Flag of Bulgaria
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EU and pre-EU Bulgarian license plates |
A stork
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We arrived at Belogradchik and looked at the unique red sandstone and limestone rock formations. Wind and rain have sculpted the rocks into forms that resemble things like a schoolgirl with a backpack, a bear, a rabbit, an elephant, and Adam and Eve's first kiss. Many of the forms have legends assigned to them.
After coffee and pastry we went to the Fortress. It was started in 100 CE by the Romans and last used by Turks until 1805. The construction used the rock formations as part of the defense walls. We walked up the ruins to magnificent views from the top - at least 150 steps, so many of our tour group did not climb! The Romans seemed to find wonderful vantage points for their forts and towns.
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Area map |
Belogradchik Fortress and Rocks in the Balkan Mountains of Bulgaria
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Belogradchik Fortress and Rocks
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Belogradchik Fortress and Rocks |
Us at Belogradchik
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Belogradchik from the Fortress - a non-functioning mosque is in the foreground |
Belogradchik Fortress and Rocks
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Colorful house |
Typical house and garden
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Former Communist collective farm (from the bus)
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In 850 two brothers from here created the Cyrillic alphabet of 30 letters to get rid of Greek letters and to incorporate all of the sounds used in Slavic languages. The plaque in the adjacent picture commemorates this.
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Church of St. Constantine and Helena
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More Communist-era housing
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We hurried back to Vidin to take a brief look at the Baba Vida Fortress. It is the best-preserved medieval stone fortress in Bulgaria. We walked around the double wall with moat into an inner courtyard where the residential area was. We looked into the prison with walls marking days spent in there and a small chapel. We walked up onto the ramparts. Outside the castle was a rose garden. The rose is the symbol of Bulgaria and rose oil is an important export.
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Baba Vida Fortress - exterior wall
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Baba Vida Fortress - exterior wall |
Baba Vida Fortress - outdoor theater
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Baba Vida Fortress - courtyard |
Looking up the river at a new bridge |
Baba Vida Fortress - chapel on the grounds
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We hurried back to the ship for a folk dance performance by local school kids (no pictures). Again it was the energetic fast footwork and rigid body characteristic of Celtic dance. This was followed by a presentation by the Bulgarian yogurt company LB Bulgaricum. By accident and then by design, the yogurt here is made with two bacteria and from cow, sheep, or goat milk. Bulgaria is credited with the creation of yogurt. A shepherd let the milk in his bladder bag get old and it thickened because of the bacteria in the bag. This was yogurt (story told by company rep).
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Bagpiper and yogurt
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On the river again |
More campers
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