The town of Svishtov (Veliko Turnovo district) is situated at a high terrace on the right bank of the Danube River, in the place where the river reaches its most southern point. It is situated at the distance of 250 km north-east from Sofia, 51 km south-east from Nikopol, 97 km south-west from Rousse, 76 km north-east from Pleven, 45 km north-west from Byala, 47 km north-east from Levski and 31 km east from Belene. Svishtov is a long-established port and crafts town that grew just to the west of the former Roman city of Novae A common crossing point for boats, before the building of the bridge at Ruse downstream, Svishtov witnessed the arrival of the Russian liberators in 1877 and the invasion of Romania by German and Bulgarian forces in 1916.