Not too far from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, there’s an ancient fortress at the top of a mountain: the Belogradchik Fortress. The place is known for its huge rocks, that were formed more than 200 million years ago. Romans built the fortress there because of them: rocks served as a natural protection, and they only had to build walls on the northwest and southeast sides.
A National Monument
Later in the Bulgarian History, the fortress was extended. Today, it is a national monument, accessible for a small fee. I would say that half a day is enough to visit the site and enjoy the views. There are three fortified courtyards, and you can walk/climb around to see the impressive rocks and the surrounding mountains.
It was a really nice discovery. Bulgaria has so many hidden treasures! The country is not well-known, but I think it deserves more attention. I absolutely love Bulgaria and went several times. Bulgaria has a lot to be proud of: its culture, its nature, its architecture, its food, its music, etc.
I really wanted to share some information about Belogradchik, but I believe that pictures will tell you more than words.
On The Practical Side
Regarding the modalities to reach the site, my friend and I chose to use a taxi. In Bulgaria, you can do day-trips with taxis: you don’t have any guide, but the taxi can follow an itinerary and take you to some remote tourist attractions. They just wait for you at the exit. They sometimes don’t speak a really good English, but in my experience, they were always nice and tried to give the best experience. For example, one of them suggested a really good restaurant and clearly loved talking about his country with us.
It’s a good way to meet locals and have some less planned conversations about the sites and the country. Also, it’s quite cheap! Sometimes, even if you’re willing to pay more, you won’t find an option with guide for just one day-trip. Here, that was definitely a great solution to visit Belogradchik and take as much time as we wanted to climb, walk and be amazed.
To see more photos of Bulgaria, you can visit the gallery Bulgaria.
