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Vidin

Vidin (Bulgarian: Видин) is a city in the north-west corner of Bulgaria. It's a minor port on the river Danube which separates Bulgaria and Romania, and a major border crossing due to the Vidin-Calafat bridge - the second "hard" connection between the two countries, opened in 2013. Vidin's fortress, Baba Vida, is the only fully preserved medieval fortress in Bulgaria. With a population of about 34,000 (2022), Vidin is the administrative centre of the eponymous Province/Region.

Understand

North-West Bulgaria is infamously the poorest region in the country. Vidin is the 19th town by population in Bulgaria, but has declined much in the last two decades. Vidin is one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria, with a rich history. Its history begins in the 1st century when it was overcome by the Romans and became called Bononia. In 1396, the Ottomans defeated the last Bulgarian stronghold - the one in Vidin. They ruled there until 1878, when Vidin was liberated from the Turks. In 1942, Vidin experienced a flood due to the rising Danube. It was a great tragedy, but Vidin managed to overcome the problem with the flood, the diseases, and famine. Since then, Vidin has been an important military commercial and transport center for 200 years. There are many landmarks that exhibit the glorious past of Vidin: Baba Vida castle, the Vidin Synagogue (deserted after Jewish emigration to Israel), St. Petka church, the Osman Pazvantoglue mosque and library (built by the late Turkish ruler of northwestern Bulgaria in the 18th century), the Krastata Kazarma and St. Dimitar church.

Vidin is the poorest city in the European Union, but it is a beautiful town with many historic and cultural landmarks. Tourism has experienced a decline except for groups that come along the Danube on cruises, but a visit to Vidin is definitely worth a visit. The people tend to be more hospitable here than in larger cities like Sofia. In Vidin, there is a foreign language school and young people can usually speak English well. In other schools students learn English, too. For elderly people, there is a language academy, usually teaching English or German. There are a lot of Vlachs (Bulgaro-Romanians), so knowing Romanian is always a plus! Many residents work on farms in nearby villages, raise domestic animals, and sow plants, and so this region is famous for its production of food.

Because of its economic issues, Vidin has many problems. Lack of funds has caused the sidewalks and streets to fall into disrepair, and many buildings are vacant and crumbling. There is no university in the northwest region, so young people mostly move to other cities or countries. There are many stray dogs and cats, but they are usually docile. Air pollution and littering are major issues, despite students’ attempts to clean the town. Vidin is, however, one of the safest cities in Bulgaria.

Get in
The train station and bus station are located at the south end of town, close to the Danube and city center. The ferry terminal is at the north end of town, and even norther is the New Europe Bridge over Danube to Romania. The only way into Vidin using arranged transport is via other locations in Bulgaria or from Calafat.

By air
Until 1998-99, an airport just north of Vidin provided domestic flights,. It was shut down due to a dispute over land compensation. The municipality is searching for investors to revive the airport. Until then, the nearest airports are in Sofia, Craiova, Bucharest, and Nis.

By car
The New Europe Bridge over Danube from Romania near Calafat opened in 2013 so you can pass easily with the car, bike or by foot. The passing is free for pedestrians and cyclist and it cost ~ 27 lei ~ 12 лв for a small car (max 8+1 seats). The paying booths are on romanian side of the river and you can pay only in the exiting country currency, euro or with cards (Visa, Mastercard at least).

By bus

 * From Sofia to Vidin, the main bus operators are Karat-S and Aleksiev. Buses depart daily from the Sofia Central Bus Station at 07:30, 09:30, 11:00, 11:45, 12:30, 14:30, 15:00, 17:45 and usually pass through Vratsa and Montana. A one-way bus ride costs 19 лв and takes from 3.5 to 4 hours.
 * From Pleven to Vidin, there is a bus at 15:00. For all other destinations in Bulgaria, the avtogari.info website is helpful.
 * From Vidin to the nearest villages and back, there are buses every day from 08:00 to 20:10. Tickets are about 2 лв.
 * As of 2015, there are some buses from Craiova daily that goes to Sofia, but I dont have a verifiable source page. You must call to Craiova bus station (in Romanian) for more details. Also buses from Pitesti to Sofia pass the bridge.

