Roman Fortress Castra Rubra

Castra Rubra was established in the 2nd century AD as a Roman military camp and mutatio, a horse-changing station for the imperial postal service on the Via Militaris. It housed a small garrison to protect the strategically important road, an inn, and other buildings. In the early Byzantine Empire, Castra Rubra developed into a fortified settlement. The fortress was captured twice, most recently by Khan Krum. Archaeological finds such as inscriptions, tools, jewelry, and gold coins from the time of Emperors Maurice and Heraclius bear witness to the long history of settlement and are now on display in the Historical Museum of Harmanli. The fortress walls enclosed an area of approximately 11,000 m², with rectangular towers at each corner and a mighty quadrangular gate tower. It was built at the end of the 5th or beginning of the 6th century, destroyed in the early 7th century by Slavs and Avars, but rebuilt. Its final destruction occurred at the beginning of the 9th century by Khan Krum.

The ruins of Castra Rubra are located in Bulgaria, in the Haskovo district, near the city of Harmanli, in the area of Kolarovo village. The site is situated at an altitude of approx. 200 m above sea level.

The remains of the Roman fort are accessible to visitors and can be explored. A short, well-preserved section of the Via Militaris was uncovered approx. 800 meters east of the fort.

• Mezek Fortress (Fortress), approx. 21.6 km away
• Matochina Fortress (Fortress), approx. 38.7 km away
• Lyutitsa Fortress (Fortress), approx. 47.8 km away
• Roman Villa Armira (Ancient Buildings), approx. 48.1 km away