- This captivating mountain village was not called this way because of the numerous wild strawberries (“yagoda” means “strawberry” in Bulgarian), which the locals call with the juicy name “zonitsi”, but because of the strawberry red colour of local women’s cheeks and their gentle smiles. The colour associations in the name correspond to the colours you will see in the Yagodinska Cave. The last few kilometers before the cave are a real driving adventure – it is a two-way, one-lane road along the river, inside the fault of the Buinovsko Gorge.
- The passage underground takes 1 hour at a temperature of 6 degrees Celsius, so it would be wise to bring some warm clothes with you. The Yagodinska Cave abounds with various cave formations and is one of the most beautiful maintained caves. Bring a camera with you. Groups go in every hour; the last one is at 16:00.
There is one more floor in the cave that you can visit. It is not so beautiful, but it has a preserved cave lodging from the Neolithic age. A highlight here is the furnace for baking pottery, which the locals used to trade with dwellers of other caves in the region. Looking around and hearing the lecture takes about 40 minutes. The entrance for this floor is about 2 minutes upstream the river, after you leave the tour of the floor with the cave formations.
- Lunch options: There is a restaurant in front of the Yagodinska Cave’s entrance, where you can have lunch.
- In front of the cave, they will offer you a jeep ride to the Eagle Eye – this is a playground just below Mount St. Ilia, which hangs over the gorge. If you have the time and if you are looking for more thrill – take advantage – the view and the experience are worth it.
A good combination for a one-day trip from Solishta is:
- Leaving Solishta at 9:30 and heading for the Yagodinska Cave.
- Entering the cave at 11:00.
- Visiting the ancient lodging at 12:00.
- Lunch at:
– the restaurant by the Yagodinska Cave’s entrance;
– restaurant “Orfei” at the Teshel road fork between Trigrad and Yagodina;
5. Getting to Diavolskoto Gurlo about 14:30-15:00. Entering Diavolskoto Gurlo, visiting the cave’s exit with a boat. Rounding up at about 17:00.