Diavolsko Garlo- The Devil's Throat
Diavolsko Garlo- The Devil's Throat
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
144 reviews
Excellent
93
Very good
29
Average
18
Poor
2
Terrible
2
sharpster08
Woking, UK409 contributions
Aug 2022
This was supposed to be one of the highlights of a visit to Trigrad Gorge. It didn't live up to that billing I'm afraid. We were the only English people there and the tour was conducted in Bulgarian which is fine and we were given a leaflet to describe the history, geology and legend of the cave. The strange part is that we were told that wee didn't have to wait with the tour and could head off alone into the cave at our own speed. As it turned out it was fine but there were some really steep steps in there which were wet and quite frankly potentially dangerous. There is no way you'd be allowed to do this on your own in most western countries! The highlight was supposed to be where the water rushes underground into the 'throat' of the cavern but although we could hear the water there was very little to see. Not really worth the effort.
Written September 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
niki101
London, UK764 contributions
Jun 2014 • Couples
Nestled at the foot of the Western Rhodopes cave "Devil's Throat" is located just 1.5 km from the village Trigrad. A winding, twisty pass leads to the cave. It is called the Trigradsko Gorge.
The rocks that rise before us during our journey to the cave were majestic and awesome. Squeezed between rocky ridges, the sky looked like a thin strip of light.
There is a big car park just before the cave's entrance. Once you get to the cave, you find yourself in front of a rock wall with a small door above where a misleading cozy-wooden sign reads: "Devil's Throat". Behind the gates of hell you do not meet a fire wave but an ice one.
The temperature in the cave is about 8 degrees regardless of the seasons and the weather, so if you visit the cave in summer wear warm clothes to feel comfortable during the tour in the cave.
Our tour guide was very good. She was a friendly young lady and told us fascinating stories about the place. I understand this is her job but you need to be quite brave to get in this cave particularly many times every day.
The cave is occupied by the so called "Roaring hall." It is said that it is big enough to fit the Bulgarian cathedral in Sofia "St. Alexander Nevski".
The "Roaring Hall" is named after the deafening roar of lugging waterfall - the highest underground waterfall on the Balkan Peninsula. Its waters are lost in the trap longer than 150 meters. The siphon and the mysterious disappearance of river in the rocks bring mystery and the many unanswered questions in the history of this awesome cave.
The locals named the cave "Devil's Throat” because whatever enters the cave’s river doesn’t emerge when the river appears below. During the worst flooding in the region in 1968 the river flood put many things in the cave - objects of local people and about 300 cubic meters of wood forestry. Nothing came out or a tree or object. Two months people from forestry were on duty, but nothing came out.
The first expedition to solving the mystery in 1970 ended with a tragedy: both divers, Siana Lyutskanova and Evstati Iovchev, who dived into the waters of the cave, died. Subsequent dives did not yield any results as the huge depth of the water meant the oxygen supply could not last long enough.
Now experiments for the study of the river can be made only by way of colouring the water. But there is another mystery: after the paint is put into the river, it comes out not after 6-7 minutes, as anticipated the experts but after nearly two hours, which is evidence of a very long underground network of labyrinths deep within the cave. You could say the river literally leads you into the Underworld!
The only inhabitants of the cave are the bats and trout in the river, whose life over the centuries has passed without sunshine. Artificial lights somehow only intensify the darkness around and even the tourist can see the shadow of the devil better.
To get out of the cave you need to climb 288 steps - or the equivalent of an 18 storey building. Those who cannot climb stairs need to go back to the entrance (the route of the pensioner, according to a local joke).
While I was at the places – in Trigrad and Devil's Throat Cave - I felt like I was between the hell and the heaven!
The rocks that rise before us during our journey to the cave were majestic and awesome. Squeezed between rocky ridges, the sky looked like a thin strip of light.
There is a big car park just before the cave's entrance. Once you get to the cave, you find yourself in front of a rock wall with a small door above where a misleading cozy-wooden sign reads: "Devil's Throat". Behind the gates of hell you do not meet a fire wave but an ice one.