By train

 * Trains from Sofia depart for Vidin at 07:35, 12:25, and 16:25. Train tickets are less expensive, at 13 лв, but the journey is roughly 5 hours.
 * Other schedules can be checked at the website for Bulgarian National Rail.
 * There is at least one daily train passing from Craiova to Sofia through Vidin.

By ferry

 * By ferry you can reach Vidin from Calafat- a Romanian town directly across the Danube. The ferryboat Vidin-Calafat costs about 7 Romanian lei and operates continuously. However, waiting times vary-- you could wait up to 2 or 3 hours for the ferry to depart.
 * On the Vidin side, you will probably need a taxi to get to the city center (центъра на града: ‘’tsentera na gradah’’). You may be able to ask the border officers to order a taxi for you, or take down the information from the next section.

Get around

 * There are buses around town, but unless you speak Bulgarian, they can be difficult to figure out. You can buy the tickets in the bus.
 * The most common places to get a taxi are at the train station, at the center, and at Pazarska street (a few blocks north of the main square). Taxis should operate on a zone system: the price is 2.50 лв for one lift to anywhere within town, and 4 лв to/from the ferry terminal.
 * There are many numbers, try: 094606060, 094666666, 094600600. Some taxi companies are Tiko Taxi, Euro Taxi, and OK Taxi.
 * It is generally safe to ride a bike through Vidin, but pay attention to potholes. You should ride a bike on the right side of the streets.

See
As of Dec 2015, the only tourist information center is in the park near Danube shore, near Vidin Port, at the end of main pedestrian street, ul. Gradinska. They have some free Bulgarian-English booklets with attractions and a useful black-white printed map with best tourist sites from city center, written in Bulgarian, with few English notes. Warning: On the main street and other places in town you'll see Tourist Information signs with arrows, but they directs to a tourist site, not to a tourist information center.

There's an old, communist, but charming feel in many parts of the town and coming from Romania or other eastern block countries you'll feel nostalgic.

Vidin boasts two well-preserved medieval fortresses, Baba Vida—Vidin's main landmark, built in the period from the 10th to the 14th century—and Kaleto, as well as many old Orthodox churches such as St Pantaleimon, St Petka (both 17th century), and St Great Martyr Demetrius (19th century), a Jewish synagogue (1894), a mosque and a library of Osman Pazvantoğlu (late 18th century), the cruciform barracks of 1798, and a number of old Renaissance buildings.
 * Baba Vida Fortress: This tenth-century medieval castle is a wonderful attraction for children and adults. It is said to be the only entirely preserved medieval castle in the country. There you can see brilliant architecture and a lot of tools used during Bulgaria’s history like swords, bows, arrows, and others. On the upper part, you can sit in tranquility and enjoy a great view of the Danube and to the New Europe Bridge . Across from the entrance there are souvenir shops from which you can buy numerous Bulgarian and Baba Vida souvenirs. There is also a beach nearby, so if you visit, you can even go swimming or sunbathing. During the summer, there are sometimes theatre performances.
 * Danube River: The Danube is the longest river in Bulgaria and the third longest in the world. Moreover, there are many locals with boats and courageous tourists can ask for a trip onto the river. To play it safe, go to one of the boat restaurants situated at the main port in warm weather.
 * Danube River: The Danube is the longest river in Bulgaria and the third longest in the world. Moreover, there are many locals with boats and courageous tourists can ask for a trip onto the river. To play it safe, go to one of the boat restaurants situated at the main port in warm weather.

