The cave «Devil’s throat» in the Rhodopes

A legendary cave

«Devil’s throat is located in the Western Rhodopes, near the town of Devin. It attracts tourists by the opportunity to touch the real unbridled power. This place is obliged ominous name to the natural entrance of the cave, resembling the devil’s head. The cave is famous for the largest in the country underground waterfall.

A water of the river falls in the cave with a height of 42 m, creating a deafening roar in the «Buchascha zala – the «Roaring hall. The sound of water, a huge area, bats that live in caves and impressive bas-reliefs on the walls create a special mood.

It is the second largest cave in Bulgaria. Water disappears between the rocks at 400 metres from the entrance and again come to the surface only through dozens of meters.

The Thracians impressed by the cave came up with about it many legends. For example, they told that here Orpheus went down to the Underworld for Eurydice. And there was a legend that the ancient chiefs rushed here to the river to become immortal.

It is believed that everything that falls into the river disappears irretrievably. It was many times proved experimentally. Once the researchers tried to tint the water in the cave to find out when colored water appears on the surface. Surprisingly, although the distance between the cave and the place where the water emerges from the ground, less than a hundred meters the coloured water overcame this path only for half an hour. There are many hypotheses about the system of underground labyrinths, which overcomes the river, but the cave is still keeping its mystery.

Practical information

• Independent visit to the cave is forbidden – you can come here only with a guide. The tourist route runs through the gallery which was built for this purpose and runs along the waterfall and «Roaring hall.
• The length of the cave is not less than a kilometer, but the tourist route is only 350 m in length, there is a metal staircase (300 stairs) with safe railings.
• Children under 7 years can visit the cave for free.
• From May to September the cave is open for visits every day from 10 to 17 o’clock, in the winter season from 10 to 16 o’clock.
• In the summer period for extremes it is proposed the descent into the cave on a boat with an instructor.
• The temperature in the cave is +8°C all year round, so it makes sense to dress warmly.
• There is a small parking in front of the entrance to the cave.