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Vkamenena Gora – Harmankaya
The trail
The trail starts from rezervat Borovets and continues northeast direction towards Vkamenena Gora. Vkamenena Gora (The petrified forest) near the village of Raven, Kardzhali province is 30 million years old. And it is unique in the world. In many other places on the planet have been found areas with petrified trees. But the forest in the Rhodope Mountains is the only one in which the trees still stand upright. Unfortunately, the woods decreases each year. Besides nature, another reason is the behavior of unscrupulous tourists who want to take a piece of the unique rocks for themselves.
The largest of the remaining 20-ish trees in the forest is with a diameter of 4 meters and a height of a meter. Most of the trees are up to a meter high and with a significantly smaller diameter of about half a meter. The forest covers an area of 75 acres. To reach the largest trees you need to climb steep scree.
This is far for the only difficulty you have to overcome before you reach the magnificent forest.
The trees are in deep coomb called Gabaz Tepe from the locals. It is believed that the forest has occurred as a result of volcanic activity. There are two theories about its origin. According to the widespread, one the trees are part of existed millions of years ago forest that was located on the shore of an ancient sea. In a volcanic eruption, it was partially buried, and the high temperature carbonized trees.
After that you should head north to Harmankaya. This is a sanctuary hewn into the rocks situated around a small cave and raising above a river valley, over a fortified by the rocks plateau. The early archaeological heapings of rocky fragments date to the late Eneolithic Age. Around the whole surface could be seen hewn into the rock facilities – premises, round and trapezium-shaped niches, sepulchres, cisterns, concentric circles looking like a sand-glass, sacrificial altars, pools, steps. The internal sacred space was accessed through a crevice between the rocks, additionally processes as entrance and closed by a door – the traces of the threshold and grooves remained even to this day.
After a tour of Harmankaya you head along an existing forest path which reaches a fountain, which is along the asphalt road leading to the village of Bivolane.
The route continues to the north along the existing asphalt road from which you can reach the religious complex “Elmal Baba Tekke”, where bicycles are provided, with which you can return to the starting point.
The duration of the trail is around 4 hours, so make sure you are with comfortable attire and have enough water!
