Yagodinska Cave
Being 10500 meters long, Yagodinska cave is the third longest cave in Bulgaria and it is the longest cave in the Rhodopi mountain. It has three main levels and two intermediate levels and it has been formed in Proterozoic marlble area. Utilities were installed on the third floor during the period year 1971-1982, as the tourist cave road is 1100 meters long. You can see here magnificent and beautiful cave formations along the whole tourist cave road-stalactites, stalagmites, stalactones, helictites, cave lakes, lichen, dendrites, draperies and one of the most unique formations-cave pearls. There are 22 kinds of cave formations here out of 28 kinds of cave formations known in the world.
The temperature in the cave section with utilities is 6ºС –it is constant temperature all year around, humidity– 85-91%. Yagodinska cave entrance is located 930 meters above sea level and the cave exit is located 937 meters above sea level, as the difference in height is +7 meters here (smooth and horizontal surface).
Fauna and flora
You can see different kinds of animals here like bats, cave grasshoppers, small spiders, troglobionts (creatures, having cave-dwelling mode of life) and others and from the flora-you can see here lichen, moss, moulds and mushrooms.
Historical data
The first researches in Yagodinska cave were conducted in year 1963 by Chepelare cave club, as the club leader was Dimiter Raichev, as initially they conducted researches of 8500 meters and during the period 1982-1986, there was new mapping of the cave and new cave galleries and cave section were discovered then, as the total cave length reached 10500 meters and this cave is 275 000 years old. Eneolithic dwelling was discovered only 4 meters away from the natural cave entrance (first level)-a local ceramic center and it is the only one in Europe preserved in its natural form. Experts have also discovered here archeological findings like ceramic dishes, primitive working instruments, charred wheat and ceramic furnace and hand mills. The remains date from the Copper Age (IV thousand years B.C.). It will take you 20 minutes to have a look around this part of the cave, as there will be a guide and you must also pay an entrance fee.
There is a wedding hall in Yagodinska cave, where people get married.
