[1]The beginning of the active tourist season in Northwest Bulgaria was officially opened with a solemn ceremony in Belogradchik. Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh visited the town at the invitation of Vidin Regional Governor Ani Harutyunyan and took part in the event organized by Belogradchik Mayor Boyan Minkov. The festive program started with a spectacular ballooning over the iconic Belogradchik rocks and continued with a solemn water ceremony.
The culmination of the event was the unveiling of a memorial plaque with the words of Acad. Jerome Blanqui in the center of the town and the tour of the fortress "Kaleto", which was attended by the Minister of Tourism, the Governor of Vidin, the Metropolitan of Vidin Pahomii, as well as the mayors of Belogradchik and Chupren.
At the opening of the celebration, the Minister of Tourism stressed that the state and the local authorities have a united and clear goal – to work together to make the people here live better and happier, adding: "You are the important ones. It is a great honour for me to be here today and I am committed to promoting sustainable tourism in the region, investment and the promotion of natural resources," Minister Miroslav Borshosh told visitors and residents.
It is important to note that Belogradchik is becoming a year-round tourist destination thanks to the joint work with the Ministry of Tourism, including through the participation of the municipality in prestigious tourism exhibitions in Europe.
According to NSI data, the total number of tourist registrations in the North-West region last year was 379 thousand. Over 9500 tourist registrations were recorded in accommodation facilities in Belogradchik municipality in 2024, with the Bulgarian market leading the way. Among the foreign tourists in the municipality there are visitors from Romania, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, Poland, Austria, France, Great Britain , USA and others.
At the invitation of Vidin Governor Anni Harutyunyan during his visit to the North-Western region, Minister Borshosh visited several other settlements in the region – Chiflitsi, Varbovo and Chuprene. The mayor of Chuprene Mrs. Todorova presented to the Minister of Tourism an ambitious concept for the construction of ski slopes near the village of Gorni Lom, at the foot of Mount Midzhur.
In the village of Varbovo, the Minister visited the Church of St John the Baptist, met with volunteers from Italy and Turkey, as well as got acquainted with the Turlac’s culinary tradition.