Galabarnika caves and the rock Chervenitsa

Story of the heritage: The natural phenomenon Chervenitsa is a monolithic rock block, rising more than 150 m above the river terrace of the Iskar River near the village of Kunino, Vratsa region. It is located about 46 km east of Vratsa and approximately 120 km northeast of Sofia. The site is located at the Karlukovo Gorge entrance, one of the most beautiful karst areas in Bulgaria, at 300 m above sea level. It is built of Maastricht limestone - i.e. of limestone deposited at the Upper Cretaceous end about 70 million years ago. The limestone material is creamy with flint nuts. Chervenitsa is separated from the gorge's rock crown by a deep fault known as the Lower Wire. The maximum height of the actual rock is 72 m, but the deeply cut sandstone base from the Iskar River creates a visual feeling of much greater height. The west-east direction length is 174 m, and the eastern wall was severely damaged by the limestone quarry, which operated from 1922 to 1972. The rock differs from the characteristic landscape of the deeply karstic Karlukovo gorge by its monolithic nature. There are no tectonic cracks, which prevented the destruction and formation of the karst forms characteristic of the fault. Here the limestones have a slightly reddish tinge, distinguishing them from the general white background of the surrounding rocks, whence the name of the phenomenon. In the 1950s, a limestone quarry was developed at the eastern end of Chervenitsa, and a lime kiln operated at its foot. In 1974 the rock crown was declared a natural landmark. According to the Nature Protection Act requirements, the quarry has been moved, and the demolition of the site has been stopped.