One of the oldest and most interesting Bulgarian towns, Lovech, lies picturesquely on both banks of the Osam river, some 170km to the northeast of Sofia. The present-day town is the heir of the Thracian town of Melta, situated in the Hisarlaka area.
During the Middle Ages, Lovech was a strategic military centre, called Lovuts, while in the 12th century, the town gradually moved to the right bank of the Osam river, where the current quarter of Varosha lies. In Byzantine times, following the Turnovo uprising
against Byzantine domination, the Lovech Fortress defended successfully the road to Veliko Turnovo and forced the Byzantine Empire to conclude the famous Lovech Peace Treaty in 1187, which gave a new start to the Bulgarian state.
