The town is the centre of a municipality with 13 settlements. The municipality is located on the border of the Fore-Balkan and the Danube Plain. This is the reason for the significant differences in the altitude varying from 92 to 500 m.

The earliest settlements in the region date from the third millennia before Christ. There are two partially preserved Neolith settlements in the region. In V-VI c. there has been an ancient fortress which has been fortified in IX c.

During the Roman Empire at a distance of 14 km from the present-day town of Gorna Oryahovitza originates one of the biggest towns of the Lower Mizia Province - Nikopolis ad Istrum. The ancient town has been built for the emperor Trayan. From here on starts the road to Augusta Tryana (Stara Zagora) and with the purpose of defending the road have been built many fortresses. One of them is Ryahovetz. Its name comes from the Persian word "ryah" meaning "road". From this ancient name comes also the present-day name of the town. The ancient fortress lies at a distance of 3 km west of the present-day town. During the Second Crusade the fortress is captured and destroyed by Vladislav III Yagelo in 1444. Later the region around the fortress is populated again and thus the present-day town is formed. During the period of the Ottoman Yoke Gorna Oryahovitza develops as a thriving trade centre with market places well-known all over Bulgaria. In 1870 the settlement is proclaimed for a town.

The tourist sights of the region are: the monastery "Saint Prophet Iliya" (XIV c.), the Thracian settlement in the Kamaka site, the history and ethnographic museum in the town, the churches "St. Atanas" (1393), "St. Georgi" (XVIII c.), "Uspenie Bogorodichno"/The Assumption/ (1789) and "Saint Troitza"/The Holy Trinity/

Tourist sights

The medieval fortress "Ryahovetz" lies at a distance of 3,5 km west of the town. The fortress has had fortified walls with three towers. From the defense system have been preserved only the foundations.

The Kamaka/The Stone/ is a Thracian fortress with a sanctuary. The remains of the fortified wall with a length of 350 m and some remains of the Thracian sanctuary have been preserved.