Tag: bulgaria

vertigo, in a good way: Belogradchik

The ship entered the port of Vidin, Bulgaria around 7 am. I was up early most days of the trip out of necessity but also because I never quite shook Eastern Standard time. But it was worth to see a week of mornings just like this (we lucked into almost perfect weather for the entire trip).

sunrise over the rippling water of river, hills on the far shore, with the railing of the ship in the near distance
Photo author’s own, as are all others except where noted.

We arrived ahead of schedule so we got to wander around Vidin a bit before the day’s field trip.

statue of 3 women in draped dresses, facing outwards
Statue in Vidin city center of the three unhappily married sisters who founded Vidin (or at least founded Baba Vida fortress around which the city was built).
wooded park with open umbrellas hanging from the treetops
Umbrellas in the park in Vidin.

Then we hopped on the coach for a trip to the mountains.

Belogradchik Fortress was originally built by the Romans and passed through Ottoman and Bulgarian hands through the centuries. Given the elevation it was originally built for surveillance rather than defense, though the walls are 2 meters thick in places.

tall rock formations with brick gate built between them, brick wall in foreground
Belogradchik Fortress was built within and using the natural rock formations.
two old, grown-over holes in the ground with a metal protective gate atop them
Roman cisterns, covered for safety. The Romans covered them with vinegar-soaked sheepskins to keep the water fresh.

We had the option to stay at the bottom or hike to the top. I chose the hike, and am grateful I invested in my hiking sneakers: ugly as sin prevented me grinding my knees to sawdust.

tall staircase built into the rock, going upwards
It was a bit of a hike…
sight of mountains between two rocky outcroppings, one perilously top heavy
…but the view was worth it.

I hate heights—or at least being near the edge of potentially long drops. Guard rails don’t help as I don’t trust them to hold. Nonetheless, I took a breath and stepped up to the edge.

another curious rock outcropping with misty mountains in background, safety railing visible in foreground
See the railing? I sweat bullets to get this shot.
looking down into wooded valley filled with red tile-roofed, whitewashed houses, and a single rock formation
The city of Belogradchik from with the characteristic red-tiled roofs and whitewashed walls.

The town of Belogradchik (Belograd=”white town”; “-chik” suffix=”small”, to differentiate it from the big white town of Belgrade—a later stop on the cruise) is built within the many Belogradchik Rocks. Most are named but 1) my notes aren’t clear on the specific names, probably because 2) I never could see the Bear, or Adam and Eve, or other figures described.

This site was a bit of a workout, in a good way: I challenged my fear of heights and got some good hiking in as well. Belogradchik was both beautiful but also a warmup for the next day’s excursion to a Roman archaeological site in Serbia.

history lesson: Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi

Our next stop was just that, a stop. Rousse, Bulgaria, is across the Danube from where we boarded the ship in Giurgiu, Romania. Think of Detroit’s physical relation to Windsor, Ontario. Our first view of Rousse was a bit confusing:

sunrise over dock with strangely misshapen white towers that look like salt but are probably sand
My traveling companions and I couldn’t figure out what the hell these were. A bit of digging reveals they may have been leftovers from an annual summer sand sculpture contest. All photos author’s own.

The excursion to Veliko Tarnovo started early (at least on this cruise line/itinerary). Most of the excursions did and justly so to accommodate the coach rides to and from plus a good chunk of sightseeing time. Double espressos were my friends throughout the trip. But said excursions are worth the early waking times. Every single one of these was interesting in some way, if only because I knew next to nothing about the histories of the places I’d be visiting. Happily the local guides are knowledgable and the coach rides provided ample time for crash courses.

Veliko Tarnovo was the capital of the 12th-14th century second Bulgarian empire. I didn’t know there was a first, so my notes say “read up on this”. The visit itself was a whirlwind of impressive hills and fortresses.

cobblestone path winds up hill, leading to large stone fortress
Everyone goes on about “the view from the top”—Tsarevets Fortress is pretty impressive from below.
four figures on horseback around central pole
The 1985 Monument of Assens celebrates the Tsars that created the second Bulgarian empire, and is visible from almost anywhere in the city. The characteristic architectural style is visible in the background: white stucco with red-tiled roofs.

By this time I’d developed a fascination with the buildings left over from communist days, if only because their aggressive simplicity stood out amongst the more traditional styles. Though, they also contained the occasional surprise: we stopped off at this ultra utilitarian hotel for coffee and banitsa to find the interior all red velvet and chandeliers.

stark gray concrete high rise with lacy curtains and the lights of a chandelier peeking out of the windows
See the lacy curtains and chandelier lights in the windows?

Then on to Arbanassi to get some early modern on. Some of the architecture here dates to the time of Ottoman rule (something else I want to read more about).

stone exterior wall with wooden shuttered window; stone looks compressed and settled over years of use
One of many among narrow cobblestone streets.

This cruise line was able to arrange a special performance of orthodox a capella chants at the Church of the Nativity.

old stone church with a red and yellow fresco of haloed figures
No interior photography permitted but I did get this photo of the exterior. The flag belongs to our tour guide.

Hearing the old chants echo off the frescoed walls created one of those “you are there” time-travel type moments that remind you that these buildings aren’t just relics but real buildings where real people lived and worked and worshipped for centuries (and in some cases are still in use).

The finish of the day was a taste of rakia distilled from roses. It tasted the way roses smell (I can’t think of any other way to describe it). Rose oil is a prominent export of central Bulgaria, but I didn’t know you could distill it. This was my first of many encounters with the culture and products Balkan brewing during the trip.

The drive back to the boat was a blur: by then jet lag and general exhaustion was setting in. I got an early night and good thing too as the next day we had a day trip to some very tall, windy rocks.