Storyline: Vidin to Ruse Bulgaria via Romania by train Jul – Aug, 2017
We started our trip indulging in some cultural events in Bulgaria. The times we have spent there in summer are often seasoned with a variety of outdoor concerts and festivals. This time, heading north-west towards Vidin when the Sofia Opera had performances in Belogradchik and area, it made sense to attend some. We asked our friend Milan, an opera fanatic, to buy us whatever tickets he could for the specified days. He was going to be in the area, which made it convenient for us to get out there.
Belogradchik is a small town, renowned for the Belogradchik Rocks, formations of sandstone in different shapes and colours spread over 50 km of the western part of the Balkan Mountains. There are many legends associated with the rocks.
Among the rocks above Belogradchik is a fortress, named of course Belogradchik Fortress. Historians believe that it was first erected during the Roman Empire. Only two sides needed to be walled, the other two are the ghostly rocks. More recent history links the fortress with the Bulgarian Czar Ivan Sratsimir (14th century), but it was later conquered by the Ottomans. With rich history all the way to current times it is one of the top tourist attractions today.
About 25 km (16 mi) away is the spectacular Magura Cave.
The day before we were scheduled to be in Vidin for our departure to Romania, we had tickets for excerpts from Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” in Magura Cave in the morning and Verdi’s “Nabucco” in the Belogradchik Fortress in the evening.
July 28, 2017
Exactly two years ago today we attended the opera (Gerogi Atanasov’s “Borislav”) outdoors at Tsarevets Castle in the beautiful city and former capital, Veliko Tarnovo. Two years later we enjoyed scenes from Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” in the Magura Cave. What a wonderful way to see parts of a huge cave system with many large chambers, some of which contain petroglyphs going back over 6,000 years.
The tour started just outside the cave’s entrance with a short introduction to the scenes that would be presented throughout what would be two kilometer walk on a trail through the more accessible parts of the cave system, and finished outside again with “The Ride of the Valkyries” (on electric tricycles!) followed by a tasting of locally-produced wine.
The cave tour alone was worth the price of admission, but the creative staging & lighting and use of the natural acoustics by the Sofia Opera was surely the icing on the cake.
The highlight, though, was the seldom-opened side tour to the halls of petroglyphs. Human habitation of the cave system has been documented to have begun around 12,000 years BCE and the last petroglyphs are dated at around 6,000 BCE. Along with scenes of people, animals and their activities are solar and lunar calendars. Such advanced people so long ago!
The path we took was well-developed and many parts were paved with stone and concrete, although it was often slick with moisture. The ups and downs were mostly handled by man-made stone staircases with handrails (did I mention slick?). Many sections of our path were also well-lit, with the first few hundred metres or so from the entrance being the scariest until our eyes adjusted and the transitions (sun-darkened) lenses in our glasses cleared. A great deal of the photos we took ended up in trash (lots of camera shake and fuzzy results…it may have been well-lit but it was still pretty dark down there). But even the “good” pics don’t do justice to the incredible size and variety of geology down there.
After the (e-tricycle) Ride of the Valkyries scene at the cave’s exit, we were treated to a sampling of locally-produced wines. Very nice, too.
Not only was this a highlight of our trip, but a highlight of all our travels.
The evening was different. We walked up to the fortress after we hiked among the rocks. It was a brilliant setting for the stage of Verdi’s Nabucco in such unique and spectacular environment. The seating area faced a stage that was backed by the rocks, and by a winding stone stairway leading up to an inset door.
We arrived early enough to see a dozen or so “Roman Soldiers” scaling the staircase…their entrance later would be down the same stairs. It was quite a site (and sight). Our only criticism of the production was that, despite the use of amplification, the sound was a little thin. Otherwise it was a thoroughly enjoyable end to our day.
We’re now off to our train adventure that will take us from Vidin to Ruse through Romania, crossing the border at the Danube twice.
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