BABA VIDA

FORTRESS
 The name
"Baba Vida" is a medieval fortress
in Vidin. It served as a castle of the
local ruler in the Middle Ages, as
well as an armory and a prison at
the end of the Ottoman rule. The
name by which the fortress is
known today originates from a
legend about the sisters Vida, Kula
and Gamza. Vida, the eldest, builds
the castle, which is named after her
“Baba Vida". The fortress was built
in Ottoman times and was never
taken by force.
 Construction
The fortress is located on the northwest bank of the
Danube near the town of Vidin. It has the shape of
a high trapezoid. The fortress structure includes 2
belts of defensive walls, 4 towers, observation and
firing towers, weapon and archer embrasures. The
outer walls are surrounded by a moat with water
12 meters wide and 6 meters deep, over which
there was a movable wooden bridge leading to the
entrance tower of the fortress and through it to the
outer courtyard between the walls and to the
central courtyard. The dimensions of the fortress
are approximately 60-65 meters wide and 80 m
long. The total built-up area is about 5 acres. The
central courtyard has dimensions of about 10 by 20
meters and an area of ​about 200 square meters.
Use today

The fortress is the main tourist attraction of Vidin. Every week it is visited
by 300-400 people. ’’Baba Vida" is a fortress-museum open for visits since
1958. The museum preserves and presents troves and information about the
history of the castle. Reenactments in the museum recreate the former
setting in the fortress.
Importance to people
Baba Vida is the only completely preserved fortress in Bulgaria.
Almost throughout the period of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, the
Vidin fortress was the most important fortification in Northwestern
Bulgaria. The "Baba Vida" fortress was declared a national cultural
monument in 1964. A number of books and documentaries have been
devoted to the castle. The fortress is on the list of the Hundred National
Tourist Sites of the Bulgarian Tourist Union.
Today the castle is among the most famous Bulgarian sights,
preserving within itself the memory of the great history of Bulgaria and
is visited by many tourists.
Thank you
for your
attention!