The black stones of the village of Oreshnik

Overview

The black stones are located in the northern part of Sakar Mountain, 4 km southeast of Topolovgrad and 2.5 km south of the village of Oreshnik / Haskovo region /.

They are located between 400 and 450 m above sea level.

They can be reached in two ways:
1. Take the road from Topolovgrad to Vishegrad peak - 856 m. After 4 km at the old forest hut turn east on a black forest road, Black Stones is 700 m east of the road between the elevations Guma peak (524.2) and peak Damkaya (435.7) (42.05039, 26.35547).
2. From the southwestern end of the village of Oreshnik / past the cemetery / take a forest road that leads to the pass /385 m./ between Guma peak and Damkaya peak, turn southwest on a black forest road and after about 400 m enter the massif of Black stones.
The Black Stones geological phenomenon is the most impressive natural landmark in the Sakar Mountains. It was formed among the Lower Triassic meta-conglomerates of the Palokastren Formation, deposited about 245 million years ago. The name of the rock ensemble comes from the dark appearance of the meta-conglomerates, which are composed mainly of quartz, feldspars, amphiboles, mica and various lithoclasts of intrusive and metamorphic rocks.

The area has a relatively complex geological structure with interesting relationships between magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.
Although Sakar Mountain is low and sparsely indented, it is quite interesting from a tourist point of view with a suitable combination of geological features and natural landscape. The black stones are a separate rock landmark and are a series of impressive rock ridges, arranged in a northwest-southeast direction over 300 m long and rising to a height of 50-60 m above the surrounding landscape. The most impressive part of the rock ensemble resembles a castle with numerous towers, and the lower levels are represented by protruding, sloping to the south ridges.

On the northern side the rocks are more rounded and flat, but on the southern slope they form an impressive rock crown with a height of 50-60 m. The geological phenomenon was formed during the Quaternary, due to modern erosion of various atmospheric factors. The mineral composition of the rocks and the metamorphism suffered predetermine their high erosion resistance. The formation of the protruding rock pyramids, however, is mainly due to the steep slope of the layers, which sink steeply to the northeast at an angle of 70-80 ° and are located perpendicular to the slope of the slope.

The rocks are located in a mixed deciduous forest / oak, hornbeam, linden, etc./, the ornithological richness is significant - you can observe various interesting birds, you can collect different types of herbs and berries that abound in the area. The panorama to the higher part of Sakar mountain which is opened by the Black stones is also beautiful.
Near the site is the peak Damkaya, which is believed to have existed as a prehistoric sanctuary.
From the top there are beautiful views of the high Sakar Mountains, the valley of the Tundzha River, and to the north.
The Black Stones area belongs to the class of geomorphological phenomena and is characterized by expressive features that are not inferior to a number of protected geological phenomena such as Skalnite kukli rock formation in the Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene limestones in northern Bulgaria (Chudnite Skali near Asparuhovo, Varna; Kupenite, Chuklite Skalnite Kukli near the village of Reselets, Pleven region) or the rock pyramids of the Stobski, Katinski and other types.
The following events can be carried out as a tourist site and popularization of this geological phenomenon: placing information boards on the road to Visegrad; development of a tourist trail on the dirt road from the hunting lodge on the road and from the village of Oreshnik, placing signs with brief information about the type and age of the rocks and the development of geological processes that led to the formation of rock ridges. The proximity of the site to Topolovgrad and the village of Oreshnik is also important for its development as a tourist destination.