Belgrad – Negotin – Ruse
At first the challenge is to get out of Belgrade. I quickly notice that I have to get used to busier roads again. The drive out of the Serbian capital was correspondingly tedious and exhausting. Cars parked at an angle, unexpected open doors, vehicles that suddenly stop, drivers who ignore me and show little consideration. I’m glad that about 30 km later things calm down again. By the way, the cycle path along the water is now called Dunavska ruta for me an important word of the Serbian language.
Although Serbia officially uses the Cyrillic alphabet, the signposts are fortunately also written in Latin letters and the cycle path is excellently signposted, and you can easily find your way around even without navigation. I make quick progress. It’s probably because the section is mostly flat or because I’m in the flow. I soon reach the next highlight and probably one of the most beautiful sections on the entire Danube route. After the road passes through the ruins of the Golubac fortress, the journey through the Iron Gate begins, also known as the Djerdap Gorge.
In the Serbian national park Djerdap, the river is narrowed to a width of 200 metres and a depth of 80 metres which is the narrowest part of the Danube breakthrough.
My drive takes me to Vidin, where I decide to continue pedaling on the Bulgarian side of the Danube. It is fascinating that you are in a different country depending on which side of the river you are on. In Oryahovo I intend to cross the border and take the ferry to Romania. Oha, that’s not possible, they don’t take cyclists because of Covid and send me back to Vidin. Hello, that’s 120 km and that’s just where I’m coming from…
After a lorry driver confirms that they are only transporting goods at the moment, I cycle on. The Bulgarian side trumps with its contemplative landscape and the numerous horse and donkey carts. The many vines indicate that I am in a rich wine region. In addition, there is little traffic and because it is very hilly, there are often beautiful views of the Danube to enjoy.
Finally, in Nikopol, I take the ferry to change banks and countries, to get some better road quality.
To date, there are only two bridges for crossing the Romanian-Bulgarian section of the Danube. To get to the vibrant city of Ruse, I enjoy the imposing and at the same time gigantic ride on the 2.8-kilometre-long Friendship Bridge, which, as far as I know, is still the longest truss bridge over the Danube.