Churches
‘’’Metropolitan Christian Complex’’’ Residents of Vidin are very proud of the area containing the Synagogue, Osman Pazvantoglu Mosque, and St. Pantaleimon Church. The latter two are directly across the street from each other, and together, all three represent the religious tolerance of Vidin, especially during the Ottoman occupation.
 * St. Dimitar Church (Simeon Veliki Street): This is the second biggest church in Bulgaria after St. Alexander Nevski in Sofia, and it is one of the oldest. The central dome is 33 meters high. Inside, there are beautiful murals depicting Biblical events, as well as the life of the town’s patron St. Dimitar. The priests are all friendly and the atmosphere is formal. On big holidays like Easter, Christmas, and New Year’s almost every inhabitant goes there to celebrate the big day. But it isn’t necessary to go there on holidays only. It is traditional to light a candle for the happiness of your family or friends, or to remember the dead.
 * Osman Pazvantoglu Mosque (09:00 - 16:00): This is the only mosque in the world to have a heart on top instead of a half moon. Osman Pazvantoglu made it to show his love to a Bulgarian woman. It was built from 1801-1802, but no longer serves a religious function. Also in the yard is a library supposedly built for his mother.
 * Synagogue: Smaller than the synagogue in Sofia, but supposedly more beautiful, this was built in 1894 with donations from citizens in the nearby neighborhood and Jews from all over the country. Since 1950, the building has been out of use. The yard is open, and you can explore the ruined building, especially if you want silence.

Museums

 * Konaka Historical Museum Vidin (M-F 99:00-18:00, 2-5 лв, 2 Obshtinska St, combined daily ticket with Baba Vida Fortress: 5 лв): The Konaka Museum is in the center of Vidin. It is an 18th century building reconstructed after the liberation from the Ottomans, during which Bulgarian Renaissance architectural elements were introduced. It originally served as a police station. It is very well preserved and holds information about Vidin’s past. There are many exhibits from all ages, including Prehistoric, Antique, and the Middle Ages. The museum has an interesting architecture and views from upstairs windows, but is recommended to consult the web site before visiting because it's an old museum from 1960-1970 with information only in Bulgarian. Sometime you can find a lady at ticket booth that understand and barely speaks English, but mostly there's only a Bulgarian speaking, but friendly lady.
 * Krastata Kazarma (Cross-Shaped Barracks) (M-Sa 09:00-12:00, 14:00-17:00, 2-4 лв, 34 Knyaz Boris I): It was built in 1801 for the Ottomans. After Bulgaria’s liberation, it served as a law court and barracks for the Bulgarian army. Today it is an ethnographic museum with national costumes and Bulgarian crafts.
 * Nikola Petrov Gallery: Built in 1961, this gallery houses amazing works of art by famous Bulgarian painters and sculptors. It is situated in the Danube Park.

Do

 * Stadium Georgi Benkovski: The stadium was created in 1961 and holds 15,000 people. It is at the west end of the city and is the site for matches of the football club Bdin Vidin. There are matches almost every weekend, and many people attend.
 * Cinema “Nikra”: The cinema is in the center of the city. Every Thursday, there is a film shown. Its capacity is about 400 people. Since films are not shown often, they tend to be the most popular films, and have high attendance. Tickets are 5 лв.
 * Danube River Park: Vidin has a great Danube Park, a favorite spot for the locals to relax. During a hot summer day, you can take a walk along the park, which is lined with tall trees that provide shade. There are many cafes where you can have drinks and fried food, many ice cream stands where there are so many kinds of ice cream that you won’t know which to buy, and playgrounds where the children can swing or just run around.
 * Drama Theatre “Vladimir Trandafilov”: Previous productions include “Don Juan,” “Fideriko,” and others. Vidin’s actors are very talented and provide fantastic performances, usually in Bulgarian.

Festivals
Many festivals are celebrated in Vidin. Besides the special events, these festivals usually find locals setting up stands in the center of town with sweets and other things to buy.
 * The Vidin Festival is during the end of August, held every year since 2008. It lasts nine days and holds many performances by Bulgarian pop folk stars, some from Vidin. There is beer and Serbian BBQ offered. Many people go to take part in the amusement attractions (roller coasters, ferris wheel, etc.) After the concerts, there are auto races at the abandoned nearby airport.
 * Dimitrovden, celebrating the town’s patron saint, is celebrated on the 26th of October. There is a variety of sporting and other events.
 * The Bridge Festival is an international youth arts festival. Over 200 talented people participate by choosing from activities like playing the guitar, beatboxing, freerunning, or drawing pictures.
 * The Fashion Fair, during spring and summer, is about clothes, shoes, hats, and bags. It is held in front of the town library in the center, and houses stalls with candies and jellies, as well as clothes. Prices tend to be very low.
 * The Milka Festival is usually on one day in April. There are activities like dancing, “Open Your Hands for a Hug,” and of course, plenty of Milka chocolate and merchandise to buy.
 * Bulgarian Independence Day, September 22
 * Dance Along the Danube: Folklore groups from Poland, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey take part in this festival, which is held every two years since 1997.
 * Traditionally on the 6th of January, “Yordanov Den” is celebrated. The Vidin Bishop throws a cross into the river and a group of men swim to retrieve it. The man who retrieves it will be healthy and strong for the next year.

