It was hard to find a translation of the Bulgarian name for this place. Побити камъни in Cyrillic, it means 'stone that were battered into place' by some force. I also read 'The Stone Forest' on the map but I was not happy with it. Although it does look like one, doesn't it?
Ask Groot!
I am Groot.
See?
The area is not far from the Shumen - Varna highway, much closer to Varna. And you have to get off the highway and on a much smaller road near the village of Slunchevo. Then go south for a few kilometers.
I started from Shumen that morning, though, before sunrise. I was already sick (not sleeping for a night, in winter, and then travelling seven hours by train does that to me from time to time... as you will also see in one of my next stories) and with a bad cough and soar throat so I went through my photography plan with less excitement than usual. Saving both physical and mental energy, yet still moving. It was the first and so far only time that I visited the place, so I had to do the best I could.
That land has been part of the bottom of the sea during some old geological age. And it shows. Terrain tells stories. Nearby hills are shaped as if by water although now they are at least twenty kilometers inland. It was most likely water that shaped Groot and his neighbors as well.
It was wind that shaped me. I had a ride by car from the town of Shumen to the spot and then again from there to the major port of Varna. I was about to continue by train through the mountain and to my home town of Karnobat for a short visit to my family. Before the train, though, I had time enough to go for a walk and I decided to get by the harbor and go see a lighthouse or something.
I had fever during the voyage by the train and I thought it was the longest journey I had ever made. Which felt true until next day when I had to catch another train back to Sofia. With even worse fever and cough.
What was I writing about? Oh, yeah, I remember I saw some standing stones, too...
... And a lighthouse.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pobiti_Kamani
Planted stones, or The Stone Desert
very nice photos...
Have you been there yourself???
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Asking me? Sure, I made the photos and told the story about being there ;)
Wow they are beautiful, and the photos.are gorgeous. Hope you.are feeling better now!
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Yes, thank you. I am somewhat sorry that I did not pay enough attention then. Because I am sure I could have explored a little more. Maybe I will visit again next year or ... something like that.
Very impressive place. Did you ever found more info about the place? What were the stones build there for? Any rumors or local folklore?
Formed naturally - by weather or long ago while on the seafloor - those are the major hypotheses.
Well the eternal question.. whether it is natural or man-made - this has a man made feel for me..
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That one rock looks like a fist!
I have been recently only to Sofia ....Bulgaria definitely has much more to offer as you show in your post!!!
Found you by way of @trufflepig. These are great photos. And beautiful stones. Thanks for sharing. Glad I found you.
Joe
@joe.nobel
science fiction, fantasy, erotica
First time I hear about this place. The photos are beautiful!
I will try and reply to some of you in a single comment, you know why ;) I have been too active recently and RC costs of comments are still pretty high for me... Anyway,
Thank you, @archisteem, for considering my story again and for your work in general> Happy to be part of it whenever I can;
Thank you @themevlog and @anton-r;
@for91days, others told me the same ;) This is still Groot to me;
@philfreetotravel, this is true for the whole world - it is much richer than our imagination, we just have to dig a little deeper, explore some more. Even globally famous places have different angles ;) Let alone random woods and rock formations... As Annie Leibovitz (world famous photographer - among photographers, that is... photogrphers are not famous outside of photography circles in general) says: 'You don’t have to sort of enhance reality. There is nothing stranger than truth.' ;
@joe.nobel, finding me made me also find you, so I am glad as well;
@lymepoet, I am very happy to find you, too, I see you are also on #travelfeed so maybe we get to talk trough Discord more. I see you've been to Varna, which is quite near the place, still so far from people's eyes. I mean the other way around. It is also a funny coincidence that those stones are limestones mostly so your nickname suggests you may be their prophet ;)
Prophet? Hmmm! I wish! My username comes from Lyme disease, an illness I am trying to raise more awareness.
Sorry for being awkward about it. I do hope you have success on your mission. I will be looking forward to your future articles.
Nothing awkward, no worries! Have a great day!
I like the literal translation of the stone formation personally and it looks like a giant zombie rock is trying to punch its way out of the ground with that "Groot" picture! Sorry to hear about the fever and another tale of wind knocking you for 6! Glad you lived to tell the tale and share these pictures. View looks pretty awesome too :)