Mountain Gorge

The Trigrad Gorge is a 7-kilometer defile north of the village Trigrad, about 3.5 hours away from Sofia, which winds beneath towering marble cliffs that have been eroded and cut-through for over millions of years by the Trigrad River. In some areas along the gorge, the cliffs are some 300 meters apart, but in some parts they are about a mere 100 meters apart from both sides. On the western side of the gorge the cliffs rise roughly 180 meters, while on the east they are 300-350 meters high. These gargantuan dimensions place the gorge third among all geological formations of this type in Bulgaria. The road to Trigrad winds along the river that in places pours from the rocks. It is a one-lane mountain road, with a two-way traffic. Driving through this narrow, winding road requires considerable attention and tolerance, since cars traveling in opposite directions can’t pass each other. The Trigrad River disappears into the earth at the entrance to The Devil’s Throat Cave, only to reappear some 530 meters below in a different cave. The Devil’s Throat Cave is one of the country’s most impressive developed caves, in part because of its huge waterfall fed by the river – a 42-meter drop. There are many other caves in the area, but most of them are relatively small (only 12 are more than 100 meters long). Remains from Neolithic cave dwellers have been discovered there. However, the cave can only be visited with the use of climbing and spelunking equipment and accompanied by an experienced guide. Not far from these caves is the beautiful Yagodina Cave. The road through the Trigrad Gorge leads to the picturesque village of Trigrad. Near the village there are a number of hiking trails that allow visitors to further appreciate the beauty of the region.