Чудните мостове

Chudnite Mostove - Choudnité Mostové - Marvellous Bridges - Wonderful Bridges

Useful Information

Location:	Near Zabardo, accessible only on foot. Marked hiking trails form the village of Zaburdo (2,5 hours) and village of Orehovo via Kabata Hut (4,5 hours). Western Rhodope Mountains. (41.818972, 24.581518)
Open:	No restrictions. [2019]
Fee:	free. [2019]
Classification:	Karst Cave Natural Bridge
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	Bigger Bridge: L=96 m, W=15 m, VR=70 m, Protal: H=45 m. Smaller Bridge: L=60 m, VR=50 m, Portal: H=30 m. A=1,450 m asl.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
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History

1949	declared a nature reserve.

Description

F090-038 — Chudnite Mostove (Wonderful Bridges). Public Domain.

The Chudnite Mostove (Wonderful Bridges) are two natural bridges, which are the remains of the same cave system. Both are located along the Aidarsko Dere River, under a mountain ridge called Chernatitsa. Although someone spread the story about an earthquake, the tale is mentioned on numerous webpages, the formation of natural bridges is just the normal development of karst. After the caves have grown to some size, they eventually reach the surface, parts of the ceiling are eroded and the caves become roofless. The newest theories about roofless caves even deny roof collapses completely. However, much of the valley around the bridges is simply a former cave.

The rock is composed of marble, not normal limestone. The bigger bridge is 96 m long with an impressive entrance 45 m high and 43 m wide. The smaller bridge is located 200 m down the valley and is only 60 m long.

During the last years the bridges have become a popular tourist destination. There are trails to and through the bridges. There is also a tourist lodge named Chudnite Mostove close to the upper bridge. The place is reached on a third-class road branching off the Assenovgrad-Smolyan road to Zaburdo.