The secret of the stone forest of Varna

18 km. from the Bulgarian city of Varna there is a valley bearing the poetic name "Stone Forest". On an area of ​​70 square kilometers, there are many columns of stone with diameters of up to three and a height of up to seven meters. Composed of calcareous sandstone, these porous stones are covered with grooves and cracks; inside they are hollow and filled with sand. The Bulgarians themselves call them “hammered stones” (“Beat stones”), because when you look at them, you get the feeling that this unique “forest” cannot have a natural nature and its creation is the work of intelligent beings.

The origin of this miracle is a mystery that has not yet been solved, but there are many versions of the origin of the columns. According to one of them, the stones are gigantic stalagmites with a history of more than 50 million years. According to the other, there are lime deposits that remained here after the ebb tide, and the bizarre forms are only a result of prolonged exposure to wind and air. According to the third version, these are stumps left over from ancient trees. However, none of the versions has been confirmed so far.

Several groups of stones are conventionally distinguished. The first is four rows of columns that are perpendicular to the road. Next - a group of tall (about 6 meters) "trees". The third - stones, as if put on top of each other by someone's gigantic hand. But the most interesting for tourists is the fourth group - a circle of relatively small stones, in the center of which there is a high column. The Bulgarians themselves have a belief that if you go around the entire "Stone Forest" and then go inside this circle, luck will never turn away from you.