Vidin, Bulgaria
On Sunday, we took a 1 hour bus ride from our ship's dock in Vidin, Bulgaria to the Belogradchik Rocks and Fortress. Our bus driver's name was Georgia and our tour guide's name was Albania, and she quickly pointed out how both of their names are also names of countries.
Along the way, we stopped at a [very] small town that had little more than a 4 star hotel, a schoolgirl, and a sign that said it was 176 km to Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. I think the schoolgirl needs a little explanation: it was a rock outcrop in the shape of what appeared to be a schoolgirl, knapsack and all.
When I learned we were going to the Belogradchik Fortress, I thought oh, great, another fortress where we listen to narration of how the town built it to defend themselves against an attack - and another attack, and another attack, and.... But not so. This "fortress" was mostly natural rock surrounded by unbelievable scenery. The rocks consisted of limestone and conglomerates that, due to eons of erosion, along with wind and water forces, formed pillars and other shapes. You could climb to the top on mostly unsteady stone-cut steps, 125 of them, to be exact. The climb was totally worth it, affording views of some of the surrounding rock and the city and landscape below.
Along the way, we stopped at a [very] small town that had little more than a 4 star hotel, a schoolgirl, and a sign that said it was 176 km to Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. I think the schoolgirl needs a little explanation: it was a rock outcrop in the shape of what appeared to be a schoolgirl, knapsack and all.
When I learned we were going to the Belogradchik Fortress, I thought oh, great, another fortress where we listen to narration of how the town built it to defend themselves against an attack - and another attack, and another attack, and.... But not so. This "fortress" was mostly natural rock surrounded by unbelievable scenery. The rocks consisted of limestone and conglomerates that, due to eons of erosion, along with wind and water forces, formed pillars and other shapes. You could climb to the top on mostly unsteady stone-cut steps, 125 of them, to be exact. The climb was totally worth it, affording views of some of the surrounding rock and the city and landscape below.
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