God’s bridge connects the gods with the people
- Natural forces created the unique rock arch
- Romantics still suffer from Queen Helena’s golden loom today
Only about 15 km from Vratsa, but next to the village of Liljace, as the locals proudly say, there is a natural landmark with respect to customs, faith, history, archeology and of course geology. God’s Bridge (someone puts the accent on the letter i) is also the place where many tourists come, but also moviegoers – click, shoot movies… they take with them a piece of Bulgaria, which is charged with the energy of the universe and ours planet Earth.
The God’s Bridge phenomenon
Travelers from near and far, from the homeland and from abroad, visit the natural phenomenon God’s Bridge near the village of Lilyache. Its name is associated with a legend that tells that the gods passed over it to avoid wading through the river. Another legend says that Constantine and Elena lived in the caves of the Bridge of God.
It is a huge rock arch of impressive size and shape, sculpted over the centuries without human intervention. The Bridge of God is a miracle of nature, one of the most beautiful karst phenomena in Bulgaria. Most people do not suspect its existence, and many who have heard about the rock formation refuse to see it with their own eyes because of the difficult access to the place.
A huge stone arch with thick and powerful columns rises 20 m above the ground. Under the thick arch, nature has formed a spacious hall illuminated by the glare of the sun and several waters in small ponds. Inside the rock bridge, you can see various cave formations – rock columns, cubes, niches and cavities on the walls, where owls, cuckoos, rock pigeons, bats, etc. are said to nest. birds.
There are different versions of the origin of the name of the bridge. According to one of them, it came from the years when the river became full and carried away all the bridges in its path, moreover, because it was under the protection of its Lord. Another interpretation is an expression of reverence for the natural phenomenon and recognition that such a miracle can only be God’s creation.
According to the sayings, the Bridge of God really served as a bridge over which an old Roman road passed. This is evidenced by the remains of an ancient fortress at one end of the bridge and the stone slabs found along the dirt road leading to the natural phenomenon. They are large and quite purposely a mess around.
Geologists discovered long ago that God’s Bridge is a remnant of the karst cave formed relatively close to the surface by the Liljachka Reka underground road. Over time, the ceiling of the cave at the site collapsed, revealing to human eyes the hall under the vault. The partial remains of the ceiling formed a unique rock arch 125 meters long above the old river bed.
The surface of the bridge is covered with wood, bushes and grasses, so that if a person moves on it, he may not even suspect what a miracle is hidden below. The lush vegetation on the surrounding slopes additionally reveals to the eyes the rock phenomenon previously described by the Shkorpil Brothers as early as the end of the 19th century and was later given the status of value by the state.
The legends
Passing by the village of Lilyache, travelers must visit the unique natural feature. Some call the whole area God’s Gorge. It starts from the Stone Hill of the old school and goes all the way to God’s Bridge. The view encompasses the misty silhouette of the rivers Veslets and Karov dol, gathered their small streams to flow towards the Zabokrek and crash into the hard rocks of the God Bridge. Their turbulent waters swirl in the deep pool and find the rocky gorges. They hide under the bridge to show themselves below and flow down the gorge calmly and confidently.
The adults recall the stories of their parents that over this Karov dol, on a hot summer day in 1916, such a downpour poured down that it quickly lifted the small mill and the houses of Tseko Bunkalski and Anto Radin. This is what the small creek did today. Such floods have happened before. When the river rebelled, it swept away everything in its path. It carried all the bridges – wooden and others – that people had built on it. Only one left. Proud and unshakable towered the bridge of God. Because it is not man-made, but a natural phenomenon, and because nothing can defeat it, people consider it created by God himself.
Once upon a time, the entire area around God’s Bridge was overgrown with centuries-old forests. If you go down the God’s gorge, the river cuts into the cross rocks. It takes thousands of years to create this natural phenomenon. The legends and traditions about “Tsar Constantine and Queen Elena” are also associated with him. They once lived in this area, among inaccessible rocks and caves with magnificent halls – dry and fresh. According to legend, the queen met the golden sunrise at this place. Elena wove on the golden loom, which remained hidden there and after her. To this day there are people who believe that he is in the caves and continues to torment him.
For the traveler
The natural phenomenon is very beautiful and can rival the “Wonderful Bridges” in the Rhodopes, according to mountaineers. The height of the formation is about 20 m, and the width – about 25 meters. Along its main axis, the tunnel formed by the Lilyashka Bara River is about 100 meters long. During the dry months of the year, the creek under the bridge dries up and there remain several ponds full of frogs, hence its already mentioned other name – Zabokrek.
Near the bridge, in the area of Borovanska mogila, remains of an ancient and medieval fortress were found. In 1964, the Bridge of God was declared a natural landmark.
Near the God’s Bridge is the Peshketo cave, in which archaeologists have discovered remains of human culture since the end of the Paleolithic Age. Remains of a prehistoric settlement were found on the terrace above Izvoro, which dates back to the middle period of the Neolithic Age. South of the Bridge of God, in the area of Gradishteto, during the restoration of an ancient and medieval fortress, burnt floors of dwellings and foundations of caves from a settlement that was inhabited during the second period of the Copper Age were found.
In the distance, the fangs of the Vrachan Balkan loom. A shrine is nestled in its forests, very close to the town of Vratsa. Perched on the rocks, the cave monastery “St. Ivan Pusti” is the perfect end to a walk that begins with the Bridge of God. The name of the holy monastery suggests that Ivan Rilski was already a hermit on these lands. There is even a fasting cell in the rocks where the saint is supposed to have sought peace.
The Bridge of God is suitable for visiting in all seasons, say those familiar with the phenomenon. It can be reached in two ways. One is through the village of Chiren, but the easier way is through the village of Lilyache (from Vratsa by car on the main road E79, taking the turnoff at the village of Beli Izvor). There are signposts along the way. The place is visited by eco lovers and foreign tourists. Eco-trails with camping sites have been built, the difficult sections are secured, and the numerous bridges and benches reveal a wonderful panoramic view. If they want to see where Queen Elena met the sunrise, visitors can sit on the high alluvial terrace with the romantic name of the Balcony.