"Prohodna" : The cave of "the Eyes of God"

Next you are going to discover one of the many phenomena of nature that can be found in Bulgaria, It is the cave of the "Eyes of God" which the Bulgarians call "Prohodna" and that apart from having a special aesthetic and attraction, it is an ideal tourist destination for climbing, caving and professional photography.

Cave of the Eyes of God (Prohodna)

For this we move to the interior of the country, to the province of Lovech (Which by the way we have also talked about in another article on our blog: Lovech, the scented city). The karst rock area of ​​the Karlukovo canyon is located along the Iskar river, near the town of Lukovit and 110 km northeast of Sofia.

In this area there are some very interesting natural phenomena such as the aforementioned cave of "Prohodna" with its phenomenon of the "Eyes of God", the Iskar river canyon and many other caves, more of 240 registered, some used in ancient times, 13th and 14th centuries, like monasteries within the rock itself. In this area in senderismoeuropa.com we organize trips with adventure activities that may include climbing, canyoning, caving and of course hiking. In our cultural circuits that pass through Lovech we always also include the excursion to “the cave of God's Eyes”.

Ecosendero de Lukovit (Lovech region – Bulgaria)

Prohodna Cave has a length of 262 meters, its Bulgarian name means "entrance" due to the 2 entrances to the large cave, one of 45 meters high and the other of 35 meters; you can walk from one to another easily inside the cave as if it were a huge tunnel. It is one of the most easily accessible caves in Bulgaria, it is reached by a path of about 2 km from Karlukovo village (municipality of Lukovit) and the entrance to the cave is free.

The cave does not have large stalactites or stalagmites like other caves in Bulgaria, however it is unique because towards the middle of the cave there are 2 huge holes in the karst rock roof shaped like eyes, known as "the Eyes of God". From inside the cave you can see the sky and when the Moon is close, the photograph that can be obtained is one that is always remembered… an example is the attached photo. Also when there are rains the water enters through both holes and falls through the walls of the cave; the locals often say then that the Eyes of God are crying…

The mystical character of this phenomenon comes from afar, and the Thracian tribes, ancestors of present-day Bulgarians, they performed a ritual inside the cave about the beginning of spring and about the cereal harvest to ask for a good harvest. And it has been discovered that, long before, during the Neolithic, the cave was inhabited. The origin of the cave dates back to the Quaternary era and with the passage of time the erosion created these capricious forms in the cave.

The "eyes" have a hypnotic effect and contemplating them for a while from inside the cave is very relaxing, apart from a visual spectacle at different times of the day due to the light effects that can be appreciated. Due to its spectacular nature, the cave has been the scene of various movie scenes.

At the moment climbing is allowed in the cave and also in the "eyes" themselves, contact us and we will take you there so you can hang down from the surface and have amazing views of the sky while hanging from the ropes… There are also different routes to climb its walls, We recommend that you try it because climbing inside a cave but with the natural light that enters through these huge "eyes" is a unique experience.

In the Karlukovo canyon you can also practice canyoning and other adventure sports… Tell us what adventure activities you want to do and what level of experience you have and we will prepare a personalized program in which you can even include cultural routes to discover the traditions and hidden towns of a country where mass tourism has not yet arrived.

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Sources: https://bulgariatravel.org/en/prohodna-cave/