Today was a trip to see the Belogradchik Fortress and Rocks at Belogradchik. Most of the fortress has disappeared but the main walls were, mostly, still there. What was impressive are the Rocks. Stunning rock formations made of sandstone in many different weird shapes. As expected many of them have various legends tied to the rocks. This formation which covers many square miles is a National Heritage of Bulgaria and they are on the Tentative List of places to be named to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. The fortress dates from Roman times and is placed to take advantage of the Rocks for its defense.
On our return, we went into the town of Vidin to tour it and spend some time wandering around the shops in the ‘Artist Street’. Did not go in any of the shops, with a couple of exceptions as it is a tourist place. Did go to St. Panteleimon Church which has a considerable amount of paintings inside on the walls. The Baba Vida Fortress was close by, walking distance, but elected to skip this fortress – Pat did go.
When got back to Vidin did some wandering about the town/city – went by the market, wandered the neighborhoods – very interesting places. Some houses in good shape others in not so good shape. Very typical, I find, of the Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. Somewhat similar to what I would expect in Georgia.
Additional Information
Arrive in the picturesque Bulgarian port of Vidin, and take an excursion to see Belogradchik Fortress, built right into the striking Belogradchik Rocks. See the fortress’s amazing construction, begun in Roman times and greatly extended by Bulgarian tsars and the Ottomans, and enjoy breathtaking views. Enjoy lunch aboard your ship; then you have free time to explore Vidin’s city center, Orthodox churches and the ruins of the city’s once-grand synagogue. We depart during dinner.
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