If you happen to be in the Southern part of Bulgaria and you are traveling between the cities of Haskovo and Kurdzhali you definitely have to plan to spend some time at "The Stone Mushrooms". They are literally "growing" along the road so there is no walking nor any hiking if you are not willing ;)
They could be found east of the village of Beli Plast in a protected site with a total area of 3 hectares. It was declared a natural landmark on 13 May 1974.
The rock formations have the shape of mushrooms with height of some of them of up to 2.5 meters.
Of course, as photographers, we wouldn't go there in the middle of thee day. We planned the trip in such a way we reach the place about one hour before the sunset. That day, there were beautiful puffy clouds covering the sky so we hoped for a colorful and reach dusk.
I have to say here, that would be my third visit to this site. The stones there are white and as it seems, quite soft in structure and I am afraid that some of the mushrooms won't be there in few years as the erosion has the final say. My last visit was two years ago and I could definitely see the differences. So I plan to go back there again in a couple of years and track the changes, hopefully they won't be huge...
I love to make photos against the light, silhouettes of the mushrooms and my girlfriend photographer standing under one of them.
Time for an improvised portrait photoshoot? Why not :)
The sunlight here was very warm and complimentary. I love this particular photo.
The Sun was trying to hide from us here and we started to chase it.
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Here you could see how close to the road is the phenomenon. A female photographer and a tripod for scale, LMAO.
There are few interesting boulders next to the mushrooms where one could get a different perspective.
Unfortunately we didn't account for one thing - a repellent. As the Sun set we were virtually attacked by huge clouds of mosquitoes. It was a new Moon and I could've taken photos of the night sky along the mushrooms. But that would be a task for my next trip to this amazing natural calm place...
I hope you've enjoyed this short story.
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Best regards!
Copyright: Damian Hadjiyvanov, Light Captured
If you want to use any of my visuals, please drop me a message, I'm on Discord: lightcaptured#2698
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Thank you and have a great day!
Travel Resources for your trip to Bulgaria
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Flights: We recommend checking Kiwi.com to find the best and cheapest flights to Bulgaria.
Accomodation: Explore the best places to stay in Bulgaria on Booking.com, Agoda and Hostelworld.
Travel Insurance: Medical emergencies abroad can be pricey, but travel health insurance is not. We always use SafetyWing for affordable and reliable coverage.
Car Rental: For hassle-free car hiring, DiscoverCars is our trusted choice with a wide selection of vehicles.
Internet: Got an eSIM compatible phone? Airalo is perfect for reliable internet access during your trip. Just install it before you go, and you're set!
Day Trips & Tours: We recommend GetYourGuide for a variety of well-organized and enjoyable activities.
Travel Planner: Need a hand planning? Our free travel planner chatbot is your personal guide to Bulgaria. Chat now.
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