The town of Oryahovo has a population of 6 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 75 km northeast of Vratza. The town is situated on a hilly site along the bank of the Danube River. Throughout the centuries the town has had many names - Orezov, Rahovo, Oryahovo and others.

The region around the town has been populated since ancient times. The archaeological excavations show the existence of settlements from different epochs - from the early Neolith to the late Middle Ages. In the region of Oryahovo there are remains of a Roman town and the Roman fortress Variana. The name of the town is mentioned in a document from 1226 in relation to the passing of Madzhar troops trough the Bulgarian lands. In 1388 Oryahovo is conquered by the Ottoman troops. In XVIII-XIX c. the main means of living of the population is related to the navigation along the Danube. The town is liberated on 20^th November 1877.

Oryahovo is the birth place of the great musician, conductor and composer Diko Iliev.

The tourist sights of the town are: the church "St. Georgi" from 1837 - a monument of culture of national significance, the statue dedicated to the Russian liberators, made by the Italian sculptor Arnaldo Dzoki, the house-museum of Diko Iliev, remains of a Bulgarian fortress and the history museum.

Tourist sights

The medieval fortress lies at a distance of 1 km from the town. It has been built in IX c. and has existed until XIV c. Today from the fortress is preserved a rectangular two-storey tower. Two crusades have passed through the medieval town lead by King Sigizmund in 1396 and Vladislav Yagelo in 1444.

The house of Diko Iliev represents the life and the work of the great Bulgarian musician. Diko Iliev Dikov (1898-1985) is a musician, a conductor and a composer. He is the author of the most popular Bulgarian horos and brass band marches.