Take a day trip from Sofia to northeastern Bulgaria and you'll encounter a phenomenon straight out of Lord of the Rings.
Near the town of Belogradchik, you'll come across ethereal-looking rock formations stretching for several kilometres along the foothills of the Stara Planina Mountains, which are surrounded by fortifications from the Roman Empire. Later they underwent many modifications and their current appearance dates back to the 19th century.
Stay until the early evening sunset when the rocks turn red.
The fortress is open daily from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and you pay 4 BGN to enter, or 2 bgn students.
Right in Belogradchik you will find many small guesthouses and guesthouses with prices around 22 eur per night for two.
How to get there
A direct bus from Sofia leaves from the central bus station usually once a day in the afternoon (look for connections on bgrazpisanie.com) and a one-way ticket costs 16 bgn. The journey takes around 4 hours.
However, it is considerably more convenient to rent a car even to move around the rocky area of Belogradchik.
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Bulgaria.