The temperature in the cave is about 8 degrees regardless of the seasons and the weather, so if you visit the cave in summer wear warm clothes to feel comfortable during the tour in the cave.
Our tour guide was very good. She was a friendly young lady and told us fascinating stories about the place. I understand this is her job but you need to be quite brave to get in this cave particularly many times every day.
The cave is occupied by the so called "Roaring hall." It is said that it is big enough to fit the Bulgarian cathedral in Sofia "St. Alexander Nevski".
The "Roaring Hall" is named after the deafening roar of lugging waterfall - the highest underground waterfall on the Balkan Peninsula. Its waters are lost in the trap longer than 150 meters. The siphon and the mysterious disappearance of river in the rocks bring mystery and the many unanswered questions in the history of this awesome cave.
The locals named the cave "Devil's Throat” because whatever enters the cave’s river doesn’t emerge when the river appears below. During the worst flooding in the region in 1968 the river flood put many things in the cave - objects of local people and about 300 cubic meters of wood forestry. Nothing came out or a tree or object. Two months people from forestry were on duty, but nothing came out.
The first expedition to solving the mystery in 1970 ended with a tragedy: both divers, Siana Lyutskanova and Evstati Iovchev, who dived into the waters of the cave, died. Subsequent dives did not yield any results as the huge depth of the water meant the oxygen supply could not last long enough.
Now experiments for the study of the river can be made only by way of colouring the water. But there is another mystery: after the paint is put into the river, it comes out not after 6-7 minutes, as anticipated the experts but after nearly two hours, which is evidence of a very long underground network of labyrinths deep within the cave. You could say the river literally leads you into the Underworld!
The only inhabitants of the cave are the bats and trout in the river, whose life over the centuries has passed without sunshine. Artificial lights somehow only intensify the darkness around and even the tourist can see the shadow of the devil better.
To get out of the cave you need to climb 288 steps - or the equivalent of an 18 storey building. Those who cannot climb stairs need to go back to the entrance (the route of the pensioner, according to a local joke).
While I was at the places – in Trigrad and Devil's Throat Cave - I felt like I was between the hell and the heaven!
Written August 27, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KeyWest_FL
Key West, FL68 contributions
May 2012 • Family
The Devil's Throat cave is situated 1 km from the village of Trigrad in the marvellous Trigrad Gorge.
The cave is lit by many lamps so you don’t need to take a torch with you unless you want to explore in detail all the niches in the rocks. After a long artificially dug corridor you will find yourself in an enormous gallery. Its size is compared to that of the Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia. It was formed as a result of the collapse of earth layers in the past.
If you look at the stone walls more carefully you will find a carved devil’s face and some other figures which I will leave for you to discover. From a staircase built for tourists you can see the river at the bottom of the gallery, disappearing with roar in the dark abysses below.
If you visit the cave in the spring you can also see one of the highest underground waterfalls in Europe – 42m.
Just before the natural entrance of the Devil’s Throat there is a very steep staircase at the upper end of which you can see the light streaming in from the outside.
The entrance fee for the cave is 4 leva ( 2 euro) and the guard will let you in only after a group of at least 5 or 6 people has gathered. You need warm clothes and waterproof shoes for the cave as it is really cold (8°C constant temperature, 40F) and damp in there.
The cave is lit by many lamps so you don’t need to take a torch with you unless you want to explore in detail all the niches in the rocks. After a long artificially dug corridor you will find yourself in an enormous gallery. Its size is compared to that of the Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia. It was formed as a result of the collapse of earth layers in the past.
If you look at the stone walls more carefully you will find a carved devil’s face and some other figures which I will leave for you to discover. From a staircase built for tourists you can see the river at the bottom of the gallery, disappearing with roar in the dark abysses below.
If you visit the cave in the spring you can also see one of the highest underground waterfalls in Europe – 42m.
