Yagodina

Yagodina and Trigrad Canyons
In the Rhodope Mountains, there are several mighty canyons with caves, flowing water, waterfalls, and rock walls that are a paradise for mountaineers. Yagodina is one of the most beautiful of them all—an impressive canyon where the width between the walls narrows to just a few meters, and yet there is both a road and a river running through it. In the middle of the canyon is a stalactite cave, considered the most beautiful in the area, inside which the remains of a prehistoric human settlement were discovered. From the cave area, you can climb to the picturesque villages and the plateaus above the canyon, where there are wonderful viewpoints such as the “Eagle Observation”—a bridge hanging over the abyss, from which you can look down 300 meters.

Further up the canyon, there is another cave from the Neolithic period, where ancient grains of wheat were found. At the top of the mountains, sacred megalithic sites with rock-hewn bowls can be found, which were also used by the Thracians.

Near Yagodina is the Trigrad Canyon, with vertical stone walls hundreds of meters high and cave openings in one of them. As in Yagodina, a river flows inside the canyon, and a road leads to the village of Trigrad nearby. The name Trigrad suggests that the village was formed from the merging of three villages (“tri” – three, “grad” – village). Interestingly, as in other parts of the Rhodope Mountains, Muslims and Christian Bulgarians live together peacefully.

At the beginning of the canyon is the “Devil’s Throat” cave—a huge karst cave where the Trigrad River disappears into the bowels of the earth, creating a roaring waterfall inside a chamber of the cave called the “Hall of Thunder.” According to local legend, Orpheus descended into the Underworld through this cave system. The river disappears deep into the earth and reemerges further down the canyon only after two hours, during which its path is unknown. Everything it sweeps away (such as boards, debris, etc.) is never recovered.

According to ancient belief, the river flows into the River Styx, which lies on the border of the Underworld, and therefore it is said that by following its path, one might reach the gates of the Underworld. At the bottom of the cave is the “Fountain of Tears,” where Orpheus wept after ultimately losing his beloved Eurydice. From that point, the light of the cave’s opening is already visible in the distance, just as described in the mythological tale. Below the spring, you can see the flow of the river and the rocks that sealed the passage behind Eurydice forever.

Opposite Devil’s Throat Cave, on the massive cliff walls on the other side of the canyon, there is a large karst cave in which prehistoric human remains were found. In the valley where the river flows lies the village of Trigrad, and above it, in the forested mountains, megalithic worship sites and rock-cut sanctuaries have been discovered.

The canyons of Trigrad and Yagodina are among the highlights of a visit to Bulgaria. In this high mountain area is also the town of Devin, where you can find hot springs and several quality spa hotels. From Devin, a trail follows the Devin River into a beautiful canyon with a series of waterfalls and ponds, suspension bridges, and breathtaking natural landscapes. If you continue along the mountain paths, you’ll discover remains of ancient worship sites and remote Christian chapels.