Baba Vida Fortress

Baba Vida stands on the Danube bank at Vidin on the site of a Roman fort, built up between the tenth and fourteenth centuries into a rectangular castle with an inner keep, corner towers, a moat and outer walls, and it is the most completely preserved medieval fortification in Bulgaria. It was the seat of the Vidin rulers, held out in several sieges and was never taken by direct assault. The Ottomans used it as a garrison and an arsenal and added artillery positions. Visitors walk the walls, the towers, the courtyards and the vaulted chambers, some of which hold displays, and the ramparts give a view over the river to Romania. Open-air theatre is staged in the courtyard in summer.

What you actually see

• The best preserved castle in Bulgaria - walls, towers and keep intact.
• Danube ramparts - the river and the Romanian bank from the walls.
• Vaulted chambers - the interior rooms with displays.
• Summer theatre in the courtyard - performances staged inside the walls.

When to go

April to October; open year round with reduced winter hours. Two hours. Summer evenings for theatre. The Danube here is at its widest and the light in the evening is good.

Honest expectations

Interpretation is limited and largely in Bulgarian. Some towers and chambers are closed. Vidin itself is a declining town with little else. Stairs and wall walks are uneven with drops.

Nearby

Belogradchik rocks are south; the Danube bridge to Romania is nearby.