Τα 20 κορυφαία κάστρα στη Βουλγαρία

Belogradchik Fortress is an ancient fortress on the northern slopes of the Balkan Mountains. It is one of the best-preserved fortresses in Bulgaria and a cultural monument of national importance. The original fortress was built between the 1st and 3rd centuries, when the region was part of the Roman Empire. The surrounding rock formations served as natural protection. Fortified walls were practically only built on the northwest and southeast sides, as the courtyard was surrounded on the other sides by cliffs up to 70 meters high. Originally, Belogradchik Fortress served as a surveillance facility rather than a purely defensive one. It was last used for warfare during the Serbian-Bulgarian War of 1885. https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festung_Belogradtschik

Legends When, in 323 BC, after the death of Alexander the Great, his governor Lysimachus seized control of all of Thrace in a struggle for power, his fleet, along with the stolen state treasure, is said to have sunk in a storm off Kaliakra. This is likely just as much a myth as the story of the girl Kaliakra and her 39 blond-braided companions who, in the face of the Turkish conquest of Bulgaria, are said to have thrown themselves from the steep cliffs into the sea to avoid ending up in a harem. Source: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliakra

Tsar Asen's Fortress As archaeological finds show, the fortress was built by the Byzantines in the 9th century to both monitor the passage to the White/Aegean Sea and to protect the Byzantine border in this area. In 1231, Tsar Ivan Asen II carried out a series of improvements to the fortress to strengthen it. This is evidenced by an inscription carved into a rock of the fortress. The fortress existed until 1410. It occupied the entire rock massif and had an area of 12 decares. The only remaining building from the fortress's past grandeur is the Church of the Holy Mother of God of Petrich, built in the 12th century. The fortress has been declared a National Cultural Monument.

Fortress Ovech

steep climb

In the V-II centuries BC. the Thracians built the first fortified settlements. In the II-IV century period, it functioned as a dominant fortress guarding important Roman roads. In the 5th–6th centuries, it was a Byzantine stronghold, guarding the approaches to Stara planina. In the late Middle Ages (XII–XIV centuries), the Shumen fortress became one of the most important urban centers of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Captured by Ali Pasha in 1388, the fortress also existed in the early period of Ottoman rule. In 1444, during the clash of the crusaders led by Vladislav III Jagielo with the Turkish garrison, it was destroyed and burned. Today, the Shumen fortress is exhibited as an open-air museum.

A rock staircase with 386 steps climbs the Madar Plateau. It leads to the Madar Fortress. It existed until 1386-1388, when it was conquered by the Ottomans. It is shaped like an irregular triangle with a gate on the north side. Its walls are high and built of hewn stone. Foundations of a church can be seen inside.

The fortress is steeped in history. It is one of the best preserved fortifications in Bulgaria.