The town of Vidin is the centre of the district and has a population of 54 000 inhabitants. Vidin is located on the bank of the Danube River in the Vidin Plain at an altitude of 35 m. The town has the form of a semi-circle with its streets and buildings oriented towards the river. Vidin lies at a distance of 210 km northwest of Sofia. Vidin is the municipal administrative centre of 33 settlements. The settlement is established in III c. from the Thracian tribe of Tribals and has the name of Dunonia which in translation means high and fortified place. The town has been part of the Roman provinces of Mizia, Upper Mizia and Coastal Dakia. During the Roman Epoch the town is known under the name of Bononia. In IV and V c. the fortress has been destroyed by the invasions of Avars and Huns. Emperor Justinian rebuilds the fortress again in VI c. During archaeological excavations in the fortress have been discovered public buildings, sculptures, inscriptions and coins. During the middle-age Bulgarian State the fortress has been restored again under the name of Badin. In XII and XIV c. it is the headquarters of the Bulgarian boyars Rostislav, Yakov Svetoslav and the King Ivan Sratzimir. Ivan Sratzimir is the Bulgarian ruler of the Vidin Kingdom. In 1388 he becomes a vassal of the Turkish sultan and after the Nikopol battle he is captured by sultan Bayazid and taken to Bursa (in present-day Turkey) where he dies. The settlement falls under the Ottoman yoke in 1396. During 1794-1805 it is the centre of an independent possession of Osman Pazvantoglu. In 1794 during feudal unrest Osman Pazvantoglu conquers Vidin and proclaims himself for its governor. The Turkish government makes him a pasha. French, Austrian and Russian Consulates are opened in the town in XIX c.

The tourist sights of the town are: the medieval fortress, the churches "St. Petka" (1627) and "St. Pantaleymon" (1634), the mosque, the synagogue (1894), the cross-shaped barracks (1801), the library of the Ottoman military leader Osman Pazvantoglu (XVIII-XIX c.).

On the territory of the district are also located: the remains of the Roman towns of Ritzaria by the village of Archar and Kastra Martis in the town of Kula, the Alibutinvo Rocky Monastery, the cave "Magurata" with prehistoric rocky paintings, the Belogradchik rocks, the Rakovishki, Izvorski and Dobridolsi Monasteries.

The natural landmarks of the district are: the "Chuprene" reserve, the Belogradchik rocks, the caves "Magura" and "Mirizlivka".

The most famous wineries of the region are Vidin, Novo selo, Ruptzi and Rabisha.

Tourist sights

The Baba Vida fortress lies on the banks of the Danube River. The main plan of the castle hasn't sustained many changes. It occupies an area of 0,95 hectares. It is surrounded by a 12 m wide and 6 m deep defense pit. The fortress has the shape of a square oriented with its angles to the south, north, east and west. The fortress has two walls. The internal wall is higher and is 2,2 m thick. There are 9 towers on the internal wall. Four of them are corner and five are side ones. The external wall is lower and has two towers. The castle-fortress is accessible only from the northern part. The Baba Vida fortress is one of the most well-preserved medieval defense facilities. It is built over the ancient walls of the fortress Bononia. The Bulgarian construction on the fortress begins during X c. From the end of XVII c. the fortress is adjusted to having firearms as well. In 1964 the fortress is proclaimed for a monument of culture.

The police department - the Konak in Vidin is an architectural monument of local significance. It is built in XVIII c. After the Liberation it is turned into a museum.

The cross-shaped barracks in Vidin is a monument of culture of national significance. It is built in 1801. The barracks is a two-storey massive building in the form of an equal-armed cross and with a built-up area of 1 260 m². The interior creates a feeling of stability and solemnity. In 1965 the building is restored and adapted for a museum. It houses the ethnographic museum where one can see typical activities for the region such as: ploughing, sowing, harvesting, threshing and haymaking. An accent in the exhibition is placed on the fishery, vine-growing and wine making. From the domestic activities is represented the weaving with all the tools for processing wool, hemp and cotton. From the people's artistic crafts are represented the goldsmith's trade, wood carving, ceramics making and others.

The Mausoleum of Antim I is built in 1934. The relics of exarch Antim I are placed in a sarcophagus in the basement of the museum. Antim I^st is the first Bulgarin patriarch from 1872. He contributes a lot to the formation of a national unity and the cultural development of the Bulgarian people. After the failure of the April Rebellion he is sent to exile in Mala Asia. After the Liberation he is the chairman of the First Great National Assembly.

The library and the mosque of Osman Pazvantoglu in Vidin are built in the period of the Ottoman domination. The library is a square building with a dome from lead sheet-iron and is dedicated to the mother of Osman Pazvantoglu. The mosque is a stone building in the typical oriental style. Osman Pazvantoglu (1758-1807) is a participant in the feudal unrest in the Ottoman Empire during 1792. In 1794 he captures Vidin and proclaims himself for its governor after which is made a pasha from the Ottoman government.

The Magura in the village of Rabisha is a cave with unique paintings from the late prehistoric period. The paintings depict human figures, animals, plants and lines. The oldest and the most interesting are the paintings in the Sanctuary. In the cave is also depicted the annual calendar consisting of 366 days with the marked winter and summer solstices.