The other „Pobiti Kamani“: the little-known Stone Forest near Devnya
We have all traveled on one of our great highways – Hemus, from Sofia to Varna.
Yes, of course I am being ironic. I personally participated in its construction in my distant youth: during the last „brigade“ year of my studies.
Even to this day, it still hasn't been built. But maybe for my grandchildren it will be ready. Someday.
At 19 km before our Black Sea capital, on the left and right, there are signposts and junctions to „Pobiti Kamani“.
The „Center-South“ group is the most famous. It contains around 300 large and small stone columns, reaching up to 6 meters in height.
The beautiful area is a favorite spot for tourist visits by young and old alike. In the evening, the rock pillars are especially attractive when illuminated.
„The Strashimirov Group“ is also impressive. It is located south of the main group, near the village of the same name, and consists of four closely situated ensembles with structures of very different sizes and shapes.
The peculiar thing about the columns here is that they are bulging in the middle – as if two truncated cones are glued together at their bases. Some of them reach up to 9 meters in diameter.
Few have heard of the other „Pobit Kamani“
Between the villages of Strashimirovo, Slanchevo, and the Povelyanovo quarter of Devnya, there is another, much less known group of these amazing natural formations.
I set off toward them at the end of May with a group of adventurers.
None of us had been.
Beloslav – the beginning of a small adventure
We arrived from the direction of the town of Beloslav, which stretches out in a valley between the hills. I had never visited the town before and was pleasantly impressed by its clean and neat appearance.
Beloslav is situated on both banks of the Varna-Devnya deep-water canal, and the internal connection between the different parts of the city is carried out by a ferry.
And what's more, it's municipal and free!
Thousands of passengers and cars are transported on it daily, and tens of thousands of trips are made annually between the two banks.
If you have already arrived in Beloslav, leave at least an hour for another interesting experience – a visit to the submarine „Glory.
Personally, I had never set foot on a submarine before.
An interesting museum has been created, and the people who work there are truly dedicated to the cause. The tour guide tells the story of the submarine with passion, and one quickly realizes that for him, this is not just a job.
Near Slava is also located „The Glass Museum“. You can buy a combined ticket.
The prices are not entirely to be underestimated for the standard of the average Bulgarian tourist, but in my opinion, the visit is worth it.
And now – to the stones
If you have seen everything listed, you head in that direction.
From the pier of the „Slava“ submarine in Beloslav, you take the ferry of the same name across the channel and head down the road toward Devnya.
Stones fall from the right.
You leave the car somewhere. From there on, you walk: along a dirt road overgrown with lush grass, thistles, and beautiful wildflowers, depending on the season.
So be appropriately equipped.
The vegetation is dense and the place is wild.
In a few places on the left, huge mountains of white, sparkling „snow“—waste materials from Devnya—rise up.
Don't go to them.
I suppose that since they are piled up in an otherwise protected area, there is a reason not to approach them. I wouldn't risk either my health or my curiosity.
After about 4 km along this road, you reach a huge area, entirely dotted with all kinds of original formations.
The terrain is not difficult, but you need to wear sturdy hiking boots, have water and a hat, and have applied sunscreen well.
The heat is terrible in clear and sunny weather.
The Stone Forest
The picturesque stone pillars of this natural phenomenon, unique to our lands, are scattered over a huge perimeter.
„Pobitite Kamani are the largest and most interesting, yet little-known formation in the “Kanarata„ locality. It is also called the Stone Forest.
While browsing, I came across the following fact: „Pobiti Kamani were declared a natural landmark in the last century, in 1937 – the first officially declared and state-protected natural landmark in Bulgaria!!!
Just imagine: the bizarre rock formations emerged more than 50 million years ago.
And when you stand among them, the feeling is strange.
It is as if you have stumbled upon a place that does not quite belong to our world.
And the best part is that there are no crowds here. There are no hordes. There is no feeling that you are following yet another mandatory tourist route.
There are stones, grasses, sun, and space.
The Bulgarian desert by the sea
You probably do not know, but there are deserts in Europe too – as many as eight of them.
They are located in Spain, Italy, Serbia, and Romania.
And you might be surprised to find yourself walking through a Bulgarian desert – close to the sea, and not somewhere in the center of the country.
Here, nature has decided to surprise us once again.
The „Pobitite Kamani“ area features a characteristic desert landscape – with sands, sparse grassy vegetation, and specific xerophytic species.
The unusual natural environment is one of the features that make the place so interesting.
And „our“ stones in the area „The Career“ near Devnya strikingly resemble petrified trees.
The natural landmark is an ensemble of stone columns up to 10 meters high—hollow or solid cylinders, truncated cones, rock blocks of various shapes and sizes, arches, and fragments scattered throughout the entire complex.
I leave it to the reader's imagination to liken the shapes.
And believe me, there is plenty to imagine.
The spaces between the columns are occupied by gray-yellow sands, overgrown with lush grass and bushes.
At first glance, the place looks harsh.
But when you look closely, you begin to discover life everywhere.
I saw snails on the branches of the brushwood and uniquely beautiful, „whitened“ grasses whose name I never remembered, even though they told me at least three times.
I understood that these soft, wind-blown fluffy twigs are used in the decoration of the lazarki girls.
So – I learned something again.
I filmed a lizard and a turtle.
There were certainly snakes too, but we didn't run into each other.
And honestly, I didn't mind.
The Mystery of the Stones
The biggest mystery surrounding the „Pobiti Kamani“ is related to their formation.
How did these strange columns appear?
To this day, there is no single theory that provides a definitive answer.
There are various hypotheses that can be conditionally grouped into two main categories: those concerning their organic origin and those concerning their inorganic origin.
One of them suggests a connection to coral organisms.
According to other theories, their origin is explained by prismatic weathering of rocks or the formation of sandy-calcareous concretions.
Whatever the truth is, the result is impressive.
Nature has created a stone forest that provokes human imagination and scientific thought.
Australia is waiting for me again
It turns out that similar formations are known elsewhere in the world: in Shark Bay, in Nambung National Park in Australia.
And right away I told myself: I'll have to drop by there one of these days too.
I would love to.
To see this incredible continent again and this time to reach its western part.
Unfortunately, on my previous trip I didn't manage to get there.
But Australia is not considered for a month.
Not even for two. It is good to live on this continent-country.
This is one of those places you shouldn't just „pop into.“ But stay.
Last look
As I was leaving, I tried to take in this entire unusual area with my eyes.
It's not easy.
Rocks are everywhere – scattered, diverse, whimsical. And the more you look at them, the more shapes you begin to see.
For this time I settled for our unique and almost unknown „Pobiti Kamani“.
It is beautiful.
And it's worth it.
The return trip is easy: via Devnya, Varna, and the Hemus motorway to Sofia.
And I left with a feeling that often remains after a good journey: even when we think we know Bulgaria, it can still surprise us.
See more for the author Maria Radeva here
