VARNA and VIDEN, BULGARIA

                              Ancient Balkan Cities

      Varna is Bulgaria’s largest Black Sea city and is often referred to as the Queen of the Black Sea. It was established by sea-going Greeks in 585 BC, and today is both a shipyard and a port. The cosmopolitan city blends Baroque and turn-of-the-century contemporary architecture into a pleasant blend. The charming resort city follows the curve of the bay where a shady promenade provides excellent river scenery. In the summer, the city’s population of 115,000 triples.

      We stopped at the 1866 cathedral which took seven years to build. The dome is 150-foot high and the bell weighs 1.5 ton.

       Varna Archaeological Museum is one of the largest in Bulgaria. It is situated in an historic Neo-Renaissance style building built in 1892–1898. The Museum's most celebrated exhibit is the oldest gold treasure in the world. Excavated in 1972 and dating to 4600-4200 BC, the exhibit occupies three separate rooms. The museum foyer had marble tile floors, crystal lights, arched doorways and a lovely stenciled ceiling edge.

      We picked up a local docent who was extremely informative and whose English was excellent. She used a speaker and we had earphones which worked very well. She told us, “In 1972 a fellow was digging at the bank and spotted something sparkling. This resulted in a 10-year archeological dig (1972-1982) that resulted in an amazing array and number of artifacts. Skeletons were removed from 209 graves. They had amazing numbers of gold pieces of jewelry buried with them that date back to 4-5 centuries BC!  The pieces total 6.5 kilos of gold and is the oldest ever discovered.”

      We saw one skeleton and its gold pieces in a glass top sarcophagus. Some of the jewelry was very finely done with intricate designs. The quality, design and condition were stupendous.  Also many wine and water vessels, made of a concrete-type material, were not cracked or broken. It was amazing, and we were all stunned. I was also fascinated with several mosaic floor stones, approximately 30-inches square. They were unbroken or cracked, although maybe a bit faded. Then again, who knows what was available for dyes in those days. This small museum was definitely worth the ride and visit!

       Vidin is one of the oldest towns along the Bulgarian Danube bank, and is Bulgaria’s fourth largest city. The port city has an attractive town square and pedestrian area. Vidin emerged at the place of an old Celtic settlement. The settlement evolved into a Roman  fortified town called Bononia. Roman rule lasted until 46 AD. The town grew into an important center of the province of Upper Moesia, encompassing the territory of modern northwestern Bulgaria and eastern Serbia.    

       When Slavs settled in the area, they called the town Badin or Bdin, where the modern name comes from. Vidin's main landmark, the Baba Vida fortress, was built between the 10th to the 14th centuries. Two walls and four towers remain. It was the city’s main defense during the Middle Ages when Vidin was an important Bulgarian city, a bishop seat and capital of a large province. Turbulent years followed with rule by first the Hungarians and then the Ottomans. During the Serbo-Bulgarian War  in 1885 the town was besieged by the Serbian army. Although vastly outnumbered, the Bulgarians defeated the enemy who suffered a humiliating defeat.

       A wealthy fellow had three daughters but no son. Two of the girls married, although their husbands weren’t very good to them. Vidin did not marry so as an old man, he gave the fortress to that daughter. Baba, means grandma, and people called her and the fortress Baba Vidin.

       When Turks tried to invade, all the townspeople took refuge in the fortress, and years later it was used as a jail.

        

      Unique rock formations, covering 35 square miles, is known as the Belogradchik Rocks. Located, 52 km. southwest of Vidin, the Rocks is an ancient fortress. One of the best-preserved strongholds in Bulgaria, it is a cultural monument of national importance. The fortress' walls are over 7 feet thick in the foundation and 39 feet high. Three separate fortified yards are connected by gates.  Belogradchik Fortress, covering 10,210 square meters, was reconstructed and a proclaimed cultural monument. It is managed by the local historical museum authority.                                            

       The initial fortress was constructed during the time of the Roman Empire. Uneven stone flooring made for tough walking.  It is also uphill, some stone steps make it a little easier.

           

BULGARIA

                          Bulgaria in the Balkans

       Bulgaria, a small picturesque country, has existed in Europe for more than 13 centuries. It is the oldest surviving state in Europe to have kept its original name, since 681 AD. Linking East and West, Bulgaria situated in Southeastern Europe, occupies the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. Its east coast borders the Black Sea. About half of the country is mountainous. The capital is Sofia. We found Bulgarians are warm and friendly people.

      The ancient crossroads, inhabited from eons ago, remembers many old civilizations and  is the cradle of Slavic culture. Also bordering the Black Sea is Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia.

      The country boasts beautiful beaches, fertile plains of the Danube in the north and the mountainous Balkan Range inland. In the small villages nestled in the valleys, carts and not cars are the main mode of transportation.

      Declaration of Republic was made in 1946, hastened by communism. In 1989 democratic changes began and a new constitution written. Hundreds of churches and monasteries have preserved the Bulgarian spirit over centuries of turbulent history. Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007.

      Ruse, (locally spelled Rousse) located on Bulgaria’s northern border and on the south bank of the Danube is an important, lively, port city. Dating back to the first century AD, Ruse is the country’s 5^th largest city. It sports an attractive town square and pedestrian area.  The highlight of the city is the Russian Orthodox Church (Sveta Trotsa) built in 1632. It is Ruse’s oldest surviving Ottoman-era building. Because of the rule/law that no building be higher than a mosque, many buildings are partly underground. The church has well preserved 16^th century crosses and icons as well as murals. The stain glass windows are in the towers. The bell tower was added in the 19^th century and at 650-feet tall it is an easy landmark. The first pipe organ was installed in Ruse.

      The city sports Neo-Baroque and Neo-Rococo architecture. The 1892 Battenberg Palace houses the Ruse Regional History Museum.

      The river boat let us off in the small city of Lom  The scenery was much like that of the day before. However we did see more gypsy carts traveling along the road and people working in the fields. Small houses were clustered together. We also saw many sad looking stray dogs. It seems when people were relocated from the rural areas to the cities many just left their dogs. I’ve always thought that was a cruel thing to do. At the fort we saw a stray with a tag in his left ear which indicates he had been neutered

Good to Know:

In restaurants 10 % tip is customary.

 If one says cheers, one must look the other fellow in the eye, or it is considered an insult.

 In Bulgaria a nod of the head means no and a head shake means yes.

Yoghurt originated in Bulgaria.

 Bread is always on the table.

Bulgarian cuisine reflects Turkish, Greek, Arabic and western influence.

Rakiu is a brandy-like drink that must be sipped. 
 Mastika is similar to absinthe, is taken with food and is very strong,           
 Boza is a sweet-sour non alcoholic drink 
 Ayran is a yoghurt drink that can be either hot or cold.