- Type
- Fortress
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 43.9932°, 22.8868°
History
The castle stands on the site of the Roman camp of Bononia, which guarded the Danube frontier. Construction probably began in the 10th century, and the main enlargement came in the 14th century, when Vidin was the capital of Tsar Ivan Sratsimir's realm. In 1396, after the Battle of Nicopolis, the town fell to the Ottomans. In the 17th and 18th centuries they adapted the fortress for artillery and later used it as an arsenal and a prison. After Bulgaria's liberation in 1878 the castle still served the army for a time, and in the 20th century it was restored and opened as a museum.
What to see
Two rings of towered walls are surrounded by a moat once filled from the Danube. Inside, an exhibition tells the castle's story, and the battlements and towers look out over the broad river to the Romanian bank opposite. In summer the courtyard hosts plays and concerts, and the castle is often used as a film set.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q59893
Popularity: articles about this site in 28 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).