Long overlooked as a tourist destination even by its own countrymen, Belogradchik, in the north-western corner of Bulgaria, and nearer the border with Serbia than anything else, is looking to place itself on the radar.

Apart from its current high ranking in the voting process of New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign, where the curious red rock formations at Belogradchik hold the number two spot in the Caves, Rock Formations, Valleys category, the municipality is starting to recognise another potential tourist draw: wine.

In a March 23 2009 article on bgNewsroom.com, the mayor of Belogradchik, Emil Tsankov, said that there were two well-respected wineries on the territory of the municipality, and that both of them had the promise of drawing visitors. Magura Winery, in the village of Rabisha, and Maxxima Cellars, in the village of Borovitsa, had both recently replanted and increased their vineyards sizes to about 100 decares, and like investments were to be continuing, Tsankov said. The two wineries had also revamped their facilities, bringing them up to modern "European" standards, for a better-quality wine.

"These are not mass-market wines," Tsankov said. "They’re a bit more expensive that what is normally seen on shelves, but their quality is worth the price."

In the Bacchus Bulgarian Wine of the Year 2008 contest, the Maxxima Private Reserve 2003 was ranked in the top 10 overall Bulgarian wines; in 2007, the Magura Winery Rendez-Vous Cuvée du Nord 2004 won a bronze medal in the Decanter World Wine Awards, while in 2006, the same wine, vintage 2003, won a silver medal from Decanter.

In addition to Maxxima and Magura, the owners of a Belogradchik hotel complex, Skalitsa, also recently invested in planting new vineyards, with the aim of starting a boutique winery.

Yet if Belogradchik plans to a mass draw of tourists, it will have to up its bed count – at the moment, there are 430 beds, "which is nothing", Tsankov said. Three hotel complexes currently under construction are hoped to help ease the shortage – which, granted, itself is not yet a problem.