Bulgaria, Sliven “Natural Park Blue Stones. Journey to Sliven or "The Blue Peaks of Karandila" Description of the Blue Stones

(Natural Park "Blue Stones")

In Bulgarian - "Blue stones"

Location of the Blue Stones

The Blue Stones are located about 10 km northwest of Sliven. You can only get here by your own car or taxi.

Description of Blue Stones

Blue stones are rocks made of Persian and partly Lower Thracian porphyry quartz stone. Name of this natural phenomenon associated with color effects that occur depending on the angle of the sun's rays illuminating them. The stones appear bright or light blue, violet-blue and even grey-black. The blue stones are a labyrinth of peaks, valleys, caves and sheer abysses. On an area of ​​7 hectares, you can see several interesting natural formations. The rock formation Halkata (a ring; the diameter of the hole is 8 meters) is the symbol of the city of Sliven. According to legend, in ancient times there was a sea here, and during a storm, ships were tied to a rock so that they would not sink. There are several caves in the park. It is believed that the water from the spring in the Kushbunar cave cures eye diseases.

On the territory of the park there is also the Kutelka reserve, where, on an area of ​​more than 700 hectares, massifs of moesian beech and other rare and protected plant species, listed in the Red Book of Bulgaria, grow. There are more than 384 species medicinal plants. Of the 50 species of orchids, more than half grow here. There are about 1,600 species of butterflies in Bulgaria, of which 826 species can be found in the Blue Stones park. Birds of prey live in the park: the common vulture, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, eagle owl. The park is also famous for its valuable archaeological sites. The ruins of medieval fortresses and monasteries have been preserved.

The Blue Rocks near the city of Sliven in Bulgaria is a well-known natural attraction that tourists regularly visit. For the most courageous here in the 70s of the last century was built cable car, where you can go down from a height of 1000 meters to the foot of the rocks (about 350 meters above sea level).

Feelings, I must say, amazing! Not everyone has the determination to go on a 20-minute journey, many crammed back into the tourist bus at the very site of the cable car.

At the start, there was a terrible cold wind, which reminded us that you still need to dress differently in the mountains than on the beach in Sunny Beach.

About 5 minutes after the start of the journey, surrounded by forest, the weather changed dramatically - the sun appeared and it began to really bake. But all this did not last long, soon it got cold again.

The rocks are called blue - this color is given to them by the mineral contained in the rock. In cloudy weather, it was not possible to see the radiance of the mountains in blue.

Cable car seats yellow color, only 1 pair is white. According to the existing local tradition, on the wedding day, the newlyweds in Sliven make a “lap of honor” over the city and the Blue Rocks.

At the finish line in Sliven it was cloudy and windy again. As soon as we got on the bus, it began to rain.

The blue color of the rocks can only be truly seen in bright sunny weather. Last year, on the road to Veliko Tarnovo, the view of the Blue Rocks was magnificent!

Here it is our journey, which began as " just to see what is there, what kind of Sliven baths?” 130 km from us and then stretching for 3 days. There is always something to see in Bulgaria!

We went to explore the possibilities of others thermal springs in proximity to our place of residence, at the very end of October 26-28. And also Mr. Sliven and the nature reserve blue stones Naturally, they were included in the list of necessary visits. In Bulgaria, almost everything where water procedures are taken is called a “banya”. The bathroom in the apartment will also have a "bath" and a swimming pool with mineral water also bath. In Sliven, there was a "mineral bath" - that is, where they take medical procedures with mineral waters.
I agree with those who have previously visited the Sliven baths, but the Sliven baths did not seem to us either. When we found them appearance somehow did not inspire confidence. Buildings of some shaggy year of birth and it is not clear when they were repaired normally. I reasonably asked to see what kind of pool it was, they let me in, passing through the shower room, I really saw a complete semblance of public baths! And the "dark-haired" visitors actually washed themselves with soap and washcloths under jets of hot mineral water! Lost all desire! In general, we left there. But on the right (if you drive from Sliven) there is a new hotel with an outdoor pool, everyone says pretty well. But it was October and most of the hotels did not work anymore - it was not the season. But on the other hand, we found the ruins of the Roman baths on the territory, they were preserved no worse than the Sliven ones! .