Buy

 * Mall Vidin (Tsar Simeon Veliki St. 21, 09:00-22:00) There are around 20 stores. Some of them are for clothes and shoes. Others are for cosmetics. In Mall Vidin you can also find electrical appliances, mobile phones and books. On the top floor, there are two bars, a restaurant, bookstore, and playground to entertain children. The top floor ends in a beautifully shaped dome, and in the winter, there are Christmas decorations set up.
 * Central Market: The Central Market is the place where many people gather in order to sell and buy all sorts of things. In the center, there are covered stalls with produce (fresh from locals’ gardens), honey, and spices. Surrounding this, there are many shops and booths with mechanical parts, clothes, and souvenirs. You can’t get a refund or buy back. The prices are firm, so you shouldn’t ask for a different price, but the sellers have different prices for their products, so you can walk around and see where the best price is.
 * There are also many shops near the city center, where you can buy alcohol, souvenirs, clothes, and other things.

Groceries

 * Lidl (Academic Stefan Mladenov, 08:00-21:00): German chain, the cheapest grocery.
 * Picadilly (in Mall Vidin, 09:00-22:00): More expensive, but higher quality products.
 * Kaufland (Panonia Boulevard, 08:00-22:00): Widest selection, reasonable prices.

Eat
Vidin is known for many foods. Visitors should definitely buy “Elbi (Елби)” brand yogurt, which is produced at a factory in the south industrial complex of town and shipped all over Bulgaria. This yogurt can be found at Picadilly and most other grocery stores.

Fast food
Fast food in Bulgaria is either bought from a grill (‘’skara’’) or pastry stands found around town. ‘’Banichka’’, ‘’kebapche’’, and ‘’kozunak’’ are especially popular.
 * Serbian Grill (сръбска скара) 00:00-24:00: This stand, adjacent to the train station, has authentic Serbian meat. U.S. Ambassador James Warlick said that here is the best kebapche in all Bulgaria.
 * Montenegro: Across from Tsar Simeon Veliki school, this shop makes fresh banitsa all day.

Cafes

 * Sky Cafe (Bononia, 09:00-22:30, 1-3 лв): The most popular cafe in Vidin, attached to the Bononia hotel in the Danube park. Serves all kinds of coffee, fruit drinks, sodas, cakes, and alcohol. Service is friendly, and there are billiards tables and wifi.
 * Corner Club (Tsar Alexander II 21, M-F 07:00-24:00, 0.80-5 лв): Modern cafe, popular with teenagers. Very dark, with modern lighting effects.
 * Vision Cafe (Tsar Alexander II 25, 09:30-24:00, 0.50-10 лв): This cafe is owned by the Classic pizzeria. It has a location adjacent to the pizzeria near the seaport, and another on the top floor of the mall. The mall location is especially nice because you sit on a balcony looking at the domes of the St. Dimitar Church.
 * Forum (Shiroka 6, 08:00-22:00): 0.80-2 лв): Free wifi in this cafe. Coffee is good, but the service is not so good.
 * Hawaii (Gradinska 5, 07:00-24:00, 0.70-3 лв): Across from the drama theatre, this cafe has all kinds of drinks and snacks to eat. On Fridays, there is music and dancing. Wifi available.
 * Deluxe (07:30-22:00, 1-8 лв): cafe. Staff is friendly, and the coffee with cream is especially good.

