If you already read our article “What to do in Lovech (Ловеч)?”, you know Lovech (Ловеч) is a great Bulgarian destination you should visit! We have stayed here longer than we originally planned. This is giving us the chance to explore more cool places nearby.
Lovech (Ловеч) works very well as a base for travelers to enjoy more stuff out of the limits of the city. It makes total sense! You stay in a very nice and comfy city and move to other interesting places kilometers away. Well, let’s see what to visit near Lovech, Bulgaria. After reading this, please pack and go!
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The Krushunski waterfalls – Krushuna waterfalls (Крушунски водопади).
Entrance fee: 5 BGN per adult (2.60 EURO).
Guys, the Krushunski waterfalls got on our list of favorite waterfalls! They are beautiful! You can be admiring them for a long time. You will feel you “need” a picture from every possible angle.
They are described as the biggest travertine waterfalls in Bulgaria. The dictionary defines travertine as the mineral formed of layered calcium carbonate as a result of the deposition from spring waters and mostly from hot springs. The process to give birth to such a mineral, and its geological formations, like these waterfalls, take a long time, guys! Thousands of years of constant interaction between the Earth’s thermal interior with the exterior. The result is beautiful. The type of waterfalls that look like frozen in time, surrounded by fresh and green vegetation, with different terraces fed by the main waterfall that should be around 20 meters high. In the lowest part, little natural pools get full of mineral water. The constant fall produces a wet and refreshing environment.
From the entrance of the park, you only have to walk following the signs to an ecological trail built with bridges and stairs. The trail makes walking easy, not really challenging. There are only a few areas to be careful about because they get moody and slippery. The wooden platform in front of the waterfalls is ideal to admire the power of the water and to feel the refreshing drops. We found the ecological trail in very good condition. No broken stairs, no loose or detached woods on the platforms. So it felt like a safe and beautiful place to enjoy by all age-visitors. You can also take a look at the waterfalls from the top. The climbing up demands a bit harder effort but it’s worth it!
To reach the Krushunski waterfalls from Lovech, you have to drive 34 kilometers northeast of this city. The waterfalls are very close to Krushúna village, a good reference for your GPS. They are inside the area of a park Maarata (Маарата) where you can spend a full day surrounded by nature. There are food stands, playgrounds, and tables for families to have a nice time. There’s even a hotel within the park premises if you want to make your stay longer. There’s also public transport from Lovech to Krúshuna village.
The entrance fee you have to pay doesn't include only the access to the Krushunski waterfalls but to the complete Maarata (Маарата) park. As said, it is 5 BGN per adult (2.60 EURO). We totally recommend you to visit the Krushunski waterfalls. But definitely, you can include other activities there and spend a fun and relaxing full day!
One last note, during our visit, the water was cold and we didn’t see signs allowing visitors to get into the waterfalls. We mention it because we saw the confusion on some websites and tourists about the chance to swim there. That is not allowed. Maybe in the past, it was.
The Devetashka Cave (Деветашката пещера).
Entrance fee: 3 BGN (1.5 EURO).
20 kilometers northeast of Lovech and only 2 kilometers from a village called Devetaki, you will find a massive and interesting cave, guys! The Devetashka cave! We were told, it’s the biggest of around 60 caves that exist in the Devetash Plateau.
It’s well known as Devetashka cave but people also refer to it as Oknata (the windows), due to the different holes on the top. These holes are like windows for the sunlight to get inside illuminating the cave’s interior. The cave’s entrance is approximately 30 meters high and 35 meters wide. After walking for something like 30 meters, you will see there’s a central hall that divides the cave into two areas. There, the top of the cave gets higher, from 60 to 100 meters high. You can explore a really wide and interesting cave! In its left area, there’s a small river that flows into the Osam river. The right side feels a bit warmer and at the end, there’s a round space called “the altar”. Stalagmites, stalactites, speleothems, natural domes, and little water streams are all around for you to admire.
Something very interesting is that there’s evidence showing this cave has been in constant use during almost every historical era. It has been a shelter for humans and also for different animal species. The first humans whose presence has been detected belonged to the Paleolithic, around 70,000 years BC. It means, there had been humans living in the cave for thousands of years. Currently, thousands of bats inhabit the cave. Signs all along the place ask visitors to respect them. So guys, let’s enjoy the cave but also respect the animal life and the general natural environment of the cave.
An extra note here. Some locals proudly remember that a Hollywood movie was filmed in the cave (The Expendables 2, 2011). While others hate to hear that due to the invasion that meant for the natural environment of the cave.
We strongly recommend you to visit the Devetashka cave. If you are into caves, you can’t miss it!
The Kakrina Inn (Къкринското ханче).
If you are interested in the history of Vasil Levski (Bulgarian hero), the place where he was captured by the Ottomans still exists and it has become a museum that you may like to visit. It’s 19 kilometers away from Lovech, in a village called Kakrina. If you look for the Kakrina village on the GPS, you will reach it easily. Once there, there are signs all the way to drive you to the exact place. It’s a small place, not so impressive for most but with a huge historical value for Bulgaria.
