Devetashka Cave

Devetashka Cave is a large karst cave near the village of Devetaki in north-central Bulgaria, notable for its multiple large roof openings and a very large central chamber. The cave’s name refers to the multiple entrances and openings that admit daylight into the interior.

The interior includes a cavernous central hall with several skylike openings and a network of passages and side chambers. The site is known for its bat colonies and for dramatic daylight shafts that attract photographers and visitors. There are accessible paths from the nearby village but parts of the cave remain wild and uneven.

The cave formed by limestone dissolution and has a long record of human presence; archaeological work has recovered prehistoric artifacts and faunal remains indicating repeated use in the Palaeolithic and later periods. In the 20th century portions of the cave were used for military storage before later protection and management as a natural and cultural landmark.

Devetashka Cave lies in Pleven Province, roughly within the Lovech region of north-central Bulgaria, a short distance from the village of Devetaki and the regional town of Lovech. The entrance area sits at the base of a karst plateau in a rural agricultural landscape.

• When to visit: Best visited in dry weather when the main chamber is dry and daylight shafts are most visible; access is via a short walk from the village of Devetaki.
• Practical note: The site was used as a military depot in the 20th century and later opened to the public; wildlife includes a large colony of bats protected under national law.

What to See #

• Central chamber and roof openings: A large central chamber with multiple skylight-like roof openings that admit daylight into the cave interior and create notable shafts of light.
• Entrances and passages: Several entry passages and smaller caverns formed by karst processes, which together create the cave's multi-entrance layout reflected in its name.
• Archaeological areas: Archaeological deposits and surface finds show repeated human use of the cave across prehistoric periods, with excavations recovering tools and bones.