Just before the natural entrance of the Devil’s Throat there is a very steep staircase at the upper end of which you can see the light streaming in from the outside.
The entrance fee for the cave is 4 leva ( 2 euro) and the guard will let you in only after a group of at least 5 or 6 people has gathered. You need warm clothes and waterproof shoes for the cave as it is really cold (8°C constant temperature, 40F) and damp in there.
Written June 6, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emira T
Tunis, Tunisia860 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
The cave is 175k years old. There is an artificial tunnel of 150m to go through until you reach the cave. When we visited in May 2017, there was no underground waterfall as we were told... You can hear water flowing but it wasn't as impressive as other caves I had visited. Nevertheless, it is a fun and interesting place to discover. In wintertime, the cave hosts an important colony of Schreiber bats as the temperature remains at 8C.
Make sure you wear a warm and waterproof jacket for the expedition. Also, be aware that there nearly 300 stairs to climb to reach the exit, so better not suffer from vertigo or claustrophobia to dare the adventure.
Entrance fee is 6Lv per adult.
Make sure you wear a warm and waterproof jacket for the expedition. Also, be aware that there nearly 300 stairs to climb to reach the exit, so better not suffer from vertigo or claustrophobia to dare the adventure.
Entrance fee is 6Lv per adult.
Written May 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erica Amber
Geelong, Australia96 contributions
Jun 2014 • Friends
I was visiting one of my friends in Bulgaria and this was one of the caves he took me to. First of all, it's massive! The tour guide was very informative and also spoke English, which was nice as my Bulgarian is abysmal. The waterfall inside was unbelievable and now I simply MUST find the National Geographic movie that was made about it. Nature is so cool!!! Everyone should see this cave!
Written June 8, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
camkwc
Cambridge137 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
Couldn't see much of the river until we got out the far side, not worth it in view of the slippery, steep steps to get there
Written June 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jennyandchris2015
Melbourne, Australia68 contributions
May 2018 • Friends
The tours start at 1000 and last about 1030 and Bulgarian is the only language available. Once inside the cave you appear to be left to your own devices and have to climb a very steep staircase to the exit, something we were not warned about! However the surging watercourse into the cave at the end is well worth the experience. After that however you just exit onto the narrow road back to the car park.
Written June 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
386jesset
Singapore, Singapore14 contributions
May 2017 • Family
Great views with a short hike and GREAT exercise climbing the stairs out. Granted, I was carrying two small children which made it more difficult but it was a great easy sight directly on the roadside only 2 minutes drive from our hotel by car.
Written May 8, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lior1967
Yokneam Illit, Israel43 contributions
Apr 2017 • Friends
We where 2 couples from Israel that don't know a word in Bulgarian.
The guide asked us "where are you from?"
We said Israel, and she gave us a printed full explanation in Hebrew. Very friendly.
The guide asked us "where are you from?"
We said Israel, and she gave us a printed full explanation in Hebrew. Very friendly.
Written April 2, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristina S
Copenhagen, Denmark6 contributions
Aug 2015 • Friends
This cave can be a door to another dimension :) Visiting it is a thrilling experience. Not accessable for diabled people as there are hundereds steep steps to climb back to the surfice.
Written November 7, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bonjour,
Je souhaiterais visiter les "devil's throat" cet été.
Vu que l'endroit est quelque peu excentré, je me demandais dans quel coin vaut-il mieux loger ?
Combien de temps pour faire la visite ?
d'avance merci.
Written April 10, 2018
Gadi S
Haifa, Israel
Hello,
Will the site be open on December the 24th?
If so, at what hours?
Thanks
Gadi
Written November 23, 2017
Can I go there without guide? is it possible to just park my car somewhere and go in to the caves? I'm not familiar.
Written September 11, 2017
Yes sure ,you may park your car and go in the cave .But they will not let you go inside alone.There are some hours of visiting and they wait that a group of people is gathered before entering.And there is always a guide who is accompanying the visitors.
Written September 12, 2017
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