The "Devil's Throat" Cave in the Rhodopes

A legendary cave

“Dyavolskoto garlo” is located in the Western Rhodopes, not far from the town of Devin. It attracts tourists with the chance to touch a truly untamed force of nature. The place owes its ominous name to the natural entrance to the cave, which resembles a devil’s head. The cave became famous for the country’s largest underground waterfall. The waters of the Trigrad River fall inside the cave from a height of 42 m, creating a deafening roar in the “Buchashta zala” — the “Roaring Hall”. The noise of the water,

the vast spaces, the bats living in the cave and the imposing reliefs on the walls create a special mood.

This is the second largest cave in Bulgaria. 400 metres from the entrance the waters disappear between the rocks and come back to the surface only dozens of metres further on.

The Thracians, impressed by the cave, came up with many legends about it. For example, they said that it was here that Orpheus descended underground for Eurydice. There was also a legend that ancient chieftains threw themselves into the river here in order to become immortal.

It is believed that everything that falls into the river disappears without return. This has been proved experimentally more than once. Once researchers tried to dye the waters in the cave to find out when the coloured water would appear on the surface. Surprisingly, although the distance between the cave and the place where the water comes out from underground is less than a hundred metres, the dyed waters covered this route only in an hour and a half. There are many hypotheses about the system of underground labyrinths that the river passes through, but for now the cave keeps its secrets.

Practical information

• Visiting the cave on your own is prohibited – you may only come here with a guide. The tourist route runs along a gallery built specially for this purpose, which passes alongside the waterfall and through the “Roaring Hall”.
• The cave is at least a kilometre long, but the tourist route is only 350 m long; it consists of a metal staircase (300 steps) with safe railings.
• Admission to the cave is free for children under 7.
• From May to September the cave is open for visits every day from 10 to 17, and in the winter season from 10 to 16.
• For thrill-seekers, a descent into the cave by boat with an instructor is offered in the summer period.
• The cave maintains a temperature of +8 degrees all year round, so it makes sense to dress warmly.
• There is a small car park in front of the entrance to the cave.

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