Belogradchik and Magurata

After finishing up a short training session in Vratsa (way out on the other side of the country), I was invited up to a fellow volunteer’s town to see and help photograph one of Bulgaria’s great landmarks, the Belogradchik Rocks.

Eons ago, the Balkan Peninsula was actually covered under a vast ocean, and the evidence of this has been left in a region covering northwestern Bulgaria and eastern Serbia in the form of some amazingly unique rock formations. Just outside of town, there are countless numbers of them, each named after something they resemble, and many of them with their own mythology regarding their formation. These include Adam and Eve, the Madonna, the Whirling Dervish, the Bear, the schoolgirl, the mushrooms, the rebel Valko… the list goes on as far as the rocks stretch across the valley.

The main cluster of formations

Looking across a small ravine in the rocks...

The Rebel, "Valko"

The Horseman across the valley

Beyond the rocks into Serbia

Built into the main cluster of the rocks stands Kaleto, a complex of fortresses dating back to the Romans, and added to throughout history up until the rule of the Ottomans. While the Romans used the place primarily as a guard post due to the area’s natural towers affording a great view over the whole region, the Turks fortified it heavily with walls built by local experts. The legend goes that they then proceeded to kill those experts in order to make sure nobody could ever steal the blueprints. As a result of this long history, the complex is huge and imposing, while also deep and complicated – a labyrinth that uses the natural strength and observation range of the rocks. It is fascinating to walk deeper and higher through the fortress, peeling back the layers of history. There is an absolutely breathtaking view from the top, where one can see across the entire surrounding valley (also covered in rock formations), and into neighboring Serbia, just beyond a nearby mountain range.

The fort at sunset.

Looking down into the Ottoman part of the fort

Down into the fortress from the top,the Roman gate in the center.

The Ottoman gate below, the Roman gate within...

Later, we headed to a small village about 20 minutes away to tour the Magura Cave. This cave not only contains some beautiful cave formations, but more importantly hosts a gallery of cave paintings dating back to as old as 12000BC. The paintings, made from the copious amounts of bat guano available in the cave and preserved by the cool and constant atmosphere in the cave, depict ancient tribes hunting and carrying out mating rituals, as well as features of the surrounding region. An interesting aspect of the drawings is the large and powerful female forms depicted in the scenes (as opposed to the smaller, more submissive male forms), revealing that apparently the society in the region was led by the women.

Unfortunately there was also some recent graffiti evident in the cave, causing the city to take the measure of closing off the gallery of cave drawings from the public. Only because the local volunteer works closely with the mayor were we able to access the chamber in which they are present. However, steps are being taken to hold preserve not only the Magura Cave paintings but also the Belogradchik Rocks and Kaleto Fortress within. Both sites have been placed on the tentative list to become listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – in other words a site significant enough to earn international protection. The Belogradchik Rocks have also been included in the process to select the New 7 Wonders of the Natural World. The Rocks are currently 3rd in the category of geological features, a category that includes places such as the Grand Canyon (which currently is not the top in its category).

The future of these places is looking pretty good, and I hope that others will be able to experience the awe I felt during my visit to this truly unique corner of the country.

Until next time...