Emen Gorge is a natural park located near Emen
village, 25 km (16 mi) West of
Veliko Tirnovo.
It is a nice destination for a half day trip. Emen Gorge is situated
about 20 km (12 miles) North of Veliko Tirnovo it is one of the
first Bulgarian touristic trails made perfect for those who love
seclusion of the untouched nature. Protected area covers a natural
canyon of the river Negovanka, a tributary to Rositsa river. Emen
river starts near a village of Novo Selo and in total it extends for
60 km although some the area are hard to get to due to geologic
formations. The word "Emen" is derived from a Latin and can be
translated as a "short river with a near source".
The area
of the Emen Gorge was settled since the Palaeolithic times and
archaeological excavations in the are yielded a trove of artifacts.
Later it was replaced by a small Roman military outpost.
The
path will take you through a picturesque beautiful canyon of Emen to
a secluded lake and a 10 meter high waterfall. Its walls reach a
height of 90 meters above river. Besides the Emen Gorge also
contains an Emen Cave, one of the longest caves in the country. It
is 3113 meters long and takes seventeenth place in the list of the
deepest caves in Bulgaria.
Before you decide to visit the
place make sure you are not afraid of heights and unstable bridges.
The paths are fairly narrow and there is no or very few rail guards
for the hikers. And those portions of the trails that do have some
kinds of protection are not very sturdy. Don't expect it will
support your weight. Even slightest pressure easily breaks old
wooden rails.
The upper boaz
It starts about 3 km northwest of the village
of Novo Selo, at 302 m above sea level, heads northeast and after
about 3 km ends southwest of the village of Emen at 238 m above sea
level. Its average altitude is about 270 m. The whole gorge is
dotted with Aptian and Urgon limestones, as its fence slopes are
steep, in places vertical, which are over 50 m high, with many
waterfalls and caves.
The lower boaz
It starts immediately
northeast of the village of Emen, at 225 m above sea level, heads
northeast and after about 2 km ends at the "tail" of the Negovanka
dam, at 180 m above sea level. Its average altitude is about 200 m.
The whole gorge is cut in Aptian and Urgon limestones, as its fence
slopes are steep, in places vertical. In this section the most
beautiful part of the canyon is revealed, as there is an eco-trail
nearby, which runs along the entire length of the Lower Boaz. It
starts with the Emen Cave, located on the left bank of the river,
passes through the waterfall Momin Skok, where it is the narrowest
part of the canyon and ends at the bottom of the dam Negovanka.