The famous Prohodna Cave is located northeast of Sofia’s capital, at 110 km. The name of the cave comes from the Bulgarian word for a passage, as it is the longest cave in the country – about 365 km long. It is open to visitors all year round, depending on the weather.
Once you cross the threshold, you feel intimidated by its size and semi-dark spaces, just like the cavemen did a few hundred thousand years ago. The Prohodna cave allows you to look into “God’s eyes.”
This cave is approximately 70 million years old and was discovered about 60 years ago, in 1962. There are traces of the inhabitants who lived here 200,000 years ago. It is famous for its “eyes.” They are two holes caused by erosion. They remind the human eye, which is why they are called “the eyes of God.” Furthermore, they are almond-shaped, and from underneath, you have the impression that someone is looking at you. Because of this phenomenon, its size and characteristics, the cave is included in the list of “100 best Bulgarian tourist sites”.
The only light available in the cave is the one coming from these two holes and from its two entrances, one small and one large. Nevertheless, there is enough light inside for people to do sports. The cave is famous for bungee jumping, which can be done from the large entrance.At this site, the Prohodna Cave, it is possible to practice climbing. It is divided into several sections, depending on the climbers’ difficulty level. The cave can be visited without a guide, but the floors can become slippery on cold winter days.
A bit further south of the cave is a mountain inn called “The national cave house “Peter Tranteev””. This hostel is located on the top of the mountain, which allows to have a good view of the cave and the river Iskar, which used to fill the Prohodna cave but now flows only under it. An interesting fact about this river originates in the Rila mountain range, which is in southern Bulgaria and flows north instead of the other way around.
You must take a path through the woods directly from the hostel to the cave. It is a popular destination, so booking the places at the hostel a few days before your trip is advisable.
In front of this cave, we become aware of the power of God and are reminded of how small we are and how big and powerful our nature is. The erosion processes in the cave have changed its appearance over time, but it has nevertheless kept traces of the people who used it as a dwelling long ago.
Therefore, to go and meet this cave would be like looking into the eyes of the Creator, going back in time and space. As the eyes are the mirror of the soul, you could see the whole miracle of life and nature at once, just by crossing the threshold of this cave.
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