We didn’t really like the city of Sliven either, some kind of no city, ordinary houses, plus or minus, well, nothing that would catch the eye. Standard average Bulgarian city.
But on the way, from the baths, near Sliven there is a wonderful winery!

They have a complex there and their own vineyards and sell wine and a restaurant and a hotel inside. In general, 3 in one bottle. Very cute place! We bought exclusive wine in Vinarn and went to the Blue Stones! We had to somehow compensate for the chagrin from the Sliven baths. !

Yes! on the right (if you go towards Sliven), not far from Vinarni, there is a good Rassadnik, which is not there from flowers to huge palm trees! I bought myself a pack.

Before blue stones the road is good, we arrived pleasantly. Myself natural park we liked it. Todor Zhivkov knew where to place his villas, one of them is here. Here it is what Zhivkov's residence is when viewed from the terrace of the Cable Car:

And the cable car complex is also very decent

Lift to the Blue Rocks

Unfortunately, the cable car did NOT work for us, such as prevention.? Is it interesting for the Russians or what is such a nipruha?
We decided to make our way up the mountain. The end of October, however, they still walked downstairs in T-shirts, but climbing higher and higher into the mountains, the weather did not change better side, a fog appeared, at times completely blocking the road. Well, since our driver was the heroic Mik15, with his experience, he was certainly fine with this car “climbing” in the fog! And I was sitting on the right in the car and kept thinking: why are we driving like that, that the mountains are all on the left, and from my side there are only steep cliffs emerging from patches of solid fog! I got a lot of impressions from this extreme!

We got to the upper complex. There was no one there but us. We wandered a little, but the further walk did not make sense,

Blue Stones is a name that has an emblematic meaning for the city of Sliven. This is the name of the rocky massif, towering directly above the city.
The blue color, in essence, is absent in the stones and in the rock mass as a whole. Blueness appears in the presence of characteristic for this region of the country atmospheric conditions most often in the evening. The prosaic explanation of this fact can be found in the geological composition of the rocks - this is one of the largest deposits of quartz porphyry in Europe.
The name "Sinite Kamyni" was given to the natural park created in 1980. Today, the Sinite Kameni Natural Park covers an area of ​​11,380.8 hectares and has become part of the country's system of protected areas. Part of the territory of the park - the areas of Grebenets and Stidovo - are included in the wide migratory front of birds Via Pontica. In the Sinite Kameni Nature Park there are six interesting natural objects: Halkata (Loop) one of the most famous is a rock phenomenon, which has become a favorite place for tourists due to its proximity to the city. within the borders natural park"Sinite kameni" is also located the "Kutelka" nature reserve with an area of ​​708 hectares, created in 1986 with the aim of preserving the groves of the mysian beech (Fagus silvatica ssp. moesiaca) and rock habitats of many birds of prey.
Despite its small territory, the Sinite Kameni Natural Park demonstrates the presence of a great biological diversity. 97 species of lower plants grow here, of which 43 are freshwater algae and 54 are lichens. higher plants there are 1,027 species and 29 subspecies. On the territory of the park today you can find 70 species and 7 subspecies of endemic, rare, relic and protected species, including rock tulip (Tulipa urumoffii), colchicum davidovii (Colchicum davidovii), Pontic hazel grouse (Fritillaria pontica), underdeveloped limodorum (Limodorum abortivum), Arabian wingworm (Aethionema arabicum), forest anemone (Anemone sylvestris), common belladonna (Atropa bella-donna), etc.
The fauna in the Sinite Kameni Natural Park is represented by 244 species of vertebrates and 1153 species of invertebrates. Among the invertebrates, 5 groups have been best studied, mainly butterflies and spiders. The first data for the first study of butterflies in Bulgaria (published in 1835-1837) were collected in the Sliven region, and at the end of the 19th century, the country's first entomological society "Svetulka" (Firefly) was founded here. As for vertebrates, 78% of them are subject to protection under the Law on Biological Diversity, and 23 of the local species are included in the world list of protected animals. 176 bird species are found in the park, of which 149 are protected species. Birds of prey are of exceptional interest, for which the rocky massifs in the park offer favorable conditions for nesting. Natural Park Sinite Kameni is one of four areas in the country included in the large-scale restoration project for the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Bulgaria.
Many places in the natural park are connected with the historical past of Sliven, as well as Bulgaria - the Haramiyata (Rebel) area has a direct connection with the traditions of the haiduk detachments. The Bulgarka peak (Bulgarka) is the highest in the eastern part of the Balkan Mountains (1181 m above sea level), and not far from it is the Daulite area with a 300 m ski slope, offering excellent opportunities for winter recreation. In the area of ​​Ablanovo, 6 km from the city, there is one of the first forest nurseries in the country, established in 1898.
The asphalt road makes it easy to climb the mountains - by car you can quickly reach most of the listed areas. An open cable lift takes tourists to the high part of the mountains in 20 minutes - the upper station is located in the Karandila area, a popular place for summer holidays among the inhabitants of this region of the country.
More than 50 trails have been laid on the territory of the Sinite Kameni Natural Park, which have become the basis for 18 tourist routes of various thematic directions - biological, historical, and entertaining. natural conditions in the park allow you to practice different types sports: mountaineering and speleology, cycling and motoring, hang-gliding and paragliding, winter sports and hiking in the mountains. The staff of the natural park creates and maintains places for recreation, takes care of the marking of routes, the installation of signposts and boards with information about tourist routes, natural attractions in the natural park, and about the rules of nature protection. A well-organized and extensive network of tourist paths and alleys creates excellent conditions for mass tourism, especially in summer period. The Directorate of the Natural Park created two thematic trails - ecological trail in the area of ​​Mollova Koria and the path of health in the area of ​​Ablanovo, especially popular among people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system and vision.
At the very foot of the mountains, in the north-eastern part of the city of Sliven and at the beginning of the well-known Haiduk trail among the inhabitants of the city, there is the Information and Tourist Center of the Sinite Kameni Nature Park. The permanent exhibition acquaints visitors with the most characteristic examples of nature, animal and flora in the park: here you can see collections of rocks, mosses and lichens, herbariums, insects. In the photographs, you can see the diversity of flora and fauna in this area, natural attractions and the most popular areas for recreation in the park. The Sinite Kameni Natural Park is included in the list of one hundred national tourist sites.
Employees of the Park Directorate provide the necessary information to tourists and guests of Sliven and at the Tourist Information Office in the city center.
Hunting and chasing animals, collecting and destroying eggs, and destroying bird nests are prohibited on the territory of the park.

