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| Mysterious Strandja |
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One can hardly find a wilder spot in this country, away from civilization. One can also get lost along its roads that barely squeeze through the thick vegetation, as nature reigns here, in Strandja, not man!
We know predominantly the seaside of this mountain, with settlements like Sinemoretz, Varvara, Tsarevo and Lozenets, crowded with tourists in the summer. However, few decide to take off for the inner parts of the mountain. Those may come upon surprising findings, such as megaliths, forgotten in time, or mysterious sanctuaries. Some of them have been turned into tourist attractions, but the greatest part wait to be discovered by the traveler, crossing dense forests and vast meadows, scorched by the sun. A steep path rambles across the mountain, along the remains of the Rusokastro Roman fortress, taking us straight to the Ruskina Dupka cave, which is believed to have been a Thracian sanctuary back in the 5th century BC. Locals talk on the miraculous qualities of the spring inside.
The recently repaired Sveti Georgi Pobedonosets (St. George the Victor) church stands nearby and one can light a candle and pray there on the way. It is easy as a whole to feel away from everyday life here, in Strandja, diving into another dimension. Unsolved mysteries from the past can be found everywhere across this mountain.
The megalith Thracian sanctuary of Beglik Tash is a good spot for a sunrise meditation and a touch to the past. It can be found only 5 – 10 km away from the seaside hotels area. The giant construction of stone blocks has been worked by ancient masters, who have cut surprisingly precise circles, vats, stairs… Someone has somehow managed to move and arrange these stones, weighing dozens of tons into strange configurations. The throne of the main priest is situated in front of the entrance of the sanctuary, where most tourists hurry to take photos. Scientists suggest that the temple was used in the course of 2,000 years but its activities were most likely suspended in the 5th century with the spreading of Christianity across these lands.
There is one more fantastic megalith structure in Strandja’s wilderness that can be reached with an off road vehicle only, or walking, not without the advice of an experienced guide. Hundreds of tourists visit the Mishkova Niva area each year, despite its remoteness. There is an impressive cult complex there – the tomb of a high-ranked priest, later used as a sanctuary of Phoebus, or god Apollo. It is presumed to have been the mausoleum of a notable Thracian ruler in the period 5th – 3rd century BC. According to scientists, the complex was used from the middle of the 2nd millennium BC to late Antiquity. However, mystery fans are mostly attracted by the archaeological excavations at the foot of the Gradishte peak. Rumors and legends claim that the place could be the mysterious tomb of the Egyptian goddess Bastet, who cast her spell and even sent death to some of the members of the 1981 archaeological expedition that dared to disturb her peace…
At the same time Strandja is not only mysticism and history. It takes your breath with the aroma of wild herbs, the song of birds and its century-old forests, where small and big rivers flow. Veleka and Ropotamo are the most attractive ones for tourists – moving along the river in a boat one can see water turtles, dragonflies and numerous riverside creatures, as well as liana-like vegetation, not typical for our latitudes. In the autumn one can visit the Poda environmental centre near Burgas, where representatives of more than 250 bird species stop by to take a rest and to pose for tourists’ cameras.
“Over 300,000 migrating storks can be counted per season, i.e. nearly the entire European population of the white stork!” Yana Gocheva from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds explains. “Besides that we can boast with lots of pelicans and raptors. The sky here fills up with birds in April and then in the autumn. This lake complex near Burgas is something like an oasis for their migration route and that is why it is protected as part of the Natura 2000 European network.”
Besides for birds and animals, Strandja and its ancient sanctuaries and shady forests is also an oasis for everyone, who looks for peace and harmony. The mountain invites you to find out ever more of its wild beauty, enveloped in secrets and mysticism…
bnr.bg |
| Monday, Sep 29, 2014 |
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| » RENTALS |
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| Commercial |
€ 255 |
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| Location: |
Veliko Tarnovo |
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