Samuilova Fortress

Samuilova fortress is the name of a medieval fortress, situated between the mountains Belasitsa and Ograzhden. It is located on the right bank of Strumeshnitsa River, which is 5 kilometers north of the village of Klyuch. It was probably built in the period 1009-1013, during the reign of king Samuil whose name it bears) on the foundations of a Thracian and an early-Slav settlement. The fortress was a part of one big fortification system of defense facilities, starting from the slopes of Belasitsa south of the village of Kluch and reached to the slopes of Ograzhden.

The fortress of Samuil was built on top of the hill, and was protected by three banks and two pits, which were concentric situated. The first inner bank had a complex construction with a core of stones and soil and wooden beams. The top of the bank was finishing with a wide wall, made of crushed stones, cemented with mud. On the highest part of the hill, rectangular stone foundations of a wooden tower for observation and defense had been discovered. The other two banks had similar structure.

The castle is associated with one of the tragic events in the Bulgarian history. In the vicinity of the fortress, in 1014, the historical battle of Belasitsa took place. The army of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II defeated the Bulgarian army and captured a lot of soldiers. King Samuil and his entourage managed to escape. After the end of the battle, the Byzantine emperor blinded all the 14 thousand soldiers that he captured, leaving just one-eyed leader in every hundred people.

In October 1982 the site was discovered in national park-museum "Samuil fortress". The remains of medieval fortifications were restored and preserved and a majestic bronze statue of Tsar Samuil was erected.

The Samuil Fortress is included in the list of "100 National Tourist Sights of Bulgaria".