Traveling around Bulgaria

The town of Mezdra is situated on the banks of the Iskar River, in Vratsa Province, Northwestern Bulgaria. Its name comes from the Turkish word “mezdreya”, which means “desolate settlement”. However, this name is completely inappropriate especially in the spring, when the annual medieval festival is taking place in the archaeological complex of Kaleto and it is full of tourists and cheerful noise.

On May 20, 2017, at 10:30 am started the official opening of the Medieval Festival for ancient Traditions, Lifestyle and Culture “Kaleto-Mezdra 2017”. People in medieval clothes warmly welcomed all visitors, transferring the stone gates of the medieval fortress Kaleto, into a time machine going back years in time. Khans from the time of Asparuh proudly showed a Proto-Bulgarian yurt in which everyone can enter and see how people used to live. In front of it a blacksmith was forging silver coins, and away from them guests from Sliven showed training of a buzzard, which together with the falcons were used for hunting birds. Not far from their camp we heard the blows of swords and knightly battle caught which grab the attention of visitors. The cheerful mood and various demonstrations continued throughout the day, filling Mezdra with festive noise.

The town of Mezdra is a great place to visit not only during holidays. The archaeological complex Kaleto, for example, proudly preserves a rich history of Bulgaria since the 5th century BC, when fortified settlements of master craftsmen were erected there. The ancient Thracians from the tribe “Tribali” inhabited the area until the 1st century, when the settlement was conquered by the Roman Empire. The history of this hill above Iskar river continues in Antiquity, when a Roman fortification was erected on this place. It was destroyed in the late 6th or early 7th century, in one of the Avaro-Slavic invasions. After the Slavs in these lands came the Asparuh’s Bulgarians and on the ruins of the late-antique fortified settlement in the 9-11th century an Old Bulgarian settlement was developed. Today in the complex you can see the ruins of this settlement, and a museum with exhibition from this period, as well as a beautiful model of the fortress.

The modern town of Mezdra was founded when the Sofia-Gorna Oryahovitsa railway line was built at the end of the 19th century and people began to settle around Mezdra station. After the construction of the Mezdra-Vidin line, Mezdra became the second most important railway station in Northern Bulgaria after Gorna Oryahovitsa. And today there are many trains passing through the city, which during the Medieval Festival greeted the guests of the city with their whistles.

​ The valley of the Iskar River, which passes by the town, offers wonderful places for fishing and camping. So next time do not pass through the town, but stop and explore the beautiful Mezdra!

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MEZDRA:

Location: Mezdra is located on the banks of the Iskar River at the exit from the Iskar Gorge from Stara Planina, in Vratsa region, Northwestern Bulgaria.
Area: 5.343 sq.km
Population:  10 670 people (data from 2015 г.)
Official language: English
Atitude: 219 м
Climate: mild continental, warm and dry summer and moderate winter
Time zone:  UTC+02:00
Currency: Lev (BGN)
Additional information: http://mezdra.bg/

Trip Tips for Mezdra:

Best time to visit: all year round, with the city being particularly festive during May’s traditional cultural holidays.

Typical food and drinks: minced meat dishes are typical for Western Bulgaria, and here you can try one of the best grill.

Places to visit: Kaleto Archaeological Complex, House of the Railwayman, House of Education, Iskar Gorge, etc.