After my visit to the Baba Vida fortress, according to the plan, I had to stop by the Magurata cave. The cave is located about 50 km from the town of Vidin. If you are traveling from Vidin, be sure to take the road through Zheglitsa and Dimovo! I made the mistake of traveling through Bukovets and Rakovica and I regretted it many times. I can not believe that this road is on google maps and the navigation. All that is left of the old rocks, holes and memories from this road. And these 50 kilometers seemed to me like 500. If you travel from Belogradchik, Montana or Vraza again you have to take the road through Dimovo, it is the most painless. From Belogradchik Magurata Cave is only 17 km away.
Right on the turnoff to the cave is the hotel complex Magura, from there you have to go up the turnoff, where you will reach a fork. On it you have to turn left or rather continue straight, to the entrance to the cave. There is an old sign that will guide you.
At the end of the road you will reach a small parking lot and a restaurant, which unfortunately has not been working for a long time. Usually there is a person there who will direct you to the entrance of the cave. There are also signs just before the stairs up.
Magurata cave
After climbing the stairs you will reach a small meadow with benches, a small building where tickets are sold and a pavilion where you can buy coffee and something to eat (in the high season from May to October). The rest of the months the pavilion is closed. The ticket for the entrance to the Magurata cave costs BGN 12 per adult (as of March 15, 2022). The entrance to the cave is in groups every hour, when there are 2 guides. If only 1 guide is available, the guided entrances are every 2 hours. In front of the entrance of the cave there are several signs showing the location of the Magurata cave and other interesting caves in the area.
Places to stay near Vidin
Magura is a pass through cave, which means that you enter from one end and exit from the other. The exit from the cave is 2 km from the entrance. This means when you exit, you will have to return to the parking lot in front of the entrance if you left your car there. In the high season there is a small train that takes you back from the exit to the parking lot. But since I was there in March, the train was not in service yet.
The other option is to leave your car at the exit and walk to the entrance of the cave. Once you have completed the tour, you will be able to get in your car and drive directly to your next destination.
You should also know that the Paleolithic cave drawings hall is closed to visitors by order of UNESCO for conservation purposes. But still, a visit to the cave is well worth it. As soon as you enter, Magurata will captivate you with its colossal size.
Places to stay near Belogradchik
The total length of the cave is about 2500 meters and its temperature is 12 degrees Celsius throughout the year. There are huge halls and galleries where concerts and other events are held. Some of the paintings in the cave date back to the late Paleolithic, which means 8000 BC. The paintings are made with guano (bat manure) and in most cases depict hunting.
In addition to the paintings in the Magurata Cave, you can see the traditional stalactites, stalagmites and stalactons. As well as bizarre figures resembling fairy tale characters, celebrities and everyday objects. Many cave bats inhabit the cave and you will be able to see them very closely.
