The Spectacular Devetashka Cave In Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a Balkan nation with a diverse territory surrounding the Black Sea coast, a mountainous interior, and large rivers such as the Danube. It is a country with a long history and captivating nature, offering real gems such as the Devetashka cave.

The capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, is one of the oldest cities in Europe, with a cultural melting pot that includes Greek, Slavic, Ottoman and Persian influences. Similarly, it has a rich tradition of dance, music, costume, and crafts.

In reference to that enchanting nature, we will tell in detail what is in the famous Devetashka cave, one of the most impressive in the world. From light phenomena to tens of thousands of bats, all in one place!

Devetashka cave, the eyes of heaven

The Devetashka cave is one of the most beautiful in Bulgaria due to its impressive domes and the 7 holes that open the cave to the outside and allow light to pass through. It is precisely these holes that gave the cave the name “the eyes of heaven.”

The Central Balkans is the mountainous area that occupies the geographic center of Bulgaria. It is a mostly karst terrain little known to foreigners, who tend to stick to monumental and architectural visits when they visit this little touristy country in Eastern Europe.

To the north of the mountain range is the enigmatic Devetashka cave, composed of a system of large cavities where some parts of its roof have collapsed, for which large “eyes” have been opened through which the sun’s rays filter each morning.

Inside, and thanks to the entry of overhead light, some botanical species of interest grow that must be preserved. For this reason, the path through which the cave is visited is very well conditioned, with wooden walkways and railings.

The entrails of this peculiar cave

Devetashka is illuminated in its main chamber, so the ground is usually covered with lush vegetation. Inside, it also has 11 underground lakes, as well as a small stream that runs through the entire cave until it flows into the vicinity, specifically the Osam River.

The main entrance is impressive, with a large stone arch more than 60 meters high, the preamble to a walk in the dark. The cavity is more than 2 kilometers deep, but it is not authorized to visit it in its entirety, since in the most remote part there is a colony of up to 15 different species of bats.

The fantastic environmental conditions of the cave, with good weather, light and water, made it a place inhabited since prehistoric times. Here archaeologists have found much evidence of primitive settlements. In fact, it constitutes one of the sites with the richest cultural remains from the Neolithic Age.

Devetashka, a movie cave

Never better said, as this legendary cave has been the setting for action movies. Specifically, in 2011 the filming of the film The Expendables 2 , directed by Simon West and starring icons such as Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude van Damme, Jet Li and Arnold Schwarzenegger , was authorized inside..

The passage of hundreds of people, the explosions and even the landing of a plane inside the cave as part of some of the most spectacular scenes drove away much of the bat colony, which took up to a year to recover.

The film also took advantage of some of the fuel tanks that the Bulgarian authorities built in the 1950s, and which are part of the route that tourists can take.

Later, the Supreme Administrative Court of Bulgaria declared that there had been a violation of local environmental regulations. As a result, derisory fines were imposed on the producer.

A very great work of nature

In short, Devetashka is an exceptional natural attraction located on the Osam River. It was discovered by a group of researchers in 1921 and is the largest cave in the country. The length of the underground passages is 1500 meters.

The main feature of the cave, as we have already mentioned, are the large openings in the ceiling that give it its nickname “the eyes of heaven.” Thanks to these windows, some of its areas are perfectly illuminated during the day.

It is a cave through which streams flow, with natural arches covered with vegetation, more than 10 beautiful lakes and many other unusual formations. Without a doubt, a fantastic destination for lovers of nature in its most peculiar forms.