Clubs

 * Master Club (Th-Sa 20:00, 2 лв cover): The main disco in Vidin is located in the main square. It is full of young Bulgarians, and tends to be smokey and loud. There are several bars inside, and dancing goes on until the early morning.
 * Traffic Club (Shiroka St at Hristo Botev, 07:00-22:00): Not too big. Mainly play RnB and house music. Mostly students go there.
 * Corner Club (Tsar Alexander II 21, M-F 07:00-24:00, Sa 07:00-05:00): Especially on Saturday evening, this cafe turns into a club and is open very late. The modern lights go well with dancing to house and popular music.

Sleep
There isn’t much variation in sleeping options, but most hotels are reasonably priced.

Budget
There are camping sites near Vidin, but you should ask a local for more information.

Connect
Most cafes and hotels offer free wifi for guests. This is probably your best bet for using the internet. Check the Drink section for more info.

Go next

 * There are many villages in Northwest Bulgaria. Villagers are typically hospitable, and this could be an adventurous alternative to normal tourism. Check the main bus station for buses going to a number of nearby villages.
 * Belogradchik Rocks: The city of Belogradchik is smaller than Vidin, but the rocks are amazing. All of them are naturally occurring. Some of them look like figures: a girl student, a bear, a dog, and others.
 * The Magura cave is in Rabisha village. It is 2.5 km long and has many galleries.
 * Albutin Monastery: an ancient rock monastery located in the nearby village of Gradets.

title: Vidin


text:
Vidzeme

Vidzeme (sometimes Livonia) is a region in northeastern Latvia, bordering Estonia.

Cities

 * – One of the country's oldest towns. It has an impressive castle complex of Livonian Order origin, a charming city centre with some cobblestoned streets, and historic wooden buildings.
 * – A village fairly well known for its nature trails, with a great natural park with wildlife animals and "fairy tale" forests with characters from famous Latvian fairy tales. Nearby, also an old Soviet bunker complex can be visited, which was built in case of a nuclear war.
 * – A scenic town surrounded by hills, forests and lakes, and a winter sports centre.
 * – Founded in 1953 in an uninhabited area, it still embodies the pomp of Communist and Stalinist shock-work aka architecture. Nearby a vast man-made peat bogs nature area can be found, and is not to be missed. Both occurrences are historically tied to each other.
 * – Features the only professional theatre in the region, castle ruins, a medieval church, a famous brewery, and is the start of the Gauja National Park.
 * – A summer holiday destination with Lake Alūksne, recreational activities and start/destination of the only narrow gauge railway in the Baltics
 * – A small town with the only narrow gauge railway in the Baltics, to/from Alūksne.
 * – Features a mental hospital in a nice surrounding.
 * – A unique town on the Estonian border, which runs through the town centre, creating Valga on the other side. It is close to regaining the status of an important cultural centre.
 * – Features a manor, some castle ruins, and a watch tower over the surrounding area. Not very interesting, but quite cosy and slightly larger than Valka, and not far from the Pskov highway.

Other destinations

 * – A small town that is home to the eclectic 19th century Cesvaine Palace, and ruins of medieval castles. The oldest palace in the country, its magnificent landscapes of pine forests are cut by Gauja river.
 * – A large village, drawing its history from times, when somewhere in these region the largest fort of the Livonians existed. At the time of the Livonian Order, two castles were built in Straupe. Even though the city itself was part of the Hanseatic League, it was under the control of Riga, using it as an outpost for fighting the mighty Wenden. The wars of the second half of the 16th century completely destroyed Straupe. Later, it resurrected in the form of a village and apparently not quite where it was before.

National parks and reserves

 * – Latvia's largest national park and one of the most famous natural attractions in Latvia with remarkable sandstone rocks and medieval castles, noblemen's estates and ancient churches of varying degrees of preservation, and the interesting and picturesque cities and towns of Sigulda, Ligatne and Cēsis. It is located to the northeast of Riga, where the Gauja River forms a deep valley with steep cliffs of sandstone. Along the river bank numerous caves and a beautiful mixed forest can be marvelled at. Also, the valley of Gauja is a wonderful opportunity to see small towns, rural life and nature of Latvia.

 * – A reserve that covers 6% of the territory of Latvia, and offers hiking trails, beaches, and nature education.

