The Magura Cave

The Magura Cave is located in northeastern Bulgaria, 17 km from Belogradchik, in the limestone Rabisha burial mound (altitude 461 meters).

It is one of the largest and most beautiful caves in Bulgaria. It consists of the main gallery and three side branches. The overall length of the cave is approximately 2500 meters.

The temperature in the cave is a constant 12 degrees Centigrade, year-round. It is most visited during the summer months.

According to geological studies, The Magura Cave began to take shape about 15 million years ago. In one of the caverns prehistoric paintings have been discovered, carved into the walls and decorated with bat guano (droppings).

The paintings depict the silhouettes of women, men dancing and hunting, people wearing masks, animals, stars, tools, and plants. The paintings date from different eras – the early Paleolithic, the Neolithic, the later Neolithic, and the beginning of the Bronze Age. A solar calendar from the late Neolithic found there is the earliest solar calendar discovered in Europe.

It is painted on the walls of the sanctuary hall and depicts 5 festivals and 366 days.

The Magura Cave was recognized as a natural landmark by Decree 666 on 3 May 1960.

The cave offers one of the richest collections of geological formations, of all shapes and sizes – stalactites, stalagmites, columns,

Geodesic formations, cave pearls, and flows of “cave milk”.

The remarkable Giant Column is over 20 meters high on a 4-meter base. The Fallen Pine is another of the largest stalagmites discovered in Bulgaria’s caves, with a length of over 11 meters and a base that has a diameter of 6 meters.

The cave is used to make sparkling wine, since the conditions in the cave are similar to those required to produce French champagne.

Photography and the use of other photographic equipment are permitted in the cave.

Near the cave is Rabisha Lake – the largest inland lake in Bulgaria, with a depth of 35-40 meters. The lake is the result of tectonic activity, and the lake and surrounding area, ideal for windsurfing, swimming, hunting, and fishing, are among the country’s most preferred tourist destinations.