List of caves in Bulgaria

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Topographic map of Bulgaria Bulgaria-geographic map-en.svg
Topographic map of Bulgaria

The list caves in Bulgaria, as of 2002, includes around 4,500 underground formations. [1] The earliest written records about the caves in Bulgaria are found in the manuscripts of the 17th century Bulgarian National Revival figure and historian Petar Bogdan. The first Bulgarian speleological society was established in 1929. The caves in the country are inhabited by more than 700 invertebrate species, many of them endemic, and 32 of the 37 species of bats found in Europe.

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The longest caves in Bulgaria are Kolkina Dupka (19,164 m), Duhlata (18,200 m) and Orlova Chuka (13,437 m). The first show cave is Bacho Kiro, inaugurated in 1937. Nowadays, there are 10 tourist caves accessible to the public for guided visits in Bulgaria.

Partial list of Bulgarian caves

NameImageNotesLengthLocation
Bacho Kiro Bacho Kiro Cave.jpg Bacho Kiro is situated in the central Balkan Mountains, at 5 km to the west of the town Dryanovo, Gabrovo Province and at only 300 m from the Dryanovo Monastery. It was the first show cave in Bulgaria and was opened to the public in 1937. Listed in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under No. 22. [2] 3,500 m [3]
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Devetashka Devetashka pestera lqto 2009 1.JPG Devetashka cave is situated on the east bank of the river Osam in the pre-Balkan area near the village of Devetaki, Lovech Province at around 7 km east of Letnitsa and 15 km north-east of Lovech. The cave used to be a secret military site. The site was used for filming The Expendables 2 . [4] Listed in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under No. 30. [5] 2,442 m [6]
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Devil's Throat Dyavolsko Gurlo Cave Iz2.jpg The Devil's Throat Cave is situated in the Trigrad Gorge of the western Rhodope Mountains. It is located at 1.5 km of the village of Trigrad, Smolyan Province. The cave has the largest population of common bent-wing bat in the Balkans. Listed in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria along with Trigrad Gorge under No. 88. [7] 548 m [8]
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Duhlata Main de Tangra dans la grotte de Duhlata.JPG Duhlata is situated in the south-western part of the Vitosha mountain range on the left bank of the river Struma near the village of Bosnek, Pernik Province. It is the longest cave in Bulgaria reaching 18,200 m. Duhlata is home to 22 known animal taxa, including six bat species. [9] 18,200 m [9]
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Kolkina Dupka Kolkina Dupka is situated in the western Balkan Mountains near the village of Zimevitsa, Sofia Province. As of 2018 it has a depth of -541 m, making it the deepest cave in Bulgaria; the explored galleries reach 10,300 m, placing it third in the country. Exploration is still ongoing. [10] [11] 19,164 m [12]
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Kozarnika Kozarnika cave - archaeological excavations - 2016-2017 - 1.jpg Kozarnika is situated on the northern slopes of the western Balkan Mountains at 6 km from the town of Belogradchik, Vidin Province. It is an important archaeological site and was used as a shelter early humans 1.6 million years ago. [13] 218 m [14]
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Ledenika LedenikaCave.jpg Ledenika is situated in the western Balkan Mountains at 16 km from the city of Vratsa, Vratsa Province. It features an abundance of galleries and impressive karst formations including stalactites and stalagmites, and is known to contain icicles. Ledenika falls within the territory of Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park. Listed in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under No. 16. [15] 320 m [16]
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Lepenitsa Lepenica (cave) E4.jpg Lepenitsa is situated in the western Rhodope Mountains, at 17 km south of the town Rakitovo, Pazardzhik Province. It was three levels with numerous cave formations and features, including an underground river and sinter lakes. Lepenitsa has a rich fauna, including four species endemic to the cave. Listed in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under No. 55A. [17] [18] [19] 1,525 m [20]
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Magura Magura - drawings.jpg Magura is situated on the northern slopes of the western Balkan Mountains near the village of Rabisha, Vidin Province. It contains prehistoric wall painting dated between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago. In 1984 the site was induced into UNESCO's World Heritage Sites tentative list. [21] Listed in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under No. 14. [22] 2,608 m [23]
