Day 7 - Sunday, August 9, 2009 by Craig Lundell

On Sunday morning we sailed up the Danube to the Bulgarian city of Vidin, which is near the border with Serbia. Vidin is one of the oldest towns along the Bulgarian section of the Danube. The Baba Vida fortress dominates the Danube River in this area. After docking in Vidin, we boarded buses for a ride to Belogradchik, one of the natural wonders of Bulgaria. On the edge of town is a fairytale stone world, consisting of weathered sandstone in fantastic formations. The rocks were declared a natural landmark in 1949 and are comprised of four independent groups. The Fortress of Belogradchick (also known as the citadel) was built by the Ottoman rulers in the early 1800s on the remains of a fist century Roman fortress on the top of one of the peaks. That evening we boarded the boat and after being entertained by the Children’s Dance Group Folklore, we cruised up the Danube towards the Iron Gates.