Besides
the many well known places to visit in Bulgaria such as the Rila
Monastery, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia and of course
the Black Sea Coast resorts, this diverse and interesting country is
also home to numerous hidden gems, less known to the many annual
tourists, but just as worth seeing as the main attractions.
Join
us now as we take you through 6 of these magical attractions we think
you should experience on your next holiday to Bulgaria...
1.
Belogradchik Rocks
The
stunning Belogradchik Rocks are
a group of oddly
shaped sandstone and conglomerate rock formations
found on the western slopes
of the Balkan Mountains near
the town of Belogradchik in north west Bulgaria. The rocks vary in
colour
from red to yellow with some
of the rocks reaching
up to 200m in height. Many of
the rocks have fantastic
shapes and are linked to
interesting legends. They
have also been named
after
people or objects they are believed
to resemble. The Belogradchik Rocks have been declared a Natural
Landmark by the Bulgarian government
and in 1984, the Belogradchik Rocks and the nearby Magura Cave were
both placed on the Tentative List of places to be named on the UNESCO
World Heritage Site list. The Belogradchik Rocks are also under
consideration as a Geopark in the European Geoparks Network and the
UNESCO Global Geoparks Network. In September 2008, Belogradchik was
voted as one of twenty finalists by the European Commission as a
“European Destination of Excellence.” In January 2009, the
Belogradchik Rocks were named as Bulgaria’s nomination in the
campaign for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
2.
Shipka Pass
The
Shipka Pass is a
picturesque
mountain pass through the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. It marks the
border between the
Stara Zagora province and the
Gabrovo province. The pass
is part of the Bulgarka Nature Park.
The pass is 13km by road
north of the small town of Shipka
and is crossed by a road
and rail road, which run from Ruse on the Danube River to Stara
Zagora and then on to Edirne in Turkey.
A road also leads from the
pass to the summit of Buzludzha, 12 km to the east.
During the Russo-Turkish
War in 1877 &
1878, the Shipka
Pass was the scene of a series of battles
collectively named as the
"Battle
of Shipka Pass"
fought between the Russians, aided by Bulgarian volunteers
and the Ottoman Empire.
The Shipka Memorial
on the
Stoletov Peak can
be reached by a flight of
steps or a short road from the
pass. The
memorial was
built to honour
those who died for the
Liberation of Bulgaria during the Battles of Shipka Pass. It was
opened with a ceremony in 1934 and designed by architect Atanas
Donkov and sculptor Aleksandar Andreev.
3.
Devil's Throat Cave
The Devil’s Throat Cave is located in the Western Rhodopes, 17km from the city of Devin. Although not a cave that offers visitors the dazzlingly exquisite rock formations one may expect, the cave offers you the opportunity to embark on a journey of discovery in a mysterious and awe-inspiring underground kingdom. The cave’s entrance resembles a devil’s head and down its throat rushes a huge waterfall that since ancient times has captivated the imaginations of those who see it giving birth to numerous legends. The cave descends straight down without branching out in either direction. The Trigrad River water falls from a height of 42 meters down the cave's “throat”, making it the highest underground waterfall on the Balkan Peninsula. Because of the muffled roar of the waterfall, the cavern into which it falls is known as the Hall of Thunder. It is an interesting fact that nothing carried into The Devil’s Mouth Cave by the river emerges from it with many attempts having been made to track pieces of wood and other materials through the cave, but they all vanish without a trace on the underground river, arousing curiosity and tantalizing the imagination. Experiments performed with coloured dyes have shown that it takes more than 1.5 hours for the water to traverse the short distance from one opening to the next, fueling speculations about an extensive system of underground streams in the cave.
4.
Asen's Fortress (Asenova Krepost)
Asen's
Fortress is a medieval
fortress in the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains,
approximately 3km south of
the town of Asenovgrad, on a high rocky ridge on the left bank of the
Asenitsa River. The
earliest archaeological findings date from the time of the Thracians,
the area of the fortress being also inhabited during the Ancient
Roman and Early Byzantine period. The fortress gained importance in
the Middle Ages, first mentioned in the statute of the Bachkovo
Monastery as Petrich in the 11th century. The fortress was conquered
by the armies of the Third Crusade.
It was considerably
renovated in the 13th century during the rule of Bulgarian tsar Ivan
Asen II to serve as a border fortification against Latin raids, as
evidenced by an eight-line wall inscription. The foundations of
fortified walls, a feudal castle, 30 rooms and 3 water repositories
have been excavated from this period.
The best preserved and most
notable feature of Asen's Fortress is the Church of the Holy Mother
of God from the 12th-13th century. It is a two-storey cross-domed
building with a wide narthex and a large rectangular tower, and
features mural paintings from the 14th century.
5.
Buzludzha Monument
The
Buzludzha is a historical peak in the Central Stara Planina, Bulgaria
and is 1441m high. In 1868 it was the place of the final battle
between Bulgarian rebels led by Hadji Dimitar & Stefan Karadzha
against the Turks. The Buzludzha Monument at the peak was built by
the Bulgarian communist regime to commemorate the events in 1891 when
the socialists led by Dimitar Blagoev assembled secretly in the area
to form an organised socialist movement. It was opened in 1981. No
longer maintained by the Bulgarian government, it has fallen into
disuse. Although the monument is now abandoned, vandalised, and
devastated it is still worth visiting due to the unique design and
interesting history the monument offers. Buzludzha can be reached by
a 12km side road from the Shipka Pass.
6.
Perperikon
The
ancient Thracian city of Perperikon is found
in the Eastern Rhodopes, 15km north east of the present-day town of
Kardzhali, Bulgaria, on a 470m high rocky hill, which is thought to
have been a sacred place. The village of Gorna Krepost is located at
the foot of the hill and the gold-bearing Perpereshka River flows
near it. Perperikon is the largest megalith ensemble in the Balkans.
It is thought that the
famous Temple of Dionysius is located at this location.
Human activity in the area dates back to 5000 B.C. The first traces
of civilization on the hill date from the Bronze Age, while the
ceramics found on the place date from the Early Iron Age, as well as
the impressive round altar, almost 2m in diameter, carved out of the
rocks. Dating from the time of the Roman Empire, archaeologists have
uncovered a giant multi-story palace and an imposing fortress built
around the hill, with walls as thick as 2.8m. Temples and quarters of
residential buildings were also constructed in the fortress.
You
can book or find out more about our wide range of holidays to Bulgaria departing throughout the summer and winter from many UK
airports by visiting our Balkan Holidays website.
