A day at Madara Rider and Pliska.
Part 1 – Madara Rider
For the first year and half after I came to Bulgaria, I barely traveled around this beautiful country. There is so much to see and to do that one doesn’t know where to start. I was also handicapped by the lack of a car here. So, once I got one, it was inevitable that every weekend or at least an alternate weekend we go and see some of the best places to visit near Varna.
This particular road trip is going to be broken into two parts because there is a lot to share. In Part one we will explore the area of Madara Rider and Part 2 will cover Pliska.
How to get there?
Option 1
The best possible way to get there is with a car. Get on E70 and continue traveling till you see a sign to get off for the small town of Kaspichan/Madara rider/Pliska. You will see this exit around 66 km mark if you are leaving from the center of Varna. Follow the signs which are aplenty to reach Madara Rider.
Option 2
There is a direct train which goes to Madara from Varna three times a day. The train numbers are 20160, 20164 and 20166. The most ideal one is the 20160 which leaves for Shumen at around 5.55 a.m. The other two leave at 16.45 and 19.20 , so unless you plan to camp in Madara they are not a viable option.
The train takes about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours to reach the town of Madara. If I am not mistaken the cost is close to 3 euros and one of the cheapest options to reach there. I would suggest to crosscheck this information before deciding to go by a train as when I checked the BDZ, the Bulgarian State Railways site, I couldn’t find the trains. From there you can walk along the road 2006 for roughly 2 kilometers to reach the Madara rider.
Option 3
For people with deep pockets you can hire a cab and go there. I wouldn’t know exactly how much it would cost but that’s an option as well I guess 🙂
What to wear?
A pair of well cushioned walking/trekking shoes are a must! Do not wear thin soled or hard soled shoes if you are planning to get a bit adventurous. If traveling during summer wear light cloths as there is quite a bit of activity involved. If the weather is cold a light jacket is always recommended. Make sure you carry enough fluids to hydrate yourself. During summer sunscreen is not a bad idea since there is a lot of walking to do.
Arriving at Madara Rider?
When you get to the monument, park your car and go to the desk to buy your tickets. There are two ways to approach the monument, directly to the rider monument from the stairs next to the ticket booth or walk along the park on a paved path covered with trees to the other side, explore the caves and then go to the rider and the climb to the top of the hill to the fortress for a breathtaking view. We chose the second option….
As soon as you turn right after the booth you see a beautiful path covered with trees, birds chirping, fresh air and little bit of sunlight trickling in here and there. It was mid October around 10 a.m. and very few people around, it felt like we had the place to ourselves.
With the dog dragging us around every nook and corner we had an amazing time till we reached a small opening. We could hear water flowing and went closer to explore and voila, we had discovered the spring of the Nymphs. The water was cold, refreshing and absolutely clear, a quick splash on the face is enough to wake you up from a slumber.
While we were about to begin climbing the stairs the mountainside was filled with melodious tunes of a bagpipe. The green around you, mountain side going up to the sky and the enigmatic music was enough to take us to a different world. We took the stairs next to the spring looking for the bagpiper.
Climbing up the stairs we found the piper; the high stone walls, caves and the sanctuary of the three nymphs which added to the spellbinding experience.
Once you start walking left from there you will start seeing caves, small and big . The smallest one is said to have been inhabited during the paleolithic era. Weapons made of flint stone and bone along with fragments of clay pots were found in it.
One of the largest caves was said to be used as a church and to this day it still functions as a cliff side chapel of Saint Panteleimon.
As one continues to walk down the winding path you reach the revered Madara Rider which is an UNESCO world heritage site.
So what’s the history behind the Madara Rider?
According to the recent research it represents a life size relief of Bulgarian Khan Tervel (701-721). This magnificent piece of art sits on a cliffside 23 m from the base. The Khan is on a horse followed by his hunting dog, his left hand holds the bridles of the horse while his right one holds a glass or a drinking horn in a triumphant position. The lion squatting below is speared and it indisputably is a scene praising the head of the state. Just so you know, this is the only sculpture of its kind in entire Europe and should not be missed. If you want to know the exact history read here.
Normally a lot of people end their visit here since there are a lot of stairs to climb and quite a bit of walking involved. But if you are the adventurous kind there is something more in store for you. Near the rider you will see signs guiding you towards a cliff top fortress (and this is where the good walking shoes are going to count). Carry on over the rugged path full of stones and in between you will see a sign guiding you to a rock tomb.
It’s like a small cave with stone beds on both side with a path in between. The remains of the deceased were kept here.
Walking on you will reach the base of the stairs which take you to the fort on top of the cliff. Now I was with my wife, dog and a ten year old girl who was already tired of walking. My wife and dog opted out of the climb but surprisingly our daughter said she wants to join.
Just so you get a fair warning, if you are scared of heights, have dodgy knees or haven’t been in some form of activity this climb is going to sap you. The stairs are uneven, they wind all the way up with flimsy railings on the side to assist you a little bit. A good point though is that after climbing a bit there are makeshift wooden benches where you can rest if you run out of breath.
Once we started the ascent I kind of lost track of time, it felt like I am climbing forever, with every step though we were getting higher and the view around us was dramatically changing. Unfortunately there were no clouds, it was windy and to add to that my fear for heights.
We were more than 3/4 of the way up when my daughter said she can’t go no more. So we couldn’t make it to the top, but what we saw from there was breathtaking and surreal enough.
From what I had researched before there is a base of a fort on top of the cliff. Next time when I go there, I am going to make sure I reach the top and make some good photos of it.
The going down was a lot trickier but we managed to reach the bottom in one piece.
If you ask me, the place has a rich historical heritage and everyone who is in the area should make sure they visit it.
We got down, bought a couple of souvenirs ( like every Bulgarian we do collect fridge magnets), rested, had some water and got ready to move to the next destination.
Open timings
In winter (November to March): 8.30 am – 5.00 pm
In summer (April to October): 8.30 am – 8.00 pm
Admission
Adults: 4.00 Bulgarian Leva (BGN)
Students: 1.00 BGN
Persons with disabilities: 1.00 BGN
Guided Tour
Bulgarian: 5.00 BGN
English and German: 4.00 BGN
Pet friendly?
They allowed my dog on a leash and informed us not to let him loose. (Our dog travels with us to all possible places he’s allowed.)
Stay tuned for our next destination of the day, Pliska – The first capital of Danube Bulgaria in part two (click the link to read it)..