Understand
The main tourist attraction of this region is the Gauja National Park, which offers superb natural landscapes and several castles. The old town of Cēsis as well as its two castles have been totally restored – it is an unmissable destination of the region. Further south, the city of Madona is surrounded by numerous winter sports centres.

Talk

 * Latvian is the official language of Latvia.
 * English is the best option with youth as it is normally being taught as the first foreign language in the schools.
 * Russian is widely spoken by mid-age and elderly people.
 * People of northern areas (near Valka) may speak Estonian.
 * German was taught in some schools during the Soviet times, some people may still speak it at a basic level.

Get in
1188.lv provides up-to-date bus and train schedules, route planner and prices.

By bus
Many bus routes exist in the region. Direct connections between Riga and all major cities and towns exist and departures are fairly frequent - usually once an hour.

Many buses in the region provide free WiFi access, especially on longer distance routes.

By train
Two trains a day run between Riga and Valga on the border with Estonia, connecting Cēsis, Valmiera, and Seda. The train is a good option if you're coming from Estonia, with four daily trains from Tallinn to Valga via Tartu. Information for changing trains can be found here.

By car
Getting into the region by car is fairly simple. In remote places of the region the road might be unsealed.

Straupe
Lielstraupe Castle is one of the six medieval castles in the Gauja Valley. Despite being heavily reconstructed, it maintains its historical significance. The castle, likely constructed in 1263, served as a vassal castle for the archbishop of Riga during the 14th century. Over time, it endured destruction and rebuilding, eventually adopting a Baroque style. The adjacent church, the only surviving structure, connects to the castle through a covered passage. The church also underwent changes, from fire damage to conversion into a one-nave design in the 18th century. After being burned in 1905 and later restored, the castle housed a Narcological Hospital during Soviet times.

In contrast, nearby Mazstraupe Castle was built about a century after the Lielstraupe Castle. It was significant restructured during the late 18th century – the result was a smaller and less impressive palace. In 1938, a portion of the palace was demolished due to financial constraints. Today, the palace serves as a school and has lost a good portion of its historical allure.

Do

 * Cycling – Checkout the many greenways in the north of the country, see Vidzeme's official and detailed map of routes.

Sleep
In the following a list of various accommodation options in the region worth mentioning and outside of the above covered cities, towns, and parks:

Go next

 * Riga region – Starting or finishing point for most people coming to Latvia, and also home to numerous sights worth visiting, like Riga and its old city, the holiday and sea resort town of Jūrmala, Sigulda and its castles, as well as The Great Ķemeri Moorland.
 * Latgale – A less touristy and more Russian influenced region, but with the amazing Basilica of the Assumption near Daugavpils.
 * Zemgale – Flattest region in Latvia, and famous for the neighbouring and historically related Jelgava Palace and Rundāle Palace, near Jelgava and Bauska, respectively.

 * South Estonia – From Valka a stone's throw away is Valga, the gateway to South Estonia, with the beautiful Sangaste Castle, the winter sports and nature centre Otepää, the Seto ethnicity in its far southeast, the intellectual hub and university town of Tartu, the picturesque and folk-focused Viljandi, as well as the centre of Estonian wine production, Põltsamaa. Hiking, skiing, fishing, clubbing, folk music, and beaches – South Estonia leaves nothing left to be desired.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Vidzeme


text:
Vieng Phoukha

Vieng Phouka is a town in Northern Laos.

Understand
Vieng Phoukha is a mountainous district in the south of Luang Nam Tha Province on Rd 3 about 60 km from Luang Nam Tha town.

It has a total land area of 1,866 km2, bordering Nam Tha, Nalae and Long districts as well as Bokeo Province. Population in 2005 was 18,000.

Vieng Phoukha is the main town between Nam Tha and Huay Xai in Bokeo, so if you are entering or exiting Laos you will pass through this town.

Get in
There is a bus from Luang Nam Tha 3 times a day to/from the local bus station, 20,000 kip, 1.5–2 hours. There is also a bus to/from Huay Xai.

Do
Vieng Phoukha offers some of the most spectacular trekking in Luang Nam Tha Province, but there aren't many tourists in the town. If you are coming here to trek, don't rely on others as chances are that you will be the only Westerner in town.

title: Vieng Phoukha


text:
Vieng Xai

Vieng Xai is a city in Hua Phan Province, Laos.

