Vidin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vidin Видин (Bulgarian)
City
Vidin
Coat of arms
Location of Vidin Province in Bulgaria
Vidin Location in Bulgaria Show map of Bulgaria Vidin Location in Balkans Show map of Balkans
Country	Bulgaria
Province (Oblast)	Vidin
Area
• City	63.218 km2 (24.409 sq mi)
Elevation	34 m (112 ft)
Population  (2022)
• City	34,797
• Urban	46,269
Demonym(s)	Vidinite
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code	3700
Area code(s)	094

Vidin (Bulgarian: Видин, pronounced [ˈvidin]) is a port city located on the southern bank of the Danube River in north-western Bulgaria. It is very close to the borders with Romania and Serbia. Vidin is also the main city of Vidin Province and has been an important religious center since 870 AD.

Vidin is a busy place for industry, farming, and trade. The land around it is very fertile and well-known for its delicious wines.

What's in a Name?

The name Vidin was sometimes spelled Widdin in older English texts. Its even older name, Dunonia, came from the Celtic word dun, which means "fortified hill." You can find this word in many old Celtic place names. In Romanian, the city is known as Diiu.

Where is Vidin?

Vidin is the most important Bulgarian port on the Danube River in the west. It sits on one of the southernmost parts of the river. The New Europe Bridge, which opened in 2013, connects Vidin to the Romanian town of Calafat. Before this bridge, people used a ferry to cross the river. The ferry port was about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the town.

A Look at Vidin's History

Vidin started as an old Celtic settlement called Dunonia.

The Romans later built a fort here, which they named Bononia. This fort was part of their border defense system along the Danube River, called the Limes Moesiae. A Roman town grew around this fort. It became a key city in the Roman province of Upper Moesia. This area included what is now north-western Bulgaria and eastern Serbia.

Vidin in the Middle Ages

The fortress of Baba Vida

When Slavs settled in the area, they called the town Badin or Bdin. This is where the modern name Vidin comes from. The famous Baba Vida fortress, Vidin's main landmark, was built between the 10th and 14th centuries.

During the Middle Ages, Vidin was a very important Bulgarian city. It was a bishop's seat and the capital of a large region in the First Bulgarian Empire (681–1018). From 971 to 976, the town was the center of future Bulgarian emperor Samuil's lands. In 1003, the Byzantine emperor Basil II captured Vidin after an eight-month siege.

Vidin became important again during the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1422). Its local rulers, called despots, were powerful figures. They were even chosen as emperors a few times. From the mid-13th century, the city was ruled by the Shishman dynasty.

In the early 1290s, the Kingdom of Serbia expanded towards Vidin. The Bulgarian ruler of Vidin, Shishman of Vidin, accepted Serbian rule. However, he mostly remained independent. This formal Serbian rule ended in 1321 when the Serbian king died.

Michael Shishman then became free from Serbian control. In 1323, he was chosen to be the Bulgarian emperor. After his death in 1330, Vidin was ruled by his brother Belaur. In 1356, Emperor Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria made his son Ivan Stratsimir the ruler of Vidin. Ivan Stratsimir governed the city and its region, known as the Tsardom of Vidin, almost like an independent king.

Hungarian Control of Vidin

In 1365, Hungarian crusaders took over the Tsardom of Vidin. Under Hungarian rule, the city was called Bodony. But this control did not last long. In 1369, the Bulgarian Empire pushed out the Hungarian army. However, in 1396, Vidin was taken over by another foreign force: the Ottoman Empire under Bayezid I after the Battle of Nicopolis.

Ottoman Rule in Vidin

The Ottomans continued to conquer other Bulgarian lands. Vidin's independence ended quickly. In 1396, the Ottomans invaded and made Vidin a province.

The city was under Austrian control for nine months in 1689 during the Great Turkish War. Both sides suffered many losses during the siege. When the Austrians took Vidin, they built a military base. Many Muslim homes and shops were destroyed during this construction. Only a few buildings survived.

Later, during the final years of Ottoman rule, Vidin became the center of a breakaway state led by the Ottoman rebel Osman Pazvantoğlu.

In 1853, The Times newspaper described Vidin as a large town with about 26,000 people and a strong army. It was an important fortified place along the Danube River. It protected the approaches to Serbia, controlled Oltenia, and the routes through Transylvania and towards Adrianople.

