As the Iskǎr River snakes its way north through the mighty Balkan mountain range, it is forced abruptly to the east. Before reaching flatlands that merge into the Danube basin, its final destination, the river yields to the sheer limestone cliffs of the Vrachanski Balkan. Hidden within these folds of rock lies a labyrinth of over 600 caves, each a hidden world hosting a unique ecosystem of bats and invertebrates. Above, free-roaming donkeys, horses, and goats graze the steep trails while vultures soar overhead, scouring the terrain for their next meal.
As the landscape spills northward, the Leva, a river born of this land, has managed to crack the mountains in two. A narrow gorge has triumphantly carved its way between two towering stone doors, forming a legendary limestone gate that acts as the entrance, exit, and namesake of the neighbouring city of Vratsa. Famous heroes who died on these peaks, defending their homeland from empires long-gone, still inspire the poems and songs of residents here and beyond.