Understand
Vieng Xai (also Vieng Xay, Vieng Sai) is a district and town in Hua Phan Province. The town is located on Rte 6, 30 km from Sam Neua (provincial capital) and 55 km from the Vietnam/Lao border in Na Meo.

The biggest attraction of the town is the caves. The former Pathet Lao (PL) Revolutionary headquarters of Vieng Xai sit in a striking valley of fertile hills and limestone cliffs riddled with caves, several of which were used to shelter PL officers during the second Indochina War.

During the 1960s, political developments in Laos were influential in the future of this whole region. The US believed that Laos was crucial in the prevention of communist expansion, so this small country became caught up in the conflict between the US and the North Vietnamese. In 1964, the US began intensive bombing of the Lao communist movement's, Pathet Lao, base area in Xieng Khouang. The Pathet Lao moved east to Vieng Xay and these limestone karst cave networks sheltered their headquarters during their struggle with the US-backed royal Lao government.

In these caves the Pathet Lao established a “hidden city” which supported around 20,000 people. During nine years of almost constant bombing, they sheltered in caves and the surrounding jungle. Most of their daily lives was conducted under cover of darkness. Schools, hospitals, and markets as well as government ministries, a radio station, a theatre, and military barracks were all hidden in the caves.

In 1973 a ceasefire stopped the bombing and the new town of Vieng Xay was established as the capital of the liberated zone. On the 2 Dec 1975, the Lao People's Democratic Republic was declared, and the capital city was transferred to Vientiane.

By bus
Songthaews occasionally run between Sam Neua and Vieng Xai. Songthaews depart from the local (intra-provincial) Nathong bus station in Sam Neua, about 4 km east of the centre of town (1–2 km after the airport). The earliest bus or songthaew may depart around 08:00 and takes one hour and costs 20,000.

The other option is to take a Vietnam-bound bus from the main (inter-provincial) bus station in Sam neua at 8:00 or 10:00 for 50,000 kip, and get off at Vieng Xai.

During the low season, there may be no songthaew to take you back to Sam Neua. You could try catching the bus from Sam Tai to Sam Neua passing by around 13:30 or buses coming from Vietnam around 16:30-17:00 from the main road.

If coming from Vietnam, the bus from Thanh Hoa drives by Vieng Xai, so you can get off here and spend the night.

By scooter
You may be able to rent a scooter in Sam Neua to reach Vieng Xai. There is, however, just a single place, Dan Nao Restaurant, renting scooters, and they only have one or two bikes. The road is very direct and only involves two right turns. The first right turn is at a large 3-way intersection with a petrol station at one corner. The second intersection is 2 km away from Vieng Xai.

By taxi
Taxis from Sam Neua charge 250-300K kip for a return trip with waiting time. You can get back to Sam Neua for 150,000 kip one way. Inquire at Sabaidee Odisha restaurant, if you have trouble finding a ride.

Get around
You can hire a mountain bike from the caves visitor centre, 15,000 kip per tour or 30,000 kip per day.

Eat
There is an afternoon market and many restaurants selling noodle soup near the bus station.

Sabaidee Odisha restaurant north of the market serves Indian and Lao food. Mains from 1,500 kip. Menu in English and English spoken.

Go next

 * Na Meo (Lao/Vietnam border) - 07:15 approximately - a songthaew that departs from Sam Neua at 06:45. You should wait on the main road from Sam Neua to Na Meo (approximately 1 km from Vieng Xai town centre). 2.5–3 hours, 22,000 kip. Buses from Sam Neua to Thanh Hoa in Vietnam pass by on the main road around 9:00 and 11:00. They may be full by the time they arrive, however.

 * Sam Neua Many songthaews a day (05:40, 06:40, 07:30, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 15:00), yet may hardly be any (or none) during the low season. Costs 15,000 or 20,000 kip, takes 0.5–1 hours. Departs from the market. Update/Note (October 2011): The fare is 15,000 or 20,000 kip for locals. Foreigners are charged an extra 5,000 kip.

title: Vieng Xai