The Blue Stones Natural Park is located on a rock mass that rises above the town of Sliven in Bulgaria. The natural park at this place has been open since 1980 and covers an area of ​​11 hectares. The name of the park comes from the color of the rocks. The fact is that these rocks are the largest European deposit of quartz porphyte.

The Blue Stones Natural Park includes several interesting natural objects. For example, the rock phenomenon of Halkata is the Loop. The Kutelka nature reserve is located on the territory of the park. It was created in 1986 to protect the habitats of birds of prey and groves of mysian beech.

Many places in the Blue Stones park are associated with historical events in Sliven and Bulgaria in general. For example, the Haramiyata area is associated with the traditions of the haiduk units.

The park occupies a relatively small area, but the diversity of local biological species is impressive. More than a thousand higher and 97 varieties of lower plants grow on this territory, among them more than 70 species of rare, endemic and relict species.

The fauna of the park includes 244 species of vertebrates and more than a thousand species of invertebrates. It was in the area of ​​the city of Sliven that the first people in Bulgaria began to study butterflies. Most of The vertebrates living here are protected by law. 176 bird species have been recorded in the park. Of particular interest are birds of prey nesting in the rocks.

There are more than 50 hiking trails on the territory of the natural park. There are 18 routes for tourists of historical, cultural and entertainment orientation. The local climate is favorable for practicing various sports: caving, rock climbing, cycling, paragliding, hang gliding, as well as winter sports.

Tourist routes are equipped with recreation areas and information boards. The asphalt road allows easy access to many areas and attractions of the park. And an open cable car takes tourists to the upper station in the Karandila area in 20 minutes.

In the northeast of Sliven there is an information center for tourists. Park "Blue Stones" is included in the list of national sites for tourists. On the territory of the park, hunting and chasing animals, destroying bird nests, and collecting eggs is strictly prohibited.