The document summarizes several natural and historical sites in Bulgaria, including the Marvelous Bridges formation created by erosion of a river through marble cliffs, the bizarrely shaped sandstone and limestone rock formations known as the Belogradchik Rocks, the scenic Seven Rila's Lakes located high in the Rila Mountains, the medieval fortress of Tsarevets in Veliko Tarnovo which was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, and the Shipka Memorial monument honoring those who died defending the Shipka Pass in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.

1. Natural and historical
sites in Bulgaria
Developed by: Bojidar Savov

2. Mar velous Bridges
 The "bridges" were formed by the erosive activity of the once
high-water river. It transformed the marble clefts into a deep
water cave, the ceiling of which whittled up through time and
collapsed, allegedly during an earthquake. Geologists suppose
that the water carried the debris away.
 As a result, the two remaining bridge-shaped boulders
remained. The large one (situated upstream) is 15 metres at its
widest and 96 metres long, and shaped by three vault arches,
the largest of which is 45 metres high and 40 metres wide. The
Erkyupriya River flows under the middle-sized arch. The large
Wonderful Bridge is passable under the vaults where birds nest
in the marble clefts. The smaller bridge is located 200 metres
downstream. It is unpassable, 60 metres in length, with a total
height of 50 metres, 30 metres at the highest place of the arch.
A third, very little and hardly reachable bridge-like formation
follows, constituting the entrance of a pothole cave where the
river waters disappear underground, and show back up after 3
km.

3. Pictures of Marvelous Bridges

4. Belogradchik Rocks
 The Belogradchik Rocks (Bulgarian:
Белоградчишки скали, Belogradchishki
skali) are a group of bizarrely shaped
sandstone, limestone and conglomerate
rock formations located on the western
slopes of the Balkan Mountains (Stara
Planina) near the town of Belogradchik in
northwest Bulgaria. The rocks vary in color
from primarily red to gray to yellow; some
of the rocks reach up to 200 m in height.
Many rocks have fantastic shapes and are
associated with interesting legends. They
are often named for people or objects they
are thought to resemble. The Belogradchik
Rocks have been declared a Natural
Landmark by the Bulgarian government
and are a major tourist attraction in the
region.

5. The Seventh Rila’s Lakes
 Each lake carries a name associated with its most
characteristic feature. The highest one is called Salzata
("The Tear") due to its clear waters that allow visibility in
depth. The next one in height carries the name Okoto ("The
Eye") after its almost perfectly oval form. Okoto is the
deepest cirque lake in Bulgaria, with a depth of 37.5 m.
Babreka ("The Kidney") is the lake with the steepest shores
of the entire group. Bliznaka ("The Twin") is the largest one
by area. Trilistnika ("The Trefoil") has an irregular shape
and low shores. The shallowest lake is Ribnoto Ezero ("The
Fish Lake") and the lowest one is Dolnoto Ezero ("The
Lower Lake"), where the waters that flow out of the other
lakes are gathered to form the Dzherman River.
 The Seven Lakes chalet are a main tourist attraction in
Bulgaria because of the inspiring natural beauty of the
place. The lakes are located one above the other and are
connected by small streams, which form tiny waterfalls and
cascades. You can find tourist accommodation in the lakes'
vicinity. It lies on the northeastern shore of The Fish Lake,
at an elevation of 2,196 m.

6. Pictures of the Seventh Rila’s
Lakes

7. Tsarevets
 History
 The earliest evidence of human presence on the hill dates from the
2nd millennium BC. It was settled in the 4th century and a
Byzantine city, tentatively identified with Zikideva, was
constructed near the end of the 5th century, on the grounds of
which the construction of the Bulgarian stronghold was begun in
12th century. After the Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion and the
establishment of the Second Bulgarian Empire with its capital in
Veliko Tarnovo, the fortress became the most important one in
Bulgaria, often compared with Rome and Constantinople in
magnificence. In 1393, the stronghold was besieged by Ottoman
forces for three months before finally being conquered and burnt
down on 17 July, which marked the fall of the Bulgarian Empire.
 It has three entrances. The main entrance is located in the
easternmost side of the hill. The castle complex is located in the
centre, surrounded by an internal stone wall, two battle towers
and two entrances - north and south .It consists of a throne hall,
castle church and the king's chamber. The restoration of the
fortress Tsarevets began in 1930 and was completed in 1981 in
honour of the 1300 anniversary from the establishment of the
Bulgarian state. Kings Petar, Asen, Kaloyan and Ivan Asen the
second lived there.

8. Pictures of Tsarevets

9. Peak Shipka
• The Shipka Memorial (Bulgarian: ) is on
Stoletov Peak near the pass, reached by a
flight of steps or a short road. It is a memorial
to those who died for the
Liberation of Bulgaria during the Battles of
Shipka Pass in the Russo-Turkish War of
1877-78. It was opened with a ceremony in
1934 and designed by architect Atanas
Donkov and sculptor Aleksandar Andreev.
The monument is a 31.5-metre (98-foot) high
stone tower in the form of a truncated
pyramid. A giant bronze lion, 8 m (26 feet)
long and 4 m (13 feet) high, stands above the
entrance to the tower, and a figure of a
woman represents the victory over the
Ottoman forces. A marble sarcophagus
housing some of the remains of the Russian
and Bulgarian casualties is located on the
first floor. There are four other floors where
one can find replica of Bulgarian military flags
and other relics, and the top of the tower
reveals a panorama of Shipka Peak and the