In 1859, the English traveler Samuel Baker visited Vidin. He saw a 14-year-old girl named Florence Barbara Maria von Sass being sold. Baker helped her escape. She later became Florence Baker, his wife and partner in exploring Africa.

Some Muslims from Belgrade, Kladovo, and Smederevo settled in Vidin after they had to leave Serbia in 1862.

Vidin in Modern Bulgaria

After Bulgaria gained its freedom in 1878, Vidin became part of the new Bulgarian state. The city was attacked by the Serbian army during the Serbo-Bulgarian War in 1885, but it was not captured. It was also attacked during the Second Balkan War in 1913.

Vidin's Population

Vidin is the 20th largest town in Bulgaria by population. However, the area has faced population challenges in recent decades. The number of people living in the city was highest between 1988 and 1991, when it had over 65,000 residents. As of 2011, the town had 48,071 people, and by 2021, it had 35,784 residents.

Who Lives in Vidin?

According to the 2011 census, most people in Vidin are Bulgarians, making up about 91.8% of the population. Roma people make up about 7.5%. There are also small numbers of Turks and other groups.

Vidin's Climate

Vidin has a humid subtropical climate, which is becoming warmer due to global warming. In winter, it often has temperature inversions, where cold air is trapped near the ground. The average yearly temperature is about 11.8°C (53.2°F).

Fun Things to See in Vidin

Orthodox Cathedral of St Dimitar (St Dimitrius)

Vidin has two old, well-kept medieval fortresses: Baba Vida and Kaleto. There are also many old Orthodox churches, like St Pantaleimon and St Petka (both from the 17th century), and St Dimitar (from the 19th century).

You can also visit the Vidin Synagogue (built in 1894), the Osman Pazvantoğlu Mosque and library, and the Krastata Kazarma from 1798. There are also many old Renaissance buildings. The theater building, built in 1891, was the first Bulgarian theater designed in a "European style."

The Vidin Synagogue, built in 1894, was in poor condition in 2021. However, there are plans to fix it up and turn it into a cultural center for different faiths.

Another cool place to visit near Vidin is the town of Belogradchik. It's famous for its amazing rock formations, called the Belogradchik Rocks. You can also see the medieval Belogradchik Fortress and the nearby Magura Cave with its beautiful ancient cave paintings.

Ancient Discoveries

Archaeologists found a broken marble structure near Vidin. It shows a bearded man wearing a Phrygian cap and Roman armor. This figure is believed to be Jupiter Dolichenus, a Roman god, holding a thunderbolt. This piece is from the late 2nd or early 3rd century. It looks similar to other images of this god found in different places.

The Vidin Synagogue, empty after Jewish people moved to Israel, was newly fixed up in 2023.

Getting Around Vidin

Danube Bridge II at Vidin

Vidin has a border crossing to Romania across the Danube River. Until June 14, 2013, people used ferryboats to cross. Now, the Vidin–Calafat Bridge makes it much easier. Before the bridge, ferries only ran every half hour and could carry only five trucks at a time.

The city also has a regional airport (Vidin Airport, ICAO code LBVD) a few kilometers to the north-west. As of 2000, there were no regular passenger flights, and the airport buildings needed repairs. However, there are plans to rebuild and restart flights from Vidin airport.

Vidin's Landmarks

Near the town, there is a powerful medium wave radio station built in 1973. Its signals can be heard easily across Europe. It broadcasts on 576 kHz with a power of 500 kW. For this, it uses a 259-meter (850 ft) tall mast with a special antenna. There's also a strong FM transmitter on 88.2 MHz for Hristo Botev radio, and Horizont and Radio Vidin broadcast on 102.3 and 103.9 MHz.

Vidin's Place in the World

Vidin Heights on Livingston Island in Antarctica is named after Vidin.

Images for kids

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  A view of the Danube from Baba Vida

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  A fancy house from the late 1800s

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  The "Konaka"-Museum in an 18th-century building

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  An old building, once a public bath

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  Osman Pazvantoğlu library

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  The art gallery

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  An old house

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  Stambol Kapiya

Vidin's International Friends

Twin Towns and Sister Cities

Vidin has special friendly relationships with these cities:

Partner Towns

Vidin also has partner towns:

Consulate

• Honorary Consulate of Romania

Sports in Vidin

FC Bdin

The town's football (soccer) team, FC Bdin, was started in 1923.