The Belogradchik Fortress, also known as Kaleto (“the fortress” from Turkish kale), is an ancient fortress located on the north slopes of the Balkan Mountains, close to the northwestern Bulgarian town of Belogradchik and is the town’s primary cultural and historical tourist attraction, drawing, together with the Belogradchik Rocks, the main flow of tourists into the region. It is one of the best-preserved strongholds in Bulgaria and a cultural monument of national importance. Read more about the sights bellow…
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Why choose our tours:
- Very easy logistics:
We pick you up from your hotel or an address you choose, and we bring you back to your hotel, the airport or an address you choose. The tour will be with a car and an English speaking driver for you who will be with you and show you the sights and will do all he can to meet your needs. This tour is around 10 hours.
- Great prices:
This is a private tour, and as such the price per person depends on the number of people you are travelling with. Here you can see the prices per person, depending on how many people you are:
3 to 20 people – 49 euro per person ~ 99 Bulgarian leva per person
2 people – 69 euro per person ~ 139 Bulgarian leva per person
1 person – 139 euro per person ~ 279 Bulgarian leva per person
You pay to the driver at the end of the tour. We prefer if you can pay in Bulgarian Leva cash, but if you don’t have Leva, we also accept credit card or Euro.
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Here you can read more about this sight:
The initial fortress was constructed during the time when the region was part of the Roman Empire. The rock formations in the area served as a natural protection, as fortified walls were practically only built from the northwest and southeast, with the yard being surrounded by rocks up to 70 m (230 ft) high from the other sides. Initially, the Belogradchik Fortress served for surveillance and not strictly defense. Bulgarian tsar of Vidin Ivan Stratsimir extended the old fortress in the 14th century, building fortified garrisons in front of the existing rock massifs. During Stratsimir’s rule, the Belogradchik Fortress became one of the most important strongholds in the region, second only to the tsar’s capital fortress of Vidin, Baba Vida. During the Ottoman conquest of Bulgaria, the fortress was captured by the Ottomans in 1396. They were forced to further expand the stronghold due to the intensified hajduk and insurrectionist activity in the region. Considerable changes to the fortress were made in the early 19th century. These changes were typical for the Ottoman castle architecture of the period, a full reorganisation being carried out, as well as additional expansion. Typically European elements were added to the Belogradchik Fortress owing to the French and Italian engineers that participated in the expansion. The stronghold had an important role in the Ottoman suppression of the Bulgarian Belogradchik Uprising of 1850. It was last used in warfare during the Serbo-Bulgarian War in 1885.
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We offer many more tours to interesting locations all over Bulgaria and the surrounding countries. You can make a combinations of any of these tours and maximise your experience in Bulgaria!
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