Thracian & RomanSofia & Western Bulgaria

Ratiaria, the Roman Colony and Provincial Capital on the Danube

Ratiaria was an important Roman city on the Danube, in north-western Bulgaria, about 2 km west of the village of Archar in Vidin Province. Founded as a military post, it became a colony under Trajan and later the capital of the province of Dacia Ripensis. Today it is a quiet archaeological landscape, valued by those who want to see the Roman frontier away from the usual routes.

Ratiaria's name comes from a type of river boat, and the city once manufactured weapons for the empire. Today its ruins lie in open fields beside the Danube, and archaeologists are still working out how large it was.

WhereAbout 2 km west of the village of Archar, Vidin Province, on the right bank of the Danube

TypeRuins of a Roman colony, port and late Roman provincial capital

Best forRoman history and archaeology enthusiasts exploring the Danube frontier

Getting thereAbout 27 km south-east of Vidin and 28 km west of Lom by road

The history of Ratiaria

The place was already known for gold in Thracian times, and sources suggest that a Thracian settlement linked to the mine existed here before the Romans. Around 60 BCE the Dacian king Burebista attacked it. The Roman city grew out of a garrison founded, probably, in the 30s CE. Nobody can say for certain which legion was stationed here at first, and alongside the military camp a civilian settlement of locals and incomers from Italy appears to have developed early. The name most likely dates from the time of Vespasian, who strengthened the Lower Danube frontier and built up the Danube fleet; Ratiaria was one of the fleet's bases, and the name itself denotes a type of boat used on the Danube and Rhine.

After Moesia was divided in 86 CE, Ratiaria belonged to Upper Moesia and served as a springboard for Trajan's wars against the Dacians. When Dacia became a Roman province in 106, the city lost its place on the imperial frontier and received the rank of colony, taking the name Colonia Ulpia Traiana Ratiaria. The oldest dated inscription mentioning the colony comes from 125. In the second and third centuries it grew into a large and prosperous town, a trade centre and customs port with agriculture around it, local councillors, priests of the imperial cult and craftsmen working in gold, bronze, glass and bone.

When Rome withdrew from Dacia around 270, the Danube again became the frontier. Not long afterwards, the new province of Dacia Ripensis was created on the south bank, and Ratiaria became its capital, the seat of the military commander and of the Legio XIII Gemina. One of the empire's state arms factories operated here. In the fourth century the city became a bishop's seat; Paulinus, Sylvester and Palladius, who followed the Arian doctrine, are the bishops known by name. In the middle of the fifth century the Huns sacked the city, probably in 447. Later emperors rebuilt the frontier, and a block from a gate bears the words “Anastasiana Ratiaria semper floreat”, meaning “May Anastasiana Ratiaria always flourish”.

The last written mention of the city refers to its capture by the Avars, probably in 586. Whether life ended immediately is unclear from the archaeology, but the ancient city was gone by the early seventh century, and only a small settlement later appeared on the ruins in the time of the First Bulgarian Empire. In 1925 the Catholic Church re-created the old see as a titular archbishopric, which still exists on paper.

The ruins remained visible for centuries. Felix Kanitz carried out the first investigations in 1862, and Václav Dobruský recorded the layout in 1892. Excavations led by Velisar Velkov in the 1950s and early 1960s uncovered two cemeteries and, in 1955, the marble figure of a resting Heracles, a copy of a work attributed to Lysippos. Digs continued from 1957, joined by Italian archaeologists, until funding stopped in 1991. In the years that followed, illegal digging severely damaged large parts of the site, and it peaked between 2001 and 2005. After international protests the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture ordered protection and renewed excavations in 2010, and research resumed in 2013 with support from Dimovo municipality and the Bulgarian Archaeological Association. The damage did reveal one fact: the city was at least five times larger than first thought.

Curious facts about Ratiaria

The name Ratiaria comes from a type of boat, and it is one of only two Danube frontier settlements whose names refer to river navigation, the other being Sexaginta Prista in Ruse.
A late Roman state arms factory is recorded here, making the city one of the empire's major weapon producers.
A block from a gate reads “Anastasiana Ratiaria semper floreat”, a wish that the rebuilt city might flourish for ever.
The cemeteries around the city have yielded the largest collection of sarcophagi in Bulgaria.
In 1986 archaeologists found a gold hoard of 13 pieces of women's jewellery and silver spoons.
The marble figure of a resting Heracles, only 41 cm high, was stolen from the Vidin museum in early 1992, later recovered in Germany and returned.

Tours near Ratiaria

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Full-Day Belogradchik Rocks and Belogradchik Fortress from Sofia

★ 4.9 (79 reviews) · 10 h

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Balloon Flight over Belogradchik Rocks + extras

★ 5 (30 reviews) · 3 h

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Time Travel to Ottoman Vidin: Exploration Game and Tour

★ 5 (2 reviews) · 40 min

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Rent E-Bike in Belogradchik or Vidin

★ 3.7 (3 reviews) · 1 h

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Visiting Ratiaria: what to expect

The site lies on a high terrace above the Danube, bounded by the Archaritsa river, in the locality known as Kaleto, west of Archar.
Expect an open archaeological landscape rather than standing monuments; the story of the city is told mainly by the finds displayed in museums.
The Historical Museum in Vidin is the main partner of the excavations, and an archaeological museum for the site has been set up in Dimovo; check what is open before you go.
As an archaeological area under protection, it is best to ask locally about access conditions before visiting.
Baba Vida fortress in Vidin lies about 20 km away and combines naturally with a visit to Ratiaria.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Ratiaria is

Photos of Ratiaria

Questions

What was Ratiaria?

Ratiaria was a Roman city on the Danube, founded as a military post and made a colony under Trajan. In the late Roman period it was the capital of the province of Dacia Ripensis.

Where are the ruins of Ratiaria?

They lie about 2 km west of the village of Archar in Vidin Province, north-western Bulgaria, some 27 km south-east of Vidin and 28 km west of Lom.

Why was Ratiaria important?

It was a river port and customs station on a Danube crossing and a base for the Roman fleet. In late antiquity it was the provincial capital, a bishop's seat and an arms-producing centre.

How did Ratiaria end?

The Huns sacked it in the mid-fifth century, and it was rebuilt under the Eastern Roman emperors. The Avars captured it in about 586, and the ancient city was probably finished by the early seventh century.

What has been found at Ratiaria?

Finds include public buildings, a western gate and fortress wall, inscriptions, sculptures, mosaics, gold jewellery and a large number of sarcophagi. The best known object is the marble figure of a resting Heracles.

Are excavations still going on at Ratiaria?

Yes. After a long gap and serious damage from illegal digging, research resumed in 2013, and sources report that it was continuing in 2023.