Koritengrad

The late antique and medieval fortified town of Koritengrad is located on the left bank of the Iskar River. The fortification was built on the steep slope between the rock walls of the Ritlite. The fortress has an almost rectangular shape with maximum dimensions of 312×47m and an area of ​​1.33 ha. The elevation difference is 119m with an almost constant inclination from the lowest end of the town to its highest point. The eastern and western walls of the fortress are The Ritlite themselves. They represent a high and strong natural rock barrier with their height reaching the insurmountable 20-30m.

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  The rock formation is of reduced height in several places along the southwest ridge and not so inaccessible. In these places, people erected strong fortress walls that blocked the gaps. The southern fortress wall was erected in close proximity to the river. Today, remains of this wall can be seen on the bank near by the path. Preserved lithographs and photographs from the beginning of the 20th century show that even before the construction of the railroad through the old town, the walls were in very poor condition. The southern fortress wall had at least two towers, one of which was angular, and the second had a rectangular plan. The corner tower served to protect the most accessible part of the city. In later times, a sheep pen was built in the remains of the rectangular tower.
  A second fortress wall was raised at a distance of about 30-40m and about 14m high compared to the first wall. The foundations of two fortress towers (or 4 large buttresses) external to the curtain wall can be seen. The line of the railroad is laid in the space between two fortress walls. The second wall has walls over 1.5m thick, which in our opinion excludes them from being residential walls. The space between the two fortress walls was most likely not built up but had a purely military purpose. The slope is the steepest and most difficult to access in this section and its slope was probably included in the defence. The foundations of numerous buildings can be observed after the second fortress wall, up the slope for about 150m. The main part of the city spread out in this section. Another fortress wall was probably located above these residential quarters. Its foundation was revealed by treasure hunting raids. Whether these remains are from a fortress wall or from some rather large boyar dwelling can only be determined after archaeological research of the site.
  The inner part of the city is a rectangular citadel with approximate dimensions of 44x30m. It occupies almost the entire width of the fortified area of ​​the site, with only a passage of a few meters to the rocks left from the northeast, through which to pass. Most probably the citadel was additionally fortified with several bastions. The interior of this fortified area is very densely built-up, with many fragments of fine glazed ceramics found on the terrain. The terrain sharply decreases its slope northwest above the citadel and the extreme northwest wall of the city was built at a distance of 27m from it. The wall is 2.8m thick and is built, like the other walls - the faces of properly processed local limestone, bonded with strong white mortar, and interior filling of smaller stones and rubble, bonded with white mortar. The construction is preserved at a height of 1m above the embankments. A significant accumulation of stones is observed in one or two places along its length. These are probably the remains of fortress bastions or towers. There is a steep saddle after this main wall, which is shaped as a fortress moat. Тraces of additional fortification are noticeable In front of this moat, which covers a rectangular space measuring 50x30m. This suburban fortification was significantly less protected with a thin dry stone wall 1.3-1.5m thick. Besides to its role as barrier for a possible attacker, this suburban fortification probably played the role of a military camp in peacetime. Similar suburban fortifications are also observed in other medieval fortresses.
  The view along the Iskar River from the highest point of Koritengrad is a wonderful. There is a direct visibility of the Shishmanovo Kale fortress located on the opposite bank. There is a suburb northeast of the fortress, which occupies an area of ​​about 0,40 ha. Is was also fortified at a certain period (most likely between the 4th-6th centuries). It was probably used until the end of the 15th-16th centuries. The hypothesis is that the city actually arose within the suburb, but later moved between the Ritlite after the Gothic and Slavic-Avar invasions. With certainty during the Middle Ages the city was reduced to just the fortification between the Ritlite and the small unfortified suburb.