2026 Passage to Eastern Europe - Day #14 - Vidin, Bulgaria

Belogradchik Rocks and Fortress
Spectacular Rock Formations and the Defensive Structure They Helped Shape
Journey into one of Bulgaria’s most scenic regions to see how geography helped create an architectural treasure.

Join your guide for a drive from Vidin to the Belogradchik Rocks. With their strange, red-hued cliffs and massifs, these stunning mountains strike a dramatic pose. The result of millennia of weathering, river erosion, freezing and countless other factors, these formations are more than Bulgaria’s great natural wonder. They are also a curiosity for the multitude of fantastic figures and profiles that emerge when you catch them at just the right angle. Silhouettes of people, towers, ships, mushrooms, palaces and animals populate the cliffs. You will also see the fascinating Belogradchik Fortress, built by the Ottomans in a maze of rock columns and pillars. Take a walk around the compound and enjoy superior views of the caves and rock shapes from its many terraced courtyards.


Baba Vida Fortress & Bulgarian Wine
Tour Medieval Castle and Sample Delicious Vintages
Explore the wonderfully preserved Baba Vida fortress and sample a selection of Bulgarian wines at a local winery.

Meet your guide and embark on a scenic drive to Vidin’s most prominent landmark, the medieval Bada Vida fortress. Enjoy a guided visit of its defensive walls and towers and learn about its history as you tour the museum exhibits. Next, you will visit the Dos Alamos winery for a tour of the facility with an expert oenologist. See how the modern approach of wine production blends harmoniously with more than 200 years of family wine-making heritage during a tour of the lab and underground cellars. Afterward, you will sit down to sample a selection of fine wines accompanied by savory snacks, before returning to your awaiting ship.

A busy day. We had two long excursions.

My back is still brothering me enough that I skipped my Peloton Core or Bodyweight workout for the second straight day. Addtioinally, neither Sharon or I are sleeping very well.

We did the morning included Viking "Belogradchik Rocks and Fortress" excursion. It was an hour bus ride from the port to fortress. Based on the bus ride out of town, Vidin looks very rough. It has lots of Soviet style concrete apartment buildings and a number of abandoned factories on the outskirts of the city.

The Belogradchik Rocks are a natural phenomenon in northwest Bulgaria. It is located near the town of Belogradchik on the western slopes of the Balkan Mountains. One of the most striking features of the area is how the natural rock walls were integrated into a man-made stronghold.

The fortress was originally built by the Romans between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD to guard trade routes. They utilized the 200-foot-high rocks as natural defensive walls, needing to build artificial barriers only on two sides.

Both Sharon and I enjoyed the fortress. While we both climbed to the middle courtyard, neither of us climbed to the highest point.

We had lunch in the restaurant with Cora and Annie and Tom and Anne. We both had Tomato Rasam Broth (traditional Indian tomato soup; cilantro & rice) and Beetroot & Apple Salad (iceberg lettuce, beetroot, apple, carrot, sunflower seeds; lemon vinaigrette).

At 2 pm, We joined the optional Viking "Baba Vida Fortress & Bulgarian Wine" excursion. About half an hour into this excursion, Sharon turned to me and said "this is the worst tour guide that we have ever had."

The first stop was a fortress. The castle in Vidin, known as Baba Vida, is one of Bulgaria's most significant historical landmarks. It is famously regarded as the only entirely preserved medieval castle in the country.

The fortress was built upon the remains of the ancient Roman town of Bononia. Construction of the medieval structure began in the 10th century.


We wandered around the exterior and then visited the inside of the fortress. It was interesting to how the layers have been added over the centuries to build it to its current size.

The second stop was the Dos Alamos Winery. We did a wine tasting in the cellar. Although the group was almost thirty, it was a nice set-up. They had individual barrels set up for each couple with some cheese, olives and bread. The cellar was lit primarily by candlelight.

Thankfully, the guide turned the winery presentation over to the owner. Although the wine was not as good at the Croatian wine that we had on Monday, I enjoyed the tasting. With a video presentation behind him, the owner did a nice job talking about the vineyards, the winery and local traditions.


On the bus back to the ship, the guide talked a lot about how the communists had destroyed the town. They had tore down 18th and 19th century homes and built concrete apartment buildings. She passed around a number of pictures showing how the town used to look.

We were back at the ship at 5:15 pm. After sitting at the iPad for a bit when we were back the ship, my back really started to give me a problem. I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to walk to dinner.

Rushing to get cleaned up, we went to the port and disembarckation talk. I was able to walk to the lounge and then down to dinner.

We ended up sitting with two older couples: Tanya and Tom; and Eddie and Amy. For dinner, Sharon and I split a Bulgarian fried cheese starter. We each had a grilled romaine salad and beef tenderloin. For dessert, I had a Bugarian chocolate cake.

We crashed about 10 pm. We have not gone to the lounge after dinner on this trip.