page_title: Belogradchik Rocks
section_title: Tourism
hierarchical_section_title: Belogradchik Rocks / Tourism
caption_attribution_description: English: Panorama of Belogradchik Rocks Български: Панорама от Белоградчишките скали
context_page_description: The Belogradchik Rocks are a group of strangely shaped sandstone and conglomerate rock formations located on the western slopes of the Balkan Mountains near the town of Belogradchik in northwest Bulgaria. The rocks vary in color from primarily red to yellow; some of the rocks reach up to 200 m in height. Many rocks have fantastic shapes and are associated with interesting legends. They are often named for people or objects they are thought to resemble. The Belogradchik Rocks have been declared a Natural Landmark by the Bulgarian government and are a major tourist attraction in the region. They are the only habitat of the critically endangered Bulgarian endemic plant Hieracium belogradcense.
context_section_description: The Belogradchik Rocks are a major tourist destination in northwest Bulgaria, along with the town of Belogradchik and the Belogradchik Fortress, which incorporates the rocks as part of its natural defense, and the nearby Magura Cave, situated near the village of Rabisha. Another tourist attraction in the area is the Baba Vida medieval fortress in the nearby town of Vidin on the Danube river.
  The Bulgarian Committee of the Natural Environment declared the rocks as a natural monument in 1949, and the rocks were listed in the Bulgarian National Register of Natural Landmarks in 1987.
  In 1984, the Belogradchik Rocks and the Magura Cave were both placed on the Tentative List of places to be named to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. The Rocks are under consideration as a Geopark in the European Geoparks Network and the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.
  In September 2008, Belogradchik was named as one of twenty finalists by the European Commission as a “European Destination of Excellence.” In January 2009, the Belogradchik Rocks were named as Bulgaria’s nomination in the campaign for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
caption: Panoramic view
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