We discovered Belogradchik and its surroundings, a very beautiful place in Bulgaria, that we prefer to name “The red rocks land”, even if the name of this town literally means “Small white town”. The city has the particularity to be circled by rocks which make it a popular tourist destination.
The Town of Belogradchik
Located close to Serbia, Belogradchik is a town of Vidin Province, located 50 km South from the Danube River and 180 km from Sofia in northwestern Bulgaria. In order to have time to visit, we booked a room on this very nice Bed&Breakfast “Guest House & Bistro Castle Cottage”. Selected to be the European Destination of Excellence in Bulgaria in 2008, Belogradchik is a small town. This is more enjoyable and easy to discover by foot.
Some museums to visit
So, we spent our Saturday’s afternoon visiting the town, walking, strolling, and looking at the main cultural attractions. Unfortunately, those were closed, open only from monday to friday. The History Museum, Art Gallery and the Natural History Museum are some of them. More informations about the all attractions to the city here.
The centre of Belogradchik is very quite and looks like some others Bulgarian city centers, with a large place and some restaurants and bars around it. The parking spots are generally paid, directly to a person walking around. Just behind this place, you can discover some communist architectural buildings, as this old branch of the Bulgarian National Bank which is for sale if you are interested (we imagined lot of things to do with this kind of building). As you can see, it’s written both in Bulgarian and French! In the old times of communism, French was the official foreign international language in Bulgaria. Not English.
Then, visible, the ancient Mosque now abandoned is also interesting because of its outside architecture and its very nice fresco above the entrance door. Take a peek inside out the window mesh.
Even if there are lot of cultural places to visit in Belogradchik (mainly during the week you got it), the two most famous place there are the Fortress and the red rocks formations.
Belogradchik Rocks and Fortress – The Unforgettable
The Kaleto Fortress is one of the best preserved fortress in Bulgaria, and it played an important role for the defense of the region for centuries. It is situated close to the town, in the region of the rocks. Definitely, it was a real pleasure to visit it on Sunday early morning, when you are alone (Ticket : 12BGN/ How to go).
From the top of the Katelo Fortress, after 15 minutes of walk from the entrance, you discover the fabulous view on the red rocks. This is just amazing, in an absolute silence.
BE CAREFUL : The way to get there is quite perilous because you have to take very steep stairs, often over the void. Parents are invited to reach each turn, with good shoes.
The natural rock formations were used in the construction of the Fortress. It has later been part of the defensive system of the Byzantine Empire, then of the Bulgarian State, and served as a garrison of the Ottoman Empire. The Fortress was reconstructed under the instruction of French and Italian engineers, at the beginning of the 19th century.
Hiking to do
For hiking lovers, you might hike on the mountain to see the red rocks from a closer point of view. Hiking paths are accessible arriving in the square at the entrance of the fortress, far right (14km). For others hikings, find here more ideas.
Caves to explore
The Belogradchik Rocks in Bulgaria are surrounded by amazing caves like Magura Cave, which contains ancient drawings. We visited the second one, the Venetsa caves. The Cave is a natural landmark in Bulgaria, known for its beautiful calcite formations, including onyx crystals and ice formations, and is considered one of the most beautiful caves in the country.
