Vidin – My Mother’s Hometown

In this post I’ve chosen to write about Vidin – a small town located in northwestern Bulgaria on the river Danube. Vidin is a special place for me because it’s the birthplace of my mother and grandparents. As a kid, I have spent months every summer in Vidin. Back then I couldn’t appreciate the freedom that I had, playing in the park and taking strolls along the Danube with my grandma. I even learned to read here since my grandma was reading fairy-tales tirelessly on end upon my request. Looking back now I feel slightly nostalgic as the town has changed a lot over the course of the last 15 years. Nowadays, I can only come for a few days every year since I’m mostly in the Netherlands but I’m always glad to visit even for a day and remember those carefree days.

Although it’s a small town, Vidin has a rich history. It used to be one of the two capitals of the Second Bulgarian State (the other one being Turnovo) and the last place to fall under Ottoman rule in 1396. An important historical site dating back to this period and preserved in its entirety is the Fortress Baba Vida which is a museum definitely worth a visit. Located close to the center and with a beautiful view to the river, the fortress has 9 towers reaching up to 40 m of height. It was built on the remnants of the Ancient Roman castle Bononia. It had an important role in protecting the town from intruders during the Middle Ages and served as a prison during the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria. You are allowed in most of the indoor spaces, including the towers, and often there are live performances on a stage built in the fortress.

Today Vidin still has a strategic location since it is one of the two places on the Danube with a bridge connecting Bulgaria and Romania. In addition, many cruise ships coming from Germany often stop at the port and offer a tour around the town. The center of Vidin is very cozy for an evening/morning stroll with numerous fountains and monuments.

The main landmarks are the Danube garden – a beautiful park with cafes along the river, the high school named after one of our most powerful rulers Tsar Simeon the Great, and the historical museum – a previous Ottoman police station called “konak”. In Vidin is also the third biggest Orthodox Christian church in Bulgaria. The high school is the same school where my mom and grandma graduated and it’s well-kept and renovated. The town itself is not big enough to need a significant network of public transport and most places can be reached by foot or bike.

In terms of places to eat, there are many restaurants, some opened recently, in the Danube garden and the center. You can also get some fresh fish caught from the Danube in the floating ship-restaurant (be quick to make a reservation, though). There are many bakeries where you can get some homemade traditional banitsa and other freshly baked pastries. It’s a very common breakfast not only in Vidin but generally in Bulgaria.

A great asset and certainly an advantage of the small town is the farmers market which is held every Saturday and where farmers from the nearby villages come to sell their produce. If you want to try some real sweet tomatoes grown in Bulgaria, you shouldn’t miss it and you certainly won’t regret it. Tomatoes bought in Sofia are nothing compared to these. If you choose to visit, the best time is in the spring or early autumn when the weather is still not so hot. The temperatures in the summer are mostly very high ranging from 30 to 38 degrees Celsius. If you choose the summer after all, like me, be sure to have stocked on anti-mosquito spray.

As a last remark I can say that Vidin is a cozy place and although the town is not what it once was when my mom was little, it has kept some of its charm and has the atmosphere of a small provincial escape. Have you ever been to Vidin? What do you think? Let me know!

All the best,

D. D.