Кюстендил, България

During the Iron Age, a Thracian settlement was located within the town, later known as Roman in the 1st century AD. In the Middle Ages, the town switched hands between the Byzantine Empire, Bulgaria and Serbia, prior to Ottoman annexation in 1395. After centuries of Ottoman rule, the town became part of an independent Bulgarian state in 1878.

Hisarlaka Fortress is an ancient and medieval fortress occupying a hill at 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the south-east of Kyustendil, in what is now Bulgaria. Originally constructed by the Romans around 400 AD, it was among the most important castles of the Bulgarian Empire in the Middle Ages before it was partially destroyed by the Ottomans in the 15th century.Read more