Devetashka cave is one of the most popular and beautiful caves in Bulgaria! Its impressive height and the five holes on its ceiling are what makes the place really scenic - once light comes through them, the cave turns into a magical spot!

Devetashka cave is located in the North central part of Bulgaria close to the town of Lovech (around 30 minutes by car) – there are signs on the road, but I definitely recommend using GPS. The GPS will take you to something like a small parking lot where the ticket office is. The entry costs around 3 lv. An interesting fact is that the cave was found only about 100 years ago – in 1921! It used to serve as a military base and a place to store petroleum – this is why people say it still smells like petroleum (although I didn’t smell anything). There are also big circles on the floor of the cave – this was where the petroleum was stored.

Another interesting fact is that few scenes of the "The Expendables 2" movie were filmed in the cave – this is why you will see a poster of the movie close to the entrance of the cave (after the ticket office). Bonus fact and useful information: there are many bats living in the cave, so buying a magnet or a souvenir with a picture of a bat on it is quite common (there are plenty of people selling those at the entrance). However, this also means that the cave might be closed in June or July when the breeding period of the bats takes place.

In any case, the region is quite “rich” when it comes to sightseeing places – there are many caves (incl. Garvanitsa Cave, Stalbitsa Cave, Fuyova Cave), eco trails, waterfalls (especially the famous Krushuna waterfalls) and historic sights (especially in Lovech), so I recommend you rent a car, stay in Lovech for a few days and explore the area. There is a bus and a railway station in Lovech, so it is easy to reach the town by public transportation. However, since there are so many places to visit around Lovech (and there are no shuttle buses that can take you around these great spots), I think rent-a-car is the best option.

Tips:

• Close to the entrance of the cave there is a map of all sightseeing places in the region – check it out for travel ideas!
• Make sure to visit Lovech – I personally loved the town!
• Wear sports shoes – high heels are definitely not an option for visiting caves and waterfalls in the region. Not only you will be uncomfortable, but for safety reasons as well. 

Check my travel map and follow me on Instagram to see more photos from Bulgaria!

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