Belogradchik / Белоградчик਍ഀ

Pronunciation: [be-lo-grad-chik]

The Belogradchik Rocks are formed from red sandstone and stop most people in their tracks. Pinnacles of rock thrust hundreds of metres into the air and are thought of by some as the Bulgarian version of Ayers Rock! The rocks are named Adam and Eve, Madonna (although not the bra clad singer), The Rider, The Schoolgirl, The Bear and The Monks.

The French traveler Germon Blanky wrote the following about the Belogradchik Rocks back in 1841: “Neither the famous narrow passes of Aulihul in Provance, neither the Pancarbo Gorge in Spain, neither the Alps, neither the Pyrenees, nor the most eminent Tyrol mountains in Switzerland have anything, which can be compared with what I saw in Bulgaria in the town of Belogradchik” . The famous Felix Kanits adds: “It’s hardly probable that a more romantic fortress than the Belogradchik one has ever been built”.

We agree that the Belogradchik Rocks are a must see when you come to Bulgaria.

Magura / Magura

Pronunciation: [ma-gu-ra]

Bulgaria has over 4,500 caves, of which the Magura cave is one of the most impressive that can be explored by a tourist without becoming a serious caver! The Magura cave is located approximately 17km away from the town of Belogradchik, 35km southwest of the town of Vidin on the Danube. It is 1.5 miles long and one of the biggest caves in Bulgaria. The cave has been set up to allow tourist access with lighting and a guiding system. This cave is famous for its 2,800 year old paintings that depict scenes of hunting, dances and love and there are not many places in the world where you are granted such free access. Further paintings show birds, bears and deer. The latest archaeological excavations found that the cave was inhabited by Thracian tribes for many centuries during the Bronze age. Indeed, there have been found remnants of pre-historic life, traces of settlements dating back to the early Bronze Age and early Iron Age ceramics, tools and rock drawings.

There are many halls within the Margura Caves, some of which vast and adorned with beautiful rock formations. The Hall of Triumph has a small lake, The Gallery of Drawings is a single hall more than 300m long whilst the Museum is actually inside the cave and there is even a small wine cellar!

Vidin / Vidin

Pronunciation: [vi-din]

Further north is a city that can be traced back from the antique Roman, medieval Bulgarian, Turkish and of course, Communist times. If you are prepared to explore Vidin you will find a mixture of history from different ages that have all left a visible marks on the city. Surrounded by the beautiful giant Danube river you can see that the city was changed greatly during the Communist era. But today, a massive European Union sponsored project is underway in Vidin. €70 million Euros of funding is building a bridge over the Danube to connect Bulgaria and Romania forming a key gateway to the country.

When in Vidin be sure to visit the well preserved Baba Vida fortress dating back to the 10th century.There is also a second Vidin fortress called Kaleto that is even older. The two fortresses are national monuments of culture and history.
Other Vidin monuments include: the Cross-Shaped Barracks, the Turkish post office, the art gallery, the Mathematics High School building, the synagogue, the Drama Theater, the St. Dimitar cathedral and the St. Panteleymon, St. Nikolai and St. Petka churches.

Last but not least - if you have time or energy left, a great place to wander around is the beautiful riverbank park. Located along the bank of the Danube it contains beaches, restaurants and lots of Bulgarian cultural exhibits.