Golubac Fortress, the Iron gates and on to Vidin and the Belogradchik Rocks; Sailing down the Danube.

Approaching the Iron Gate

After Belgrade, we had a day of sailing down the Danube with a short stop at Golubac Fortress. This is an interesting riverside fort which dates back to Roman times. Up until recent years, a highway actually passed right through the old fort but that has recently been diverted and now tourists are free to walk through much of it. 

Golubac Fortress

Besides the fortress itself, there are several archeological digs set up examining Ottoman and Roman sites also located here. 

Looking back on our boat at Golubac

After Golubac, we boarded and started to sail down the Kazan stretch of the river, a dramatic stretch of river as it passes through Carpathian Mountain Gorges. 

The Iron Gate, a gap in the Carpathian Mountains.

This stretch included a fairly recent sculpture the Dacian King Decebalus, a ruler who opposed the Romans and is considered a hero in Romanian history. We also passed Trajan's Tablet, A stone carved and set to mark the construction of a Roman Military road during the reign of Trajan.

Behind Shelly is a rock sculpture of Dacian King Decebalus.

Trajan's Tablet was laid to mark the construction of a Roman road,

The stretch of river before us used to be considered wild and dangerous but in modern times has been tamed by the largest lock system on the Danube!

In a lock at the end of the Kazan stretch.

After spending the night cruising, we woke up in Vidin, Bulgaria. Vidin is a typical river town in eastern Europe. One thing that struck me was that here, like many other towns in Croatia, Serbia and Romania, was the primitive electrical infrastructure! It was something I'd expect in say, Nepal, but not in Europe!

Wiring found in Vidin, Bulgaria.

From Vidin we boarded a bus and traveled to Belogradchik Rocks and Fortress. The fort was interesting enough, although most forts were beginning to look alike to me, but the real highlight was visiting the Rocks! They are actually pretty spectacular looking and the views from them are wonderful.

At the Fortress of Belogradchik. The Belogradchik Rocks in the background.

A great view from the Rocks!

It occurred to me that after three weeks of cruising on rivers, this was the most expansive view I had taken in! It was actually kind of refreshing after so many castles, forts and cathedrals! We returned to Vidin and reboarded the boat to sail to our final port at Ruse, Bulgaria!

In Vidin.

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Golubac Fortress and the Iron Gates.