Petrified Forest

The natural phenomenon “Pobiti kamani”, located to the north and south of the Beloslav Lake, represents outcrops of Eocene sands, among which are standing stone columns resembling a stone forest. The impressive landscape of the beaten stones is observed in seven large and several smaller outcrops.

The most famous is the “Center – South” group. It is located 18 km. west of the city of Varna. It includes about 300 large and small columns, up to 6 m high, rising mainly south of the old Varna-Devnia road.

Many hypotheses have been proposed for the origin of the “Battered Stones”, which can be united into two main groups, the first of which advocates the inorganic origin of the columns, and the second – their organic origin.

In the first group, the claims suggest mechanical shaping of the structures through erosion processes under the action of the atmosphere and water, sea surf, weathering or infiltration of groundwater. According to proponents of organic origin, the stone columns are the remains of coral reefs, fossilized gas springs, biogenic algal assemblages, or petrified forest. It is still not possible to say with certainty which of these hypotheses most accurately reflects the occurrence of this phenomenon, but they all rule out the idea that they are the creation of man. This can clearly be seen in the Quarry-Beloslav group, where all four levels of the Beaten Stones are revealed.

The most impressive groups of Pobiti kamani (“Center-south”, “Beloslav-west”, “Sunny-southeast”), as early as 1938, were among the first protected areas in Bulgaria. Later, with several consecutive acts, a total of 14 groups with an area of 253.3 hectares were protected, and with an Order of the Minister of Environment and Water in 2002. the natural landmark has been recategorized in a protected area. “Pobiti kamani” is a protected area in the Natura 2000 network, declared for the purpose of protecting the country’s largest inland sand habitats with specific flora, vegetation and animal life.

The only evidence of human life during the Mesolithic in Bulgaria was found in the area of the broken stones.

You can reach Pobiti kamani by car or by bus line No. 43 to the stop “Rakklon Banovo” in the village of Sunnyno.