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Orlova Chuka Skalni formi ot peshcherata Orlova chuka.JPG Orlova Chuka is situated on the left slopes of the Cherni Lom river valley. It is located at 11 km to the east of the town of Dve Mogili and 3 km to north of the village of Pepelina, Ruse Province. The entrance terrace provides a scenic overlook of Rusenski Lom Nature Park and the rock formations of the river valley. Orlova Chuka is the second longest cave in Bulgaria. [24] 13,437 m [25]
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Prohodna Prohodna Iz4.jpg Prohodna is situated in the pre-Balkan area in the Karlukovo Gorge of the Iskar River. It is located near the village of Karlukovo, Lovech Province. It is part of the Iskar-Panega Geopark and is most notable for the two equal-sized holes in the ceiling of its middle chamber, resembling eyes. The cave is featured in several movies, including the 1988 Time of Violence . [26] 262 m [27]
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Raychova Dupka Raychova Dupka is situated on the northern slopes of the central Balkan Mountains within Steneto Reserve in Central Balkan National Park. The nearest settlement of the village of Cherni Osam, Lovech Province. Reaching depth of -377 m, it is the second deepest cave discovered in Bulgaria. [28] 3,333 m [28]
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Razhishka RazhishkaCave.JPG Razhishka Cave is situated in the western Balkan Mountains overlooking the left bank of the Iskar River in the homonymous gorge at a height of 140 m over the river. It is located near the village of Milanovo, Sofia Province. It was inhabited by humans during the Iron Age.316 m [29]
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Saeva dupka WhiteCastleStalagmite.jpg Saeva dupka is situated in the pre-Balkan area near the village of Brestnitsa, Lovech Province. It was desclared a natural landmark in 1963. Listed in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under No. 33. [30] 210 m [31]
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Snezhanka Snejanka-Cave.jpg Snezhanka is situated in the western Rhodope Mountains in the valley of Stara Reka river at some 5 km from the town of Peshtera, Pazardzhik Province. The cave is rich in stalactites, stalagmites, draperies and sinter lakes. Listed in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under No. 37. [32] 368 m [33]
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Temnata Dupka PEShchERATA TEMNATA DUPKA - Prirodna zabelezhitelnost - PZ024 - s. Milanovo - No1.jpg Temnata Dupka is situated in the western Balkan Mountains overlooking the left bank of the Iskar River in the homonymous gorge. It is located near the villages of Milanovo and Gara Lakatnik, Sofia Province. It was declared a national landmark in 1962 and falls within the territory of Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park. [34] [35] 9,000 m [36]
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Uhlovitsa Uhlovitsa1.jpg Uhlovitsa is situated in the western Rhodope Mountains near the village of Mogilitsa, Smolyan Province. The cave features many underground waterfalls and lakes. Listed in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under No. 84. [37] 330 m [38]
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Venetsa Venetsa cave 027.jpg Venetsa is situated in the western Balkan Mountains, at 14 km to the east of the town of Belogradchik and 3 km to the south of the village of Gara Oreshets, Vidin Province. It was opened for tourists in 2015 and is the most recently inaugurated show cave in Bulgaria.220 m [39]
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Yagodinska Yagodinska Cave, cave pearls.jpg Yagodinska Cave is situated in the western Rhodope Mountains in the Buynovsko Gorge near the village of Yagodina, Smolyan Province. It is the longest cave in the Rhodope Mountains and contains a very large number of cave formations, including the rare cave pearls. Listed in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under No. 89. [40] 8,501 m [41]
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Zandana Biserna Iz8.jpg Zandana, also known as Biserna, is the largest cave in the Shumen Plateau within Shumen Plateau Nature Park. It is situated at 1 km west from the city of Shumen, Shumen Province. The cave has two levels, with a river flowing though the lower level. It is rich in cave formation and in 2019 800 m of its passages were adapted as a show cave open to visitors. There are 14 bat species. [42] 2,706 m [43]
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See also

Citations

  1. География на България. Физическа и социално-икономическа география. „ФорКом“. 2002. p. 64. ISBN   954-464-123-8.
  2. "Bacho Kiro Cave". Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  3. "Bacho Kiro Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  4. Andreeva, Nellie (November 16, 2011). "'The Expendables 2′ Fined For Damaging Protected Bat Habitat In Bulgaria". Deadline.com. PMC. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  5. "Devetashka Cave". Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  6. "Devetashka Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  7. "Trigrad Gorge and Devil's Throat Cave". Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  8. "Devil's Throat Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Duhlata Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  10. "Kolkina Dupka Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  11. "Kolkina Dupka". "Pod Raba" Speleological Club. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  12. "Kolkina Dupka Becomes the Longest Cave in Bulgaria". "Pod Raba" Speleological Club. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  13. Rincon, Paul (2004-03-16). "Early human marks are 'symbols'". BBC. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  14. "Kozarnika Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  15. "Ledenika Cave". Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  16. "Ledenika Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  17. "Landmarks". Official Site of Rakitovo Municipality. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  18. "Lepenitsa Cave". Official Site of Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  19. Beron, Petar (September 2007). "17. Terrestrial Cave Animals in Bulgaria" (PDF). Biogeography and Ecology of Bulgaria: 493–526. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  20. "Lepenitsa Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  21. "The Magoura Cave with drawings from the bronze age". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  22. "Magura Cave". Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  23. "Magura Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  24. "Orlova Chuka Cave". Official Site of Dve Mogili Municipality. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  25. "Orlova Chuka Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  26. Ягодова, Весела; Сава Чанкова (2010-07-27). "Какво още". Light (in Bulgarian). Икономедиа. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  27. "Prohodna Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  28. 1 2 "Raychova Dupka Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  29. "Razhishka Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  30. "Saeva Dupka Cave". Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  31. "Saeva Dupka Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  32. "Snezhanka Cave". Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  33. "Snezhanka Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  34. "Temnata Dupka Cave". Official Site of the Executive Environment Agency of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  35. "Temnata Dupka Cave". Official Tourist Portal of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  36. "Temnata Dupka Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  37. "Uhlovitsa Cave". Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  38. "Uhlovitsa Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  39. "Venetsa Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  40. "Yagodinska Cave". Official Site of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  41. "Yagodinska Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  42. "Zandana Cave". Official Site of the Shumen Plateau Nature Park. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  43. "Zandana Cave". The Caves of Bulgaria. Retrieved 20 May 2018.

Sources

Related Research Articles

Tourism in Bulgaria is a significant contributor to the country's economy. Situated at the crossroads of the East and West, Bulgaria has been home to many civilizations: Thracians, Greeks, Romans, Eastern Romans or Byzantines, Slavs, Bulgars, and Ottomans. The country is rich in tourist sights and historical artifacts, scattered through a relatively small and easily accessible territory. Bulgaria is internationally known for its seaside and winter resorts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balkan Mountains</span> Mountain range in the Balkan Peninsula

The Balkan mountain range is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The range is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia. It then runs for about 560 kilometres (350 mi), first in a south-easterly direction along the border, then eastward across Bulgaria, forming a natural barrier between the northern and southern halves of the country, before finally reaching the Black Sea at Cape Emine. The mountains reach their highest point with Botev Peak at 2,376 metres (7,795 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Show cave</span> Cave made accessible to the general public for guided visits

A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teteven</span> Place in Lovech, Bulgaria

Teteven is a town on the banks of the Vit, at the foot of the Balkan mountains in north central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the Teteven Municipality which is a part of Lovech Province. As of December 2010, the town had a population of 10,733 inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dryanovo</span> Place in Gabrovo, Bulgaria

Dryanovo is a Bulgarian town situated at the northern foot of the Balkan Mountains in Gabrovo Province; amphitheatrically along the two banks of Dryanovo River, a tributary to the Yantra River. The town is a centre of the homonymous Dryanovo Municipality, which is composed of 62 villages, hamlets and huts picturesquely spread out of the mountain folds. As of 2015, it has a population of 7,968. In 2009, it was 8,043.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacho Kiro cave</span> Cave and archaeological site in Bulgaria

The Bacho Kiro cave is situated 5 km (3.1 mi) west of the town Dryanovo, Bulgaria, only 300 m (980 ft) away from the Dryanovo Monastery. It is embedded in the canyons of the Andaka and Dryanovo River. It was opened in 1890 and the first recreational visitors entered the cave in 1938, two years before it was renamed in honor of Bulgarian National Revival leader, teacher and revolutionary Bacho Kiro. The cave is a four-storey labyrinth of galleries and corridors with a total length of 3,600 m (11,800 ft), 700 m (2,300 ft) of which are maintained for public access and equipped with electrical lights since 1964. An underground river has over time carved out the many galleries that contain countless stalactone, stalactite, and stalagmite speleothem formations of great beauty. Galleries and caverns of a 1,200 m (3,900 ft) long section have been musingly named as a popular description of this fairy-tale underground world. The formations succession: Bacho Kiro’s Throne, The Dwarfs, The Sleeping Princess, The Throne Hall, The Reception Hall, The Haidouti Meeting-Ground, The Fountain and the Sacrificial Altar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ledenika</span>

Ledenika is a cave in the Northwestern parts of the Balkan Mountains, 16 km away from the Bulgarian city of Vratsa. Its entrance is approximately 830 m above sea level. The cave features an abundance of galleries and impressive karst formations including stalactites and stalagmites. It was first discovered around the beginning of the 20th century and has been open to tourists since 1961. Ledenika Peak on Graham Land in Antarctica is named after the cave, in recognition of its cultural importance.

100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria is a Bulgarian national movement established in 1966 to promote tourism among Bulgaria's most significant cultural, historic, and natural landmarks.

There are a number of caving organizations throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dve Mogili</span> Place in Rousse, Bulgaria

Dve Mogili is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Ruse Province. It is the administrative centre of Dve Mogili Municipality, which lies in the western part of the area. Dve Mogili is located 32 kilometres away from the provincial capital of Ruse. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 4,342 inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magura Cave</span> Cave and archaeological site in Bulgaria

The Magura Cave is located in north-western Bulgaria close to the village of Rabisha, 25 km (16 mi) from the town of Belogradchik in Vidin Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kozarnika, Dimovo Municipality</span> Cave and archaeological site in Bulgaria

Kozarnika or Peshtera Kozarnika is a cave in northwestern Bulgaria that was used as a hunters’ shelter as early as the Lower Paleolithic. It marks an older route of early human migration from Africa to Europe via the Balkans, prior to the other currently suggested route - the one across Gibraltar. The cave probably keeps the earliest evidence of human symbolic behaviour and the earliest European Gravette flint assemblages came to light here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saeva dupka</span>

Saeva dupka is a cave in northern Bulgaria near the village of Brestnitsa, Lovech Province. The cave has naturally formed 400 meters of corridors and halls. The cave has hosted many choral music performances, thanks to the excellent acoustic conditions. Saeva dupka was named after two brothers, Seyu and Sae, who used it as a hiding place during the Ottoman occupation of Bulgaria. Recent excavations have shown the cave was inhabited since Roman times. Saeva dupka is one of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prohodna</span> Cave in Bulgaria

Prohodna is a karst cave in north central Bulgaria, located in the Iskar Gorge near the village of Karlukovo in Lukovit Municipality, Lovech Province. The cave is known for the two eye-like holes in its ceiling, known as God's eyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orlova Chuka</span>

Orlova Chuka is a cave situated in the Danubian Plain, north-eastern Bulgaria. With a total length of 13,437 m, Orlova Chuka is the second longest cave in the country after Duhlata. The cave was discovered in 1941 and opened for tourists in 1957. Orlova Chuka is home to 14 species of bats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yagodinska Cave</span>

Yagodinska Cave is a cave in the Rhodope Mountains, southern Bulgaria. It is included in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria and is named after the homonymous village nearby. With a total length of 10,500 m, Yagodinska is the third longest cave in the country after Duhlata and Orlova Chuka and the longest in the Rhodopes. Yagodinska Cave is home to 11 species of bats.

Duhlata is a cave situated in Vitosha mountain, western Bulgaria. With a total length of 18,200 m, Duhlata is the second longest cave in the country. It was declared a natural monument in 1962. The cave is home to six species of bats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lepenitsa Cave</span>

Lepenitsa is a cave in the Rhodope Mountains, southern Bulgaria. Lepenitsa is among the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria of the Bulgarian Tourist Union. It was declared a natural landmark in 1962.