The North region of Bulgaria spreads between the natural borders of the Balkan Mountains to the west and south and the river Danube to the north, which also forms most of the national border with Romania. Geographically, Northern Bulgaria is considered to span the whole width of the country, but this Wikivoyage region consists only of its central and western parts; the east can be found in Southern Dobrudja and the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.

Understand

The Belogradchik Fortress and some of the Belogradchik Rocks

Baba Vida Fortress, Vidin

The landscape of the Bulgarian North is shaped by two major geographic areas - the rolling Danube Plain and the hills of the Predbalkan (Fore-Balkan), the foothills of the Balkan Mountains. The fertile soil of the plain and the proximity to one of Europe's largest rivers have attracted people to the region since prehistoric times. In Antiquity, the area was conquered by the Roman Empire and became a part of the provinces of Moesia and Macedonia. Roman ruins can be found all over the region, and the name "Moesia" is still sometimes used to refer to it (Bulgarian form: Мизия, Miziya). The region was settled by Slavs in the early Middle Ages, followed by the Bulgars who established the First Bulgarian Empire north of the mountains, though its capitals were in the eastern parts. A couple of centuries after the first one fell, the Second Bulgarian Empire was re-established with its capital in Veliko Tarnovo. The region was ultimately conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the late 14th century. In 1443-1444, a few Central European rulers lead a crusade against the Ottomans that followed the Danube and took a number of cities across Northern Bulgaria, but it was ultimately stopped at Varna on the sea coast.

During the Ottoman reign, the Danube was an important trade link to Central and Western Europe, which also made it a conduit of cultural exchange between East and West. This reached its peak in the 19th century with the introduction of river steamships. The port city of Ruse rose in importance, swelling in wealth and size; the fortress of Vidin became a crucial stronghold on the Empire's borders. The river was also important as an "interface" to semi-independent Romania, which was modernizing faster: during the Bulgarian National Revival, many early Bulgarian books were printed there, and it also played a role in the Bulgarian liberation struggles, when a number of rebel bands formed in Romania before crossing over. In the failed April Uprising of 1876, the rebels lead by national hero Hristo Botev commandeered an Austro-Hungarian steamship to get them to Kozloduy. In the follow-up Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), the Russian Empire crossed the Danube at Svishtov and then besieged the city of Pleven. Taking the city was crucial for the Russian victory in the war, which resulted in the liberation of Bulgaria.

After the Liberation, Bulgaria's first parliament convened in Veliko Tarnovo and the first constitution was written there, though ultimately Sofia was chosen as the new capital. Despite that, wealthy Ruse remained the most economically and culturally developed city in the new country for a quite some time. The fortress of Vidin played a role in the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, when it was unsuccessfully besieged.

After World War II, like elsewhere in Bulgaria the Communist regime followed a policy of developing heavy industry. A "bridge of friendship" to fellow Communist Romania was erected over the Danube at Ruse. The regime also created one of its most notorious penal camps for political prisoners on a large island in the river by the village of Belene near Svishtov, and "Belene" became a byword for the whole system of penal camps in Bulgaria. Bulgaria's first and only so far nuclear power plant was built by Kozloduy. After the fall of the regime, a second bridge to Romania was built in the 2010s at Vidin, with the help of the European Union.

Nowadays the region is relatively underdeveloped when compared to other regions in Bulgaria, with the North-West in particular being considered one of the poorest regions in the country. For tourists this means that, with the exception of the large cities and the mountain resorts, the region is not very lively. Nevertheless, it contains a large number of natural sights and remnants of previous epochs that are worth seeing: Roman ruins, medieval fortresses, traditional houses from the National Revival period, and Neo-Baroque Western architecture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Cities

The regions contains seven of Bulgaria's 28 province centres, with a large variety in city character among them.

• 1 Lovech (Ловеч) — known as "the city of lilacs" due to the dense woods of lilacs growing on the feet of Stratesh Park towering over the city, Lovech has a lovely old town and a 19th-century covered bridge with shops on it.
• 2 Montana (Монтана) — the city's name is the end result of a chain of renamings that reflect the turbulent history of Bulgaria.
• 3 Pleven (Плевен) — a major economic and industrial hub. Pleven played a key role during the liberation of Bulgaria, which is commemorated in various ways throughout the city, most notably by the Pleven Panorama that houses a huge (115 × 15 metre) panoramic painting depicting the Siege of Pleven.
• 4 Ruse (Русе) — a major river port on the Danube and one of the two main border crossings with Romania. The city centre offers an impressive architectural ensemble of late 19th/early 20th century buildings that cannot be found any place else within Bulgaria. Nearby you can visit the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• 5 Vidin (Видин) — a lovely city on the Danube in the extreme north-west of Bulgaria, notable for one of the best preserved fortresses in Bulgaria. The other main border crossing to Romania (and much of Western Europe), due to the second bridge over the Danube.
• 6 Vratsa (Враца) — a city with one of the most picturesque skylines in Bulgaria - a waterfall descends from the high cliffs of the hills.
• 7 Veliko Tarnovo (Велико Търново) — a beautiful city along a winding river. It was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the Middle Ages and the partially reconstructed fortress ruins are its main attraction; it also played a role in the establishment of modern Bulgaria. Be sure also to visit nearby Arbanassi.

Towns

• 8 Belogradchik (Белоградчик) — a small mountain town famous for the rock formations that overlook it and the ruins of the ancient fortress nested in them, a sight worthy of a fantasy novel.
• 9 Chiprovtsi (Чипровци) — a quaint mountain town famous for its hand-woven carpets (chiprovski kilimi) — you can watch a weaving demonstration, participate in a weaving class, or enjoy a hike to the nearby Chiprovtsi Waterfall.
• 10 Varshets (Вършец) — a spa resort town in the foothills of the Western Balkan Mountains, under the watchful eye of the Todorini Kukli peak.

See

• The Magura Cave - not far from Belogradchik, with some of the best preserved cave paintings in Bulgaria