Day 9: Around Bulgaria in 14 days

We woke up pretty hungry on day 9. We headed to the closest downtown bar, where we had a hearty breakfast. After breakfast, we immediately went to Vidin. For that day we had sighted Vidin – Baba Vida Fortress and then headed to Pleven. I won’t lie to you – it’s been a long way. Perhaps one of the longest rides for our entire vacation.

Vidin

A compulsory destination was our Baba Vida fortress, although we went another time, we never thought about missing it this time. If you have a trip there, I strongly recommend that you do not miss the fort. “Baba Vida” is the only fully preserved medieval fortress in Bulgaria, which played a role at the same time as a defense facility and a ruler’s castle. It rises on the bank of the Danube, in the northeast of Vidin. The fortress was built at the end of X century. Constructed in irregular quadrangular shape. It consists of two walls – an inner (higher) with 9 towers and an outer (lower) with 2 towers. An outer courtyard is formed between the two walls. The castle castle is only accessible from the north, where the entrance tower is located. In the past, a wooden drawbridge (now a stone bridge) used to pass over a moat filled with water from the Danube. After the entrance tower, you enter the first courtyard.

There are many legends about how the jumble appeared on the Danube. One of the most famous is that Vida was the eldest daughter of a wealthy Bulgarian boyar. She had two sisters, Kula and Gamza. They married in a hurry, which was the reason for having failed marriages. When she saw these misfortunes, Vida rejected all marriage proposals. She built a castle in which she lived to a very old age, successfully defending her subjects and lands from enemy attacks. In gratitude, after her death, people from this area called the castle “Baba Vida” or “Baba Vidini Towers”.

Lom

After the walk through Vidin we headed to Pleven. On the way we passed through Lom. We stopped at a park on the bank of the Danube. Fishermen could be seen on the riverbank. And we sat on a bench to rest for the long haul and toast each other with chocolate. We saw a ship left in the middle of the park and immediately looked for more information on DiscoverBG. It turned out to be the Schlep Museum of the September Uprising. It is believed to have been used to drown the rebels in the Danube.

We passed through Kozloduy and from far away we saw Kozloduy NPP. Kozloduy NPP EAD is the largest electricity generating company in Bulgaria, which is a significant factor for economic stability at national and regional level.

Pleven

And here we are in Pleven. We had booked at Sasso-apartments. We had some difficulties with the accommodation because there was no one to accept us and give us a key. After 30 minutes and some strolls in the heat, we managed to get into the apartment. The apartment was really cozy and clean. Because it was very warm, we decided to rest for a few hours. In the afternoon, it was time for a stroll around the city and more specifically for the Pleven Epic. We took the car to the museum. The road to it is nice and there is a large parking lot. Because it was too late, we were unable to tour the museum area. Opening hours of Epopeia are from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, with noon rest from 12:00 to 12:30 pm. The Pleven Epic panorama was built in honor of the 100th anniversary of the liberation of the city from Turkish slavery. The monument rises on the battlefield itself, in the Skobel Park Museum, where during the third assault some of the worst battles take place. The magnificent building houses a museum that, in four halls, recreates the struggles of independence in an exciting way.

Later we headed to the center. We were impressed by the water cascade! It was built in 1982 and is a complex of 10 waterfalls, fountains, 3 water mirrors and various water cascades. During the day they are unique and in the evening the lighting adds to the beauty of the water jets. There were many people walking around the main street of the city. We shot the fountains and then decided to take a walk. We drank one lemonade at one of the cafes, then again we went to shoot the water cascade to have some pictures in the evening. The view is indescribable, everyone must see them.

Tonight we decided to have dinner in the room, so we picked up some things and went home. Thus ended 9 days of our journey.