Religious tourism in the regions of Vidin, Montana and Vratsa

Route Description

  • Length of the tourist route: 140 km (between start and end point)
  • Duration: 3 days (2 overnight stays)
  • Sequence of travel along the tourist route:
    • Starting point: Vidin
    • Intermediate destination: Chuprene, Chiprovtsi, Georgi Damyanovo, Varshets, Montana, Lom, Vratsa, Mezdra
    • End point: Sofia
  • Seasonal access: Year-round

Top visited sites

Related Videos

Spatial orientation

  • Municipalities in Vidin district:

Main sites to visit: Municipalities of Vidin, Chuprene

Additional sites and events: Municipalities of Vidin, Kula, Belogradchik, Chuprene

  • Municipalities in Montana district:

Main sites to visit: Municipalities of Chiprovtsi, George Damyanovo, Varshets, Montana, Lom

Additional sites and events: Municipalities of Berkovitsa, Varshets, Montana, Lom

  • Municipalities in Vratsa district:

Main sites to visit: Municipalities of Vratsa, Mezdra

Additional sites and events: Municipalities of Vratsa, Mezdra, Byala Slatina, Kozloduy

Combining the visit to various sites of religious tourism with visits to tourist sites and attractions of other types of tourism suitable for combining.

Opportunities for cycling and walking along part of the tourist route.

Possible ways of transportation

  • Arriving at the destination:

To Vidin: By car, bus, train. Arriving from Romania – Bridge “New Europe” (Danube Bridge 2) – transport link between the towns of Vidin (Bulgaria) and Calafat (Romania)

  • Travel during the stay:
    • Personal car;
    • Public transportation to tourist sites and attractions planned for visit;
    • Possibility to rent a car and use taxi;
    • Sustainable personal mobility of tourists:
      • Eco-trails with different levels of difficult
      • Cycling routes (incl. along the river Danube, mountain biking)

Sites

  • 1st day – Vidin Municipality:

Vidin: Cathedral “St. Dimitar Solunski”, Chamber of Vidin Metropolitan; Vidin Synagogue. Visit to additional tourist sites in Vidin. Overnight stay.

  • 2nd day – Chuprene Municipality (Vidin District) and municipalities Chiprovtsi, Georgi Damyanovo, Varshets (Montana district):

Municipality of Chuprene: Church “St. Yoan Krastitel”- Varbovo village

Municipality of Chiprovtsi: Chiprovski monastery “St. Ivan Rilski”- Chiprovci

Municipality of Georgi Damyanovo: Lopushanski monastery “St. Yoan Krastitel”- Lopushna village

Municipality of Varshets: Klisurski monastery “St. St. Kiril and Metodiy “- 12 km from Varshetz. Proposed overnight stay in Varshets.

  • 3rd day – municipalities of Montana and Lom (Montana district) and municipalities of Vratsa and Mezdra (Vratsa District):

Montana Municipality: Church “St. Nikola “- Dolna Verenitsa village

Lom: Dobridolski Monastery “Holy Trinity” – Dobri dol village

Vratsa Municipality: Bistretski monastery “St. Ivan Rilski “(St. Yoan Pusti) – Vratsa

Mezdra Municipality: Church “St. Nikolay”- Tsarevets village; Cherepishki monastery “Assumption of Virgin Mary”

Additional sites to visit

  • Vidin district:

Vidin municipality, town of Vidin: Medieval castle “Baba Vida”(Fortress “Babini Vidini Kuli”), Ethnographic Museum “Krastata Kazarma”, Museum “Konaka”, Fortress System “Kaleto”; Mosque and library of Osman Pazvantoglu; Mausoleum of Antim I

Municipality of Kula: Roman fortress “Castra Martis” – Kula

Belogradchik Municipality: Belogradchik fortress “Kaleto” and natural landmark “Belogradchik Rocks” (including Ottoman fortification “Suleymanov fort/Latonsko Kale”); Prehistoric settlement and cave “Magura” – near Rabisha village

  • Montana district:

Municipality of Berkovitsa: Museum and house of “Ivan Vazov” – Berkovitza

Municipality of Varshets: Historical Museum – Varshets

Montana Municipality: Regional History Museum – Montana; Antique town Montana (Fortress “Castra ad Montanezium”); Archaeological exposition Lapidarium

Lom Municipality: Ancient fortress “Almus” – Lom; House of Krastyo Pishurka – Lom.

  • Vratsa district:

Vratsa Municipality: Regional History Museum – Vratsa; National Park of Hristo Botev – at the peak of Okolchitsa; “Vratsata” gorge aand Medieval fortress “Vratitsa”; “Ledenika” cave – 16 km from Vratsa

Mezdra Municipality: Archaeological complex “Kaleto” – Mezdra

Kozloduy Municipality: National Museum “Steamship Radetzky” – Kozloduy, Monument of Hristo Botev and his troops and Botev Park – Kozloduy

Additional events to visit

Possibility of combining tourist visits to coincide with the timing of various cultural events

  • Vidin district:

Vidin Municipality: Festival of Arts “Danube Waves” – Vidin (July)

Municipality of Chuprene: Tourla Folk Fest “Kada kum prase i ti vrechu” – Chuprene village (June)

  • Montana district:

Municipality of Varshets: International Folklore Festival “Colourful Necklace” – Varshets (June)

Municipality Berkovitsa: International Folklore Festival “Balkan sings and dances” – Berkovitza (September); International Children’s Art Festival “Patent Leather Shoes” – Berkovitza (June)

  • Vratsa district:

Vratsa Municipality: International Folklore Festival “Vratsa Spring” – Vratsa (late April – early May)

Mezdra: National Folk Festival “De e bulgarskoto” – Ochin dol village (May)

Byala Slatina: International Carnival Festival “Farshangi” – Bardarski Geran village

Entrance fees for visiting the sites and attractions included in the tourist route

The entrance fee to visit some tourist sites and attractions in the price range “up to 5 BGN” and “from 5 to 10 BGN”

Other tourist services

Possibility to use a wide variety of additional tourist services along the route:

  • Individual and group guide
  • Rent a car
  • Bicycle rental
  • Rental of sports equipment
  • Practicing cave tourism

Visit to wine cellars – an opportunity for tasting and purchasing local wines

Find your accommodation in this region

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