Ledenika Cave — the most popular and best-developed cave in Bulgaria

Ledenika owes its beautiful name to good reason: one of its halls contains striking ice stalactites and stalagmites in the most remarkable shapes. Back when Bulgaria was under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire, shepherds used the perpetually cold cave to store milk. The cave is about 300 metres long and consists of a dozen halls. In some halls the temperature is always below zero, while others are a little warmer — up to +8 degrees. The first hall, for example, which lies lower than the rest and is called “Preddverieto”, is always cold. In the far halls the temperature is usually between 8 and 15 degrees. The halls differ in size, but all of them are highly picturesque. Petrified “waterfalls”, beautiful stalactites (the tallest of them is 4.5 m high) and other formations adorn the cave’s walls and ceiling. The largest hall has exceptionally good acoustics, and concerts by the Vratsa Philharmonic are sometimes held there.

And the hall with the telling name “Hladilnika” holds a lake of icy water. There is a belief that if you dip your palm into the water and make a wish, it will certainly come true. The very last hall, reached by climbing a metal staircase past the narrow “passage of sinners” and the “White Hall”, is called “Seventh Heaven”. It is the highest hall in the cave.

Practical information:

• Getting to the cave is easy — the route from the town of Vratsa is marked with signs. A winding asphalt mountain road leads there. There is a small car park in front of the entrance to Ledenika.
• The cave is open to visitors all year round. Admission costs 6 lv for adults and 4 leva for students and pensioners.
• There is an amusement park next to the cave. It has a 5D cinema (3-5 lv for 15 minutes), and sports games and hikes along eco-trails are organised there.
• Concerts and entertainment events for children and adults are often held in the cave. Detailed information about them can be found on the cave’s official website.
• If you are planning to visit this place, bear in mind that humidity in the cave is 92% and the temperature even in summer is no more than 15 degrees. It is therefore sensible to dress and wear shoes for warmth.
• Information brochures and souvenirs can be bought in front of the cave entrance.
• Entry to the cave is permitted only with a guide.

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