Built in the period 1st–3rd century to pro­tect the road leading from the town of Ratiaria to the interior of the Empire. It was built on the highest terrace and later a medieval construction was built on it. In the immediate vicinity there was a cita­del used as an observation point and for signalling.

The fortress made use of the inaccessi­bility of the rock formations with a height of over 70 m as it has two walls erected from the northwest and southwest with a thickness in the foundations of up to 4 m. The fortress had two water wells dug out in the rocks and going 5 m deep. In the 14th century, Tsar Ivan Stratsimir ex­panded the old fort by building fortress garrisons in front of the rock massifs.

During his rule, the fortress became one of the main fortifications in the region, second in scale only to the Vidin fortress - the castle of Tsar Stratsimir.

Belogradchik fortress was captured in 1396 during the Ottoman conquest of Bulgaria.

An almost complete reconstruction was carried out, followed by an additional expansion in the style characteristic for the Ottoman fortress construction. Typi­cal European elements were added by the French and Italian engineers involved in its expansion.

Belogradchik Fortress is one of the most well-preserved in Bulgaria. It has been declared a cultural monument of national importance and is part of Bulgaria’s 100 National Tourist Sites.

It is among the best examples of a cul­tural landscape, of integration of cultural and natural heritage into a unique com­bination.

It is surrounded by the natural phenome­non of the Belogradchik rocks,“sculpted” by nature for more than 200 million years. Their reddish nuance is due to the con­tent of iron oxide. The natural formations are diverse in shape and size and rise to more than 100 m in height. The impres­sive rock complex is about 30 km long and 6-7 km wide.

BELOGRADCHIK MUSEUM OF HISTORY

Location and access: 3900 Belogradchik, 1 Kapitan Krusty Str.

GPS:

Opening Hours:

October-March: Monday to Friday: 8:00 - 12:00; 13:00-17:00

April-September: Every day: 8:00 - 12:00; 13:00 - 17:00

Information:

Phone: + 359 936/5 34-69

e-mail: muzeibelogradchik@abv.bg

web: www.muzeibelogradchik.com

 

The lapidarium in the courtyard of the Belogradchik Museum of History showcases the era of Ancient Rome and its spiritual world.

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