Ratiaria

Ratiaria is the site of an ancient Roman and late-antique city on the Danube in what is now Vidin Province, Bulgaria, near the modern village of Archar. It was an important riverside centre in Roman and early Byzantine times and later served as a provincial administrative and ecclesiastical seat.

Visitors to the site encounter visible archaeological remains including sections of the former urban layout and fortification traces, plus surface finds from excavations. The area is of interest to those studying Roman provincial towns on the lower Danube.

Founded and developed under Roman rule, Ratiaria rose in importance in the Roman imperial and late-antique periods and later became an episcopal see. It declined during the early medieval period as political control in the region changed and riverine trade routes shifted.

The ruins lie close to the right bank of the Danube in northwest Bulgaria, in Vidin Province near the modern settlement of Archar.

• Nearby village: The archaeological site lies adjacent to the modern village of Archar and is best visited in coordination with local museums that preserve many recovered artefacts.

What to See #

• Roman city and fortress: Excavated remains of the Roman- and late-antique city including sections of street plan and fortification traces that mark the former riverside settlement.
• Necropolis and outlying finds: Surrounding burial grounds and outlying archaeological finds that indicate continuous occupation from Roman through late antique periods.