Architectural reserve of Staro Stefanovo (Архитектурен резерват Старо Стефаново).
25 kilometers southeast of Lovech, you can visit an ethnographical reserve. It’s located in the village of Staro Stefanovo which is one of the oldest settlements in the region with proven ancient Bulgarian origin. The village stores a collection of around 100 buildings that date from the end of the 17th century and the middle of the 19th century. All of them have been recognized as cultural landmarks.
The village is authentic, small, and not full of tourists. Some houses for sure will be under reparations when you go. But others will be in good condition and ready for you to see them. If you want a jump in time through architecture, this can be your choice.
The Prohodna Cave (Проходна пещера).
A bit further, around 70 km from Lovech, an hour and 10 minutes drive West of Lovech, there's a stunning cave you shouldn’t miss: The Prohodna Cave (Проходна пещера). Before this trip, we weren’t too much into caves, but the ones we visited in Bulgaria are impressive. They have awakened our curiosity and now we are fans of caves!
The Prohodna Cave (Проходна пещера) or The Eyes of God cave is a huge place naturally and beautifully lited due to the different holes it has on the top (ceiling). There are two entrances (cave’s arches), one higher (45 m) than the other (35 m). Sometimes, people name places with attractive names to attract tourists, but once you are there, you require tons of imagination to find out what you are supposed to see based on such names. It’s easy to be disappointed but fortunately, The Eyes of God cave is not the case!
Being there you will clearly see two holes on the cave’s top, one next to the other, with a distance between them and a very similar almond shape that truly resembles two huge eyes. Being on top of the cave, they seem to be staring at you hahaha. Besides, the texture of the cave’s interior visibly emphasizes the image of a face looking down. Move around the cave and you will discover the specific angles where this image is clearer.
And there’s more, the presence of this sight is dramatically and pleasingly empowered by the sun rays filtering into the cave through the eyes. This reflection directly hits one of the giant walls of the cave. Exactly there, locals hanged an image of Jesus Christ. Honestly, with or without the God factor, being or not a believer, everybody can feel and enjoy the power of this effect that nature itself has created in this stunning cave!
No matter the hour of the day you go, the eyes look amazing! But you know, on very sunny days, the light rays will be stronger. If you go in the night and there’s a full moon or at least it’s not a very cloudy day, moonlight filters through the eyes in a magical way! During the Winter there will be snow and huge icicles around the eyes and the whole ceiling due to the water that filtrates. And if you go on a rainy day, well, the eyes will be ‘crying’ giving another dramatic image you will never forget.
Besides, we got surprised by all the things you can do in the cave. You can easily spend a full fun day there.
- Exploring the cave. This is the main purpose of visiting Prohodna cave. You can walk around and see the eyes from all the angles you want.
- Walking into a natural trail. It starts exactly when you reach the highest entrance to the cave (45 m arch of the cave). You can end in the building of Peter Tranteev National Speleological Society from which you can enjoy a view of the valley, the Prohodna cave, and the Iskar river. You can do this walking in the opposite direction too, reaching Prohodna cave from this building. The Speleological Society’s building is not a common one. It was constructed in the crevice of a rock. Some of its walls are exactly parts of this big rock and its shape looks like a bat. This shape is recognizable when looking at the building from above.
- Bungee jumping! Jumps take place in the highest arch of the Prohodna cave and it’s a great environment for jumping. We saw single jumpers but also couples jumping together and it’s fun hahaha. Their screams really mean the adrenaline this extreme jump produces hahaha.
- Cave lift. If you look for a lighter but exciting activity, you can pay for being lifted for some minutes to have a unique view of the cave’s interior. They use a harness, helmet, and ropes to lift you.
- Climbing. We met climbers in the cave. They told us, that there are climbing routes separated into different sectors with different difficulty levels for all types of climbers to enjoy, from beginners to professionals. These guys were visibly professionals in great physical condition. They were climbing one of the highest walls of the cave and it’s a big challenge, but a great exercise if you want to try.
The providers of all these services (activities) are kind and nice people. They explain to you very well both, in Bulgarian and English, the prices and safety instructions for you to enjoy without risks.
Access to Prohodna Cave is not hard at all and it’s free! Watching the amazing show that the natural elements present in the cave produce, we couldn’t believe there’s no entrance fee to this place. But yes, it’s free so there’s no excuse to miss it! It’s a popular Bulgarian attraction so it’s easy to locate with your map or GPS.
The last recommendation, behave properly, remember someone is watching you from above hahaha.
Conclusion.
Guys, Bulgarian mountains and roads are full of beautiful stuff to enjoy! Right now we are in the north-central part of this lovely country. Stay with us and let’s explore together whatever is ahead. Get inspired and travel! You know guys, just pack and go!
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