How to Visit Belogradchik, Bulgaria’s Most Underrated Sight

Standing atop the ancient Belogradchik Fortress and feeling awestruck by vast IMAX-like vistas of pine-covered landscapes punctured by ancient rock pillars, I wondered why I was here practically alone…

Despite traveling in Bulgaria during the summer high season, I shared this epic sight with only a handful of other visitors. It reminded me just how off-path Bulgaria still is. Anywhere else, a sight of this caliber would surely have you wading through a sea of selfie sticks.

Admittedly, it does take quite a while to reach Belogradchik, especially if you’re venturing off the typical travel route that runs mostly through central Bulgaria. However, I found the journey highly worth it, not in small part because the trip north from Sofia is so incredibly scenic.

Let me share exactly how to visit Belogradchik, including some detailed transport information that I couldn’t find on other sites.

Is Belogradchik Worth Visiting?

Yes, I think it’s highly worth visiting! However, some things depend on how much time you have for your trip.

The main sight in Belogradchik is definitely the ancient fortress. Situated on the north slopes of the Balkan Mountains, it was constructed by making use of the many natural rock formations that exist here. By integrating the rock pillars on top of the mountain, a unique fortress was created. Through the ages it’s been used by the Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgarian Empire.

Besides the fortress, the town is quite nice too, and I really enjoyed hiking through the forests that surround it.

You can visit Belogradchik Fortress as part of an organized day trip from Sofia, but in this case, I think it’s only maybe worth it. It’s quite a long way to travel on a single day, so it depends on your level of interest and willingness to travel for it, as it could be quite tiring to do in a rush.

If you have the time, I recommend staying overnight (see hotels here) so you can see the fortress, go on a hike, and even visit a nearby cave with ancient cave paintings.

If you arrive by train from Sofia, the journey will take you through the Iskar Gorge, so you can enjoy gorgeous mountain scenery for a big portion of the trip. For me, this made it feel not at all a chore to make it all the way north — in fact, it added hugely to the experience.

Belogradchik is far removed from more popular tourist destinations in Bulgaria, but I think it’s worth the detour if you have some time. It’s rare to find such a breathtaking site and have it almost to yourself.

Although the fortress probably doesn’t take longer than an hour or two to check out, you can also explore the wider area or enjoy dinner with a panoramic view of the fortress.

Want to get a sense of the grandeur of Belogradchik Fortress or the scenic train ride to the north? Then check my cinematic vlog below:

How to Get to Belogradchik

If you have your own car, then you’ll have an easy time getting to Belogradchik. From Sofia, consider taking the smaller roads like the 16 rather than the 81 so you can view some nice villages and rock formations along the way.

As for public transportation, there are actually many connections between Sofia and Belogradchik throughout the day. This was not what I’d been led to believe from reading other blogs! Let me share with you the full details.

From Sofia by Train

There are no trains directly to Belogradchik (it doesn’t have a train station) but there are to the nearby village called Oreshets. Going by train will take about 4 to 5 hours and the journey passes some gorgeous scenery, so it’s a bit of an experience in itself.

I could find only two direct trains daily from Sofia to Oreshets. From the station, it’s a 20-minute or so taxi ride to Belogradchik.

The direct trains are:

Sofia Central Station → Oreshets at 11:02 AM

Sofia Sever → Oreshets at 17:05 PM

Sofia Sever is the city’s second train station, which is just one stopover from Sofia Central or a 7-minute taxi ride away. When researching your options, it’s worth checking both Sofia Central and Sofia Sever.

However, it doesn’t really matter if you get a direct train. There are connections throughout the day with a change halfway in Mezdra. All the trains have to stop here anyway. If you take a direct train to Oroshets, it will pause for 15 minutes at Mezdra as well as the locomotive will get switched to the other side.

The change at Mezdra is super easy. It’s a tiny station, so you just have to walk over from track 1 to 2 or vice versa.

I took the 11:02 AM direct train from Sofia Central, but time-wise there is really no benefit in it being a direct connection. It actually makes an hour-long detour around the east of Sofia before heading north. Other connections that include a switch in Mezdra may actually be faster.

To see all the available train connections, go to Google Maps, tap Oreshets Station (not the town itself), and select Directions and you’ll see loads of options. Note that there is another Oreshets in southeast Bulgaria, which is not the correct one. Click the link if you’re not sure.

Oreshets is tiny. It’s barely big enough to have a grocery store. If you stay overnight in Belogradchik (which I recommend), be sure to contact your hotel and ask them to arrange a taxi pickup from Oreshets station for you. The ride should cost approx. 15 BGN.

From Sofia by Bus

There is one direct bus daily between Sofia and Belogradchik. It takes about 3.5 to 4 hours, which is a little bit faster than the train-and-taxi option.

Sofia Central Bus Station → Belogradchik at 4:30 PM

Belogradchik → Sofia Central Bus Station at 6 AM (except Sundays when it goes at 3 PM)

The bus departure on the way back is rather early, which is why I opted to go by train both ways. But if you can catch some sleep on the bus you could potentially be saving some time on your trip that way.

Tips for Visiting Belogradchik

Visiting the fortress: The fortress is open daily (Jun-Sep 08:00-21:00; Oct-May 09:00-17:00). I visited at the end of the day which gave me some amazing sunset views. Entrance is 8 BGN (4 EUR) per person. The fortress is adjacent to the town so you can just walk up the entrance, though note that it is a bit uphill and there are some steep stairs inside.

Where to hike: You can find a number of trails indicated on MAPS.me. Try going to the fortress and then to the viewpoint near the Astronomical Observatory. If you go back a bit closer to the fortress you can take the path down into the forest. Alternatively, go to the Belogradchik sign in town and head down into the little gorge. Different rocky peaks have their own names on the map, such as the Goddess Mother and the Gorilla Rock.

Where to eat: I ate at Mechana Markashnitsa and recommend it. A mechana is a Bulgarian traditional tavern, so this is a great place to have some traditional meals at a great price. If you’d like to dine with an expansive view of the fortress, head over to Mislen Kamak.

Other things to do: Consider a visit to Magura Cave, one of Europe’s most notable painted caves with hundreds of paintings from the Neolithic era, dating to about 8000 to 10000 years ago. Venetsa Cave in turn is notable for its impressive natural formations. Neither cave is close to the town nor easily accessible by public means though, so you may have to hire a taxi for the day or join a tour to see them.

If you wish to see the fortress from a truly epic perspective, there’s the option of taking a hot air balloon ride over Belogradchik. While a complete half-hour ride will cost over 200 Euros, there is also a 10-minute option for 69 Euros, which is a price I haven’t seen anywhere else in my travels around the world. So if you ever wanted to take a balloon ride (and possibly do it on a budget) then here’s your chance. The spectacular scenery will definitely make the views worth it!

How to See Belogradchik on a Day Trip

It involves a fair bit of driving, but yes, it can be done!

The journey from Sofia is honestly quite long to do this in a single day though. If your time is limited and you don’t want to miss visiting Belogradchik, then I strongly suggest doing it by organized tour (such as this tour on GetYourGuide).

You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Sofia and drive directly through the Balkan Mountain, with scenic views along the way. Instead of wasting time with public transit connections, you’ll be able to make it there and back in a single day.

Where to Stay in Belogradchik

Look around on Booking.com and you’ll find a range of small local hotels and guesthouses. I stayed at Guest House Elena, which offers simple budget rooms.

A big part of why I highly recommend this guesthouse is the warm and welcoming couple who run this place. They don’t speak English but they are highly adept at using hand gestures and Google Translate to help you out in any way. They can also pick you up from the train station if you ask them beforehand. Staying at this guesthouse will give you a wonderful local experience.

Other accommodation options include the Fortress View Apartment and the Hotel Fort O Bel. There are not many hotels; most places to stay are small guesthouses or apartment rentals.