Top 20 Caves in Bulgaria

GERMAN Church: We are in the Church of St. Mary. It was part of the rock monastery of St. Michael the Archangel, which operated during the Second Bulgarian Empire from 1220 to around 1450. The church was carved into the rock and was painted around 1360. The entrance was where the balcony is today. The opening through which we now enter was drilled in 1936 by French scientists who were researching the wall paintings. To the left of the original entrance are depicted Tsar/King Ivan-Aleksander and his second wife, Tsaritsa/Queen Theodora, who donated funds for the carving and painting of the church. They are holding the rock in which the church is located and presenting it to St. Mary. This has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. In the 1980s, the rock was impregnated to prevent moisture from seeping in and damaging the frescoes. The wall paintings themselves are coated with a special varnish that protects them from negative effects. Chapel: This is the chapel of Saint Gerasim Yordanski. According to legend, he healed a lion's paw. In gratitude, the lion allowed Saint Gerasim to ride it. On the west side of the chapel, the saint is depicted riding the lion among a group of worshipers on the way to Jerusalem.

Devetashka CAVE (Maarata) Devetaki Village, Lovech District Length - 2442 m Coordinates: E 24* 53 23.2" N 43* 14 052* 24'53 12.6 N 43 14 033 A cave located 1.5 km northwest of Devetaki Village, on the right bank of the Ossam River and on the northern slope of the Devetaki Plateau, formed from Aptian-Urgonian limestone. The entrance is semi-elliptical, measuring 30 x 35 m. The gallery expands into a colossal chamber (25,000 m²) with a ceiling height of up to 58 m. The chamber consists of seven holes called "okna," the largest of which (Kilka) measures 73 x 48 m. The chamber volume is At 643,000 m³, it is the largest cave chamber in Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula. A stream flows through the cave, forming deep pools and huge tufas. First explored in 1921 by G. Katzarov, who discovered artifacts between 1925 and 1928, it was explored several times by Pavel Petrov. He sailed down the cave river in wooden boats and made hydrogeological observations while investigating the cave. In 1950 and 1952, archaeologists V. Mikov and N. Djambazov excavated the entrance hall and discovered cultural layers from many periods – Middle and Late Paleolithic and Neolithic, the Iron and Bronze Ages, and the Roman period.

MAN AND THE CAVE The Evetashka Cave is a unique natural and cultural phenomenon. It is located near the town of Lovech and the village of Devetaki, on the right bank of the Osam River. Good living conditions have attracted human attention since ancient times. The first archaeological excavations in the cave began in 1927. Archaeological studies show that the cave was inhabited since the Middle Paleolithic (70,000 BC). Cultural layers (0.30 m to 5.5 m thick) indicate that it was also inhabited during subsequent historical periods: the Neolithic, Eneolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, Provincial Roman Culture, and the Middle Ages. In 1927, the first Neolithic grave in Bulgarian lands was discovered here. There is an interesting fragment of a clay bowl decorated with a white swastika dating from the Early Neolithic period (beginning of the 6th millennium BC). During the Neolithic/Copper Age (5th millennium BC), the settlement in the cave occupied the largest area. A child burial and two ceramic cups were found in the dry corridor of the cave. Finds from the Bronze Age (11th-11th millennium BC) include a bronze sickle and a stone pot. The Thracians introduced the new culture during this period. In one of the settlements, an earth handle from a Rhodes amphora dating from 175-172 BC was found. Materials found from the Roman period (1st-3rd centuries) include a marble votive tablet depicting Artemis/Diana and a portion of the stump of Hercules, indicating that a sanctuary dedicated to these deities most likely existed here. In the 12th to 14th centuries, the cave was used as a refuge. Discovered settlements and artifacts (made of stone, flint, bone, wood, clay, and metal) attest to the high material and spiritual culture of the people who inhabited the cave for centuries. The Devetashka Cave is a cultural monument and a protected natural site of national and international importance.

Huge rock and stone structures can be seen here.

This rock monastery is located on the Shumen Plateau, near the village of Khan Krum, on the western slope of the Kalugera Boaz. The monastery is reached by a spiral staircase cut into the rock, which at the end passes into a corridor leading to the premises. For the rock monastery next to the village of Khan Krum, a natural cave was used, which was further adapted and finished for the needs of the monks. The temple is artfully and precisely carved right into the rock. The monastery church is distinguished from other rock churches in the region by having a conch shell. Besides the church there is another large room which was probably used as a bedroom.

The pictures in the cave have been preserved. Not restored, meaning not recreated with paint. You can see the originals. The Last Supper fresco is around 200 years older than the more famous Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Please do not use flashlights in the cave. The frescoes are intended to remain preserved for many hundreds of years.

Small but really nice! Come in, climb to the upper floor and look at the exciting natural scenery!

A path about 500m long leads to this rock church. The monks lived in the surrounding natural caves and converted this place into a chapel. There are impressive paintings on the walls and on the way to the church there are always interesting views of the valley and other rock grottos. The way back goes down a steep staircase to the car park and a small souvenir stand.