Rousse is the centre of an administrative region. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube at the mouth of the river Roussenski Lom. Rousse is the biggest Bulgarian port town on the bank of the river Danube. With the opening of the Rhein - Main - Danube canal which covers 3,500 km and connects thirteen European countries with the Near and Far East via the Black Sea, the river became the longest inland waterway on the planet. People settled here in ancient times, since the river provided a living. As seen on the prehistoric settlement hill, the people in that earliest period lived in a place with clearly distinguished residential and public buildings, streets and neighbourhoods. During the time of the First Bulgarian state, 30 km to the south of the old Roman fortress, the mediaeval town of Cherven came into being and by Prista itself the settlement of Rusi appeared.