“Discover Baba Vida Fortress, the largest preserved medieval castle in Bulgaria. Alternatively, visit a local home for a demonstration of making traditional Bulgarian yogurt and banitsa pastry." This is how one the leading cruise companies operating on the Danube River advertises the city of Vidin among its customers.

By the end of October, the city had welcomed 278 cruise ships with tourists. For the first time, the season will not end in November but at the end of December, when the last cruise ship for 2023 is expected to arrive, according to a report by the port authorities. River travelers stay in Vidin from a few hours to two days and their presence has a positive effect on local tourism. "Since the beginning of the season, we have welcomed nearly 50,000 cruise guests," Tsetska Tsokova from the municipality of Vidin has told Radio Bulgaria and added:

"These are mainly tourists from the USA, Germany, Austria. We also have guests from some Asian countries, as well as from Italy, Canada and even from far away New Zealand. They most often depart from a German or an Austrian port where their journey along the Danube begins, as Vidin is their first stop in Bulgaria. Depending on their program, they can also reach Ruse."

River cruises are extremely popular among older tourists, usually wealthy foreigners over 65 years of age who travel with their spouses in search of experiences and contact with different cultures.

"Foreign tourists are impressed by our city," Tsetska Tsokova says. “Baba Vida arouses the greatest interest. Since the beginning of the year, 10,144 foreigners have visited the medieval castle by the Danube, as many of them were cruise tourists, according to data of the Regional Historical Museum.

Very often tourists also visit the Belogradchik Rocks, situated about 50 km south of the city, in order to explore the amazing natural phenomenon and the ancient fortress shrouded in legends. But most stay in Vidin to immerse themselves in its authentic atmosphere. "They always stop by the beautiful building of the former synagogue, which has been recently restored and opened its doors this autumn," Tsetska Tsokova says and adds:

"If they go an organized tour, it passes through our Danube Park with a beautiful view of the river. All the important monuments connected with the historical development of the city are located there. The tour takes guests not just to Baba Vida Fortress but also to the Cultural Center named after artist Jules Pasquin, as well as to the Archaeological Museum with preserved artifacts from Roman times."

Stambol Kapia - the main gate of the Vidin Fortress, built in the 17th-18th centuries and the magnificent St. Dimitar Cathedral are among the sights that greatly impress the guests. But there is more:

"There are also people who want to try the local cuisine. Vidin is popular for the Vidin-style banitsa, which has a sweet taste and foreigners can try it. Many of them buy yogurt, because Bulgaria is popular around the world with its yogurt. Of course, let's not forget that the first wine school opened its doors in Vidin back in 1887. It is no coincidence that our city is a popular destination for wine tourism, offering unique authentic varieties. That is why cruise tourists often choose to enrich their stay in our city with tastings of local wine,” Tsetska Tsokova says.

See also:

• Tour around Vidin with Volen Antov

• Vidin, a town of venerable history

• Bulgaria's Vidin welcomes first cruise ship with foreign tourists for 2023