The Belogradchik Rocks are a group of bizarre sandstone and limestone rock formations, reaching up to 200 m in height. They form a strip, which is 30 km long and up to 3 km wide, and are located north of the western slopes of Stara Planina, near the town of Belogradchik in Bulgaria. The formations, which vary in color from red through yellow to grey, are a product of erosion and every distinct rock is named after an object it is believed to resemble. The Belogradchik Rocks (Bulgarian: Белоградчишки скали, Belogradchishki skali) are a group of bizarre sandstone and limestone rock formations, reaching up to 200 m in height. They form a strip, which is 30 km long and up to 3 km wide, and are located north of the western slopes of Stara Planina, near the town of Belogradchik in Bulgaria. The formations are a product of erosion. A panorama of the rock formations The rocks were declared a natural landmark in 1949 and consist of four independent groups. Every distinct rock is named after an object it is believed to resemble and the formations vary from red through yellow to grey in colour. The Belogradchik Fortress uses the rocks as part of its defenses.
Belogradchik rocks extend around 30 km length, 3 - 5 km width and up to 200 m height. The most magnificent rocks are surrounding Belogradchik : Madonna, The Rider, The Monks, The Student, The Lion, The Bear, Adam and Eva, The Casle. Four kilometres from the town, around Lepenitsa cave, there is another great group of rocks, where the biggest one i called The Dinosaur. Near by village Borovitsa are The Pinestone and The Beestone. From the platform of the famous Stone of Thought you can see an endless view of peaks, rocks, precipices, lush meadows, cool streams and the calm lineaments of Old mountain. Upon this view man becomes wordless. The name of each rock formation is given by the folklore. The flora surrounding Belogradchik rocks includes many rare species typical for the Balkans and written in the Red book of Bulgaria. The animals are represented by imperial eagle, owl, small vulture, black stork, wolf, wild boar, royal slag, deer, dormouse and etc. You can take one of the rambling paths from Belogradchik to the rocks, suitable also for cycling. In the end of the Palaeozoic era before 230 000 000 in this region stratified sandy and marly rocks. Later they were covered with sea, on the bottom of which laid sand, gravel and clay. As time goes by these materials were connected with sandy-clay solder. That is the way how conglomerates appeared. The reddish color is due to the iron oxides and hydroxides. Like a result from the New Alpine tectonic cycle the complex folded and showed above the surface and the region of Belogradchik got into a large cleft. Over the influence of the water, winds and temperature variations the limestones from these parts destroyed and revealed the cracked conglomerates. In millions of years the nature sculptured from the shapeless stone figures of mythical creatures, people, animals and birds. There were formed also over a hundred cave. These columns of rock generate natural fortress, which was exploited from ancient times.
Every stone here has a history and a legend full of suffering and heroism to explain the incredible stone beauty. Centuries ago between the rocks there was a nunnery. Early every morning the nuns went out to pray to God. The youngest among them – Vitinia couldn't hide under the cassock her unbelievable beauty. The rumour about her beauty spread all over the Roman empire. One day on the Day of Peter when the monastery could be visited Vita met with the roman Antonio. They hided their love from the nuns long time but after an year the fruit of their love saw the light of the day. Child voice filled the monastery with crying. Vita was revealed and faced the strict law of the nuns. They decided to curse her and expel her from the monastery with her child. At that moment from the hill came Antonio riding his white horse. He started begging the nuns not to punish his beloved. Then happened a miracle. Suddenly a storm started, a thunder stroke and the earth shook. The monastery laid in ruins and everything turned in stone – The Monks, The Rider, even Vitinia who turned in Madonna caring her child. The most characteristic peculiarity of the Belogradchik Fortress is the perfect inclusion of the unapproachable rocks in the whole fortress system. Three copnstruction periods can be seen in the buildings - Roman and Byzantine (1st-6th centuries), Byzantine and Bulgarian (8th-14th centuries) and Turkish (1805-1837). The constructions of the last period prevail in its present-day outlook. The fortress is situated at 10200 sq. m and has 5 gates, 4 of which are main. Magourata or the Rabishkata Peshtera (Rabisha Cave) is found near the village of Rabisha, 16 km west of the town of Dimovo, 50 km southwest from Vidin and 34 km northwest of Belogradchik. It was formed about 3-4 million years ago in the Magoura Hill, 463 m high. Inside one can see unique halls and formations as Triumphalnata Zala (The hall of tryumphs), Harmana (The wheat thrashing site), the Hall of the Stalactone, Glinenite Piramidi (The mud pyramids), Povaleniyat Bor (The fallen pine-tree), Vkamenenata Reka (The Stoned River), The Fiords, etc. The exit of the cave is through Vratach on the bank of the Rabisha Lake. Primitive men lived there. The wall drawings made with bat excrements are the only ones in the caves at the Balkan Peninsular. These masterpieces of late prehistoric art date back from the beginning of the Bronze Age. The cave was used by Manush Voivoda as a shelter. Magourata Cave is electrified, the length of its galleries are 2500 m. A minimal entry fee is paid. There is a hotel, a restaurant, pavilions and other buildings round it. There is a regular bus transport to the area from Belogradchik and the town of Dimovo. User Contributed Pictures
