The petrified forest

Overview

The petrified forest near the village of Raven, Kardzhali is 30 million years old. And it is unique in the world. There are petrified forests in many parts of the world, but the one in the Rhodopes is the only one where the trees still stand upright, as they did millions of years ago. Unfortunately, the petrified forest is gradually being destroyed. And besides nature, unscrupulous tourists are also to blame for this, breaking from the unique trees to take a memory with them from the place.

The largest of the twenty surviving trees is about 4 meters in diameter and one meter high. Most of the others are similar in height, but significantly smaller in diameter. The forest area is about 75 acres. And to reach the largest tree you have to climb a steep scree.

And this is not the only difficulty that prevents you from reaching the magical place. The path to it is unmarked and without a guide who knows how to get to the petrified forest is not easy to find. Our main recommendation is to move as close as possible to the river at the end of your trip. And you can start it from the villages of Raven, Tatul or Gurgulitsa.

The trees are located in the area called Gabaz Tepe by the locals. The forest is thought to have formed as a result of volcanic activity. There are two theories about its origin. According to the more popular one, the trees are part of a forest that disappeared millions of years ago, which was located on the shores of an ancient sea. During a volcanic eruption, the high temperature charred the trees.

Subsequently, water passed through the burnt logs, carrying a flint substance with it. It filled the cavities and as a result the stone trees were obtained, which we still have the chance to see near the village of Raven. According to another theory, the forest is not formed by real trees, but by sedimentary rocks.