A mysterious stone city is frozen deep in the forests of Sredna Gora in Bulgaria.

Colossal-sized rocks scattered in bizarre clusters along the entire southern slope from Koprivshtitsa to Strelcha. Amazing structures that remember life on these lands 4000 years before Christ.

If we are traveling on the Sub-Balkan road, we stop via Koprivshtitsa towards Strelcha.

Almost immediately after conquering the saddle between the high peaks of Bunaya on the right and Bogdan on the left, we will notice dozens of those strange-looking stone colossi around the road.

We are already in the heart of the megalithic city and we are walking along one of the marked paths in the Kulata area. The area is stony, with a slope in a southern direction, but extremely picturesque in all seasons. Especially now, when late summer has already dyed the landscape yellow-orange – heralding the onset of golden autumn.

These are really huge granite rocks, piled up and shaped in a way that the imagination can hardly imagine.

Moreover, some of these canaries are set against any laws of physics.

That’s right – perfectly upright on the steep cliffs, astronomically aligned to ancient beliefs and cults. This is what the Thracian sanctuaries Kulata, Skumsale and Kachulata look like. The mighty earth forces are the main artist of this alien picture, but the Thracians, who recognized these rock phenomena as their sanctuaries, have shaped the most mysterious corners.

Along the trail, a huge oblong granite giant, protruding and visible from miles away, makes an impression. Such type of structures are called menhirs, and this one here is among the highest in Bulgaria.

This menhir is really quite tall. 5 meters and 80 centimeters.

Three times as much as a standing person. For the ancients, this type of upright stone was a symbol of the male principle and the sun.

Beds of stone, thrones, gutters, altars, pirustia. The silent granite giants know all, but their voice has died away in the silence of time. Only they remember the mysterious rituals, divination customs and sacrifices performed here by the Thracian-Odris.

Southwest of the Tower, on the right on the road to Strelcha, we go to Skumsale. Another megalithic city that impresses with the shapes and size of the stone blocks. The strange name probably comes from „kumsal“, the sandy soil of the entire southern slope under Mount Stramonos.

If one moves around, one will again see the now familiar cult fixtures, visibly hand-carved into the solid stone. The area is criss-crossed by paths between the cliffs, trodden by lovers of more extreme climbing.

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In practice, no one will stop you from climbing the rocks, but it should be borne in mind that it is not so safe. This is the kind of place we are looking for – with a forward view of the surrounding stone blocks.

A thousand-year history frozen in the skirts of Sredna Gora. Where the Thracians proved their courage by shooting arrows at lightning. Riddles from the life and beliefs of the ancient peoples, which are almost unknown to modern man.

The History Museum in Strelcha can tell us about the facts and hypotheses surrounding one of the largest megalithic cities in Bulgaria. The walk through the Thracian sanctuaries ends in the cozy halls, which have collected all the known history of the region

Материалът A mysterious stone city 4000 years old is hidden in Bulgaria е публикуван за пръв път на Vihrogon.bg.

An exceptional phenomenon in Bulgaria in the European Union.

Red Lake is formed there in the middle of a fabulously beautiful forest.

They call it Bloody Lake.

Attention!

It is indeed dangerous, but it is not full of blood.

Experts and local authorities are urging people not to visit it

However, its popularity on the web is growing and visitors are increasing.

The „Red Lake“, better known as the „Bloody Lake“, is gaining more and more popularity on social networks.

Beautiful and at the same time eerie footage amazes more and more tourists near the Pazardzhik village of Elshitsa, where it is located.

But, as beautiful as the attraction is, it actually turned out to be extremely dangerous.

„Since the lake has become an attraction, there has been a steady stream of people wanting to see it.
Since the property in which it is located is not municipal property, we have tried to limit access with signs that warn that the place is not safe at all“, emphasized the mayor of Elshitsa, Mitko Kochev, to the national television. He appealed to people not to visit the lake, which is not a phenomenon.

The „Red Lake“ is a dangerous pollutant.

„This water contains heavy metals, mainly iron, manganese, nickel and copper. The color comes from the iron and manganese ions.
In direct contact with the water surface, it can cause burns on the body. The health risk is high“, warned the chief eco-inspector of Pazardzhik, engineer Trendafil Velov.

The Red Lake is located a little more than a kilometer from the village of Elshitsa, Panagyurishte municipality, Pazardzhik district. Due to its convenient location near the Trakia highway, it is suitable for a one-day visit from both Plovdiv (about 64 km.) and Sofia (about 108 km.).

Its color is mainly due to pollution due to mining of copper and pyrite ore, and the waters of the lake have high levels of metal ions – copper, manganese and iron. Because of this, the flora and fauna are completely destroyed.

This red lagoon was formed by drainage waters that seeped to the surface after the final liquidation of the Elsitsa mine in 1998.

Already in 1992, the mining activity in Elshitsa was stopped, and a few years later a project was developed for the removal and purification of the drainage water and the reclamation of the tailings deposit.

Entering the Red Lake is strictly prohibited and caution should be exercised when approaching it.

Tsar Asen mine
The Tsar Asen mine is located a short distance from the Red Lake, which is an excellent prerequisite for visiting both places in one trip. The mine is an extremely popular landmark that attracts more and more tourists. The mine was used to extract non-ferrous metals during the socialist era, but was subsequently abandoned. It has now turned into a huge crater with stagnant water.

Материалът A Bloody lake in Bulgaria has caused a stir online, but stay away е публикуван за пръв път на Vihrogon.bg.