a bus into the nearby city of Pleven, or spend the afternoon in Nikopol. The fifth-largest nature park in Bulgaria, Persina Natural Park, lies partially in Nikopol. Persina Natural Park is the only Bulgarian natural park on the Danube River, and contains marshlands, over 200 species of birds, 475 species of plants, and 1,100 species of animals. Based on the importance and uniqueness, Persina Natural Park has been declared a Ramsar site. Tourist attractions in Nikopol include the ruins of the medieval fortress, the richly decorated 13th- or 14th-century Church of Saints Peter and Paul, the rock-hewn Church of Saint Stephen, the Bulgarian National Revival Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God from 1840, the Elia water fountain with an immured Ancient Roman gravestone featuring an epitaph, and the Vasil Levski museum house. Twin towns — sister cities Nikopol is twinned with: Halásztelek, Hungary Shakhty, Russia Zimnicea, Romania Notable people Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria, the last emperor of the Second Bulgarian Empire, beheaded at Nikopol in 1395 Jean de Vienne, French general and knight (13411396), died at Nikopol Jean de Carrouges, French knight (1330s1396), died at Nikopol Eve Frank, born at Nikopol (1754–1816), successor of her father, the Jewish claimed Messiah Jacob Frank. Joseph Karo, lived in Nikopol from 1523 to 1536 Honour Nikopol Point on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, is named after Nikopol. References External links https://web.archive.org/web/20051220013159/http://get.info.bg/visit/Dir.asp?d=0-13-PLEVEN-Nikopol http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/N/NikopB1ul.asp http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4917820.stm#map https://web.archive.org/web/20131016090456/http://www.pleven.pro/weather/town.php?id=nikopol Former capitals of Bulgaria Towns in Bulgaria Populated places on the Danube Populated places in Pleven Province Bulgaria–